,digital ,library47 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,transcriber's ,note3 ,this version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects4 ,italics are delimited with the #8' character as italic4 ,footnotes have been moved to follow the chapters in which they are referenced4 ,in the printed text1 the numbering of footnotes began again at #8#a' for each chapter4 ,in this version1 footnotes have been re-sequenced across the text for uniqueness of reference4 ,minor errors1 attributable to the printer1 have been corrected4 ,please see the transcriber's note at the end of this text for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,illustration3 ,royal ,sappers ,miners ,plate ,,xvi4 ,uniform #ahed4 ,printed by ,m ,n ,hanhart4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,royal ,,sappers ,,and ,,miners1 ,,from ,,the ,,formation ,,of ,,the ,,corps ,,in ,,march #aggb1 ,,to ,,the ,,date ,,when ,,its ,,designation ,,was ,,changed ,,to ,,that ,,of ,,royal ,,engineers1 ,,in ,,october #ahef4 ,,by ,t4 ,w4 ,j4 ,,connolly1 ,,quartermaster ,,of ,,the ,,royal ,,engineers4 8,of most disastrous chances1 ,of moving accidents1 by flood and field2 ,of hair-breadth scapes i' the imminent deadly breach40--,shakspeare4 8,there is a corps which is often about him1 unseen and unsuspected1 and which is labouring as hard for him in peace as others do in war40--,the ,times4 ,with ,seventeen ,coloured ,illustrations4 ,,second ,,edition1 ,,with ,,considerable ,,additions4 ,,in ,,two ,,volumes4--,,vol4 ,,ii4 ,,london3 ,,longman1 ,,brown1 ,,green1 ,,longmans1 ,,and ,,roberts4 #aheg4 ,,london3 ,,printed ,,by ,w4 ,,clowes ,,and ,,sons1 ,,stamford ,,street ,,and ,,charing ,,cross4 ,,contents ,,of ,,vol4 ,,ii4 ------------------ #ahdh4 ,,page ,staff appointments--,survey of ,london--,colour-sergeant ,smith--,sergeant ,bay--,trigonometrical operations--,opposition to the military survey--,observatory above ,st4 ,paul's2 the scaffolding--,privates ,pemble and ,porteous--,sergeant ,steel--,industry and conduct of the ,sappers in the ,metropolitan survey--,preliminary arrangements of the ,arctic expedition--,privates ,waddell and ,sulter--,corporal ,mackie--,expedition starts2 corporal ,mc,laren--,coasting journeys and services--,overland march--,winter at ,fort ,confidence--,party detached to ,great ,bear ,lake--,close of the search for ,sir ,john ,franklin and his crews #a #ahdh4 ,augmentation to corps--,a calculating prodigy--,company removed from ,portsmouth to ,ireland--,chartist demonstration and services of the sappers in ,london--,road-making in ,zetland--,company to the ,mauritius--,major ,sandham--,sergeant ,anderson--,sergeant ,ross--,sir ,harry ,smith's frontier tour at the ,cape--,passage of the ,mooi2 corporal ,pringle--,passage of the ,konap2 sergeant ,mc,leod2 also of the ,orange ,river--,boem ,plaatz--,spirited conduct of a party in removing an ammunition tumbril1 which had upset in some burning grass--,peace--,inspection at ,gibraltar by ,sir ,robert ,wilson--,also at ,hong-,kong by ,major-,general ,stavely--,company at ,corfu--,return of party to ,england from the ,falkland ,islands--,sergeant ,hearnden #af #ahdi4 ,breach in the sea embankment at ,foulness--,company to ,portsmouth--,augmentation to corps--,homeward journey of the ,arctic expedition--,private ,brodie--,great ,slave ,lake party--,expedition arrives in ,england--,south ,australia--,sergeant ,r4 ,gardiner--,road-making in ,zetland--,survey of ,dover--,wreck of the #8,richard ,dart'--,miserable condition of the survivors on ,prince ,edward's ,island--,found1 and taken to the ,cape--,remeasurement of the base-line on ,salisbury ,plain--,shoeburyness--,eulogium by the ,marquis of ,anglesey--,fatal accident at ,sandhurst ,college #bg #ahej4 ,sir ,robert ,gardiner's opinion of the corps--,party to the penal settlement at ,swan ,river--,detachment to ,new ,zealand--,draft to ,hong-,kong--,mining operations at ,seaford ,bay--,determinations of the latitudes of various trigonometrical stations--,sergeant ,james ,steel--,professor ,airy--,the leisure of the sergeant--,new method of acquiring a knowledge of chess--,hardships of a party landed at ,rona #db #ahea4 ,malta--,portsmouth--,swan ,river--,brown ,down batteries--,kaffir war--,strength of sappers at the ,cape--,corporal ,castledine--,attack on ,fort ,beaufort--,whittlesea1 c4--,skirmish near ,grass ,kop ,tower--,also in ,seyolo's ,country--,patrol--,fight at ,fort ,brown--,patrol--,storming ,fort ,wiltshire--,patrols--,action at ,committy's ,hill--,gallantry of corporal ,james ,wilson at ,fort ,cox--,patrols--,increase to the ,cape by withdrawal of ,company from the ,mauritius--,sir ,harry ,smith's opinion of the sappers--,eulogies concerning them by ,lieutenant-,colonel ,cole and ,captain ,stace1 ,r4,e4 #ef #ahea4 ,,great ,,exhibition4 ,sappers attached to it--,opening--,distribution of the force employed--,duties2 general superintendence--,clerks and draughtsmen--,charge of stationery--,robert ,marshall--,testing iron-work of building--,workshops--,marking building--,receiving and removing goods--,customhouse examination--,fire arrangements--,ventilation--,classmen--, private ,r4 ,dunlop--,clearing arrangements--,miscellaneous services--,bribery--,working-pay--,close of the ,exhibition--,encomium by ,colonel ,reid--,also by ,prince ,albert and the ,royal ,commissioners--,honours and rewards--,their distribution--,statistical particulars--,lance-corporal ,noon--,removing the goods--,return of companies to ,woolwich--,contributors to the ,exhibition--,the ,ordnance survey--,and ,mr4 ,forbes1 late sergeant-major #fh #ahea4 ,,shetland ,,islands4 ,observations--,road from ,lerwick to ,mossbank--,to the western districts--and southwards--,between ,olnafirth and ,doura ,voe--,voe to ,hillswick2 corporal ,andrew ,ramsay--,island of ,yell2 sergeant ,john ,f4 ,read--,intrepid bearing of corporal ,ramsay--,conduct and usefulness of the party employed on the roads #hh #aheb4 ,party attached to the ,commissioners for the ,great ,exhibition--,mount ,alexander--,corporal ,john ,mc,laren--,spike ,island--,brown ,down--,hurst ,castle--,holmfirth ,reservoir--,alderney--,cambridge ,asylum--,tidal observations1 river ,dee--,van ,diemen's ,land--,channel ,islands--,kaffir war--,passage of the ,kei--,patrols--,party benighted in the bush--,action at the ,konap pass--,patrol--,fort ,white--,patrols--,expedition against ,moshesh--,orange ,river--,passage of the ,caledon--,the ,lieuw--,battle of ,berea--,return of the expedition2 crossing the drift at the ,lieuw--,repassage of the ,caledon--,perils of the 8sick-waggon0 in crossing--,thanks of ,general ,cathcart--,conduct of the sappers during the campaign #ic #ahec4 ,expedition to ,central ,africa--,private ,e4 ,swenny--,journey to ,beni-,olid--,hospitality of the natives at ,sokna--,black ,mountains--,privations and exertions--,private ,john ,maguire--,gatrone--,sufferings of the slaves in their march across the desert--,evidences of the number that perish--,trials of the expedition2 halts at ,kouka--,party with the department of ,practical ,art--,sanitary survey of ,woolwich--,detachment for survey of ,van ,diemen's ,land--,additional commissions to the corps--,company at ,alderney--,corporal ,james ,s4 ,taylor at ,new ,york--,company recalled from the ,cape--,company to the ,mauritius--,party to ,melbourne--,inconvenience of its popularity--,epidemic at ,bermuda--,detachment for the ,mint at ,sydney--,greatcoats #aad #ahec4 ,,chobham ,,camp4 ,nature of the ground--,position of the sappers--,their strength--,quarters and cantonments--,equipment--,duties and services--,the survey--,marking out the encampment--,forming tanks--,wells--,lakes--,construction of stables--,camp-kitchen--,oven--,incident al employments2 ,royal pavilion2 ,queen's road--,sentry-boxes--,post-office and postal statistics--,intrenchments--,submarine mining--,passage of ,virginia ,water--,her ,majesty's gracious acknowledgments of the conduct of the sappers in the operation--,the second passage of the lake--,also of the ,thames at ,runnymead--,field-days--,inspections by the ,queen--,breaking up the camp--,satisfaction of ,colonel ,vicars and ,lord ,seaton #abf #ahed-ahef4 ,staff appointments--,party to ,melbourne--,mint detachment to ,sydney--,survey of ,aldershot heath--,department of ,practical ,science and ,art--,staff ranks to the survey companies--,dress--,party detached to ,heligoland--,also to ,paris for the ,exhibition--,corporal ,mack's services in testing woods--,a foreigner's surprise at the varied employments of the sappers--,sergeant ,jenkins' interview with the ,emperor--,fire at the ,manutention du ,commerce--,radical change in the dress--,arms and accoutrements--,costume of the quartermasters--,supernumerary sergeants--,additional staff appointments--,exhibition at the ,mauritius--,arrival of company from ,bermuda1 and removal to ,aldershot--,chatham becomes the head-quarters--,rejection of the services of ,van ,diemen's ,land detachment by the ,legislative ,council1 which are accepted by the ,governor of ,new ,south ,wales--,organization and pay of driver troop--,additions to the corps and various incidental alterations--,detail of establishment of corps--,the band--,its costume--,dress of the bandmaster--,party recalled from ,purfleet--,detachment to ,hythe for rifle practice1 c42 the system pursued there becomes a leading feature in the instruction at ,chatham #adg #ahed4 ,,bomarsund--,,turkey--,,bulgaria--,,wal lachia4 ,war with ,russia--,detachment attached to ,baltic fleet--,second company to the ,aland ,islands--,landing--,brigadier--,general ,jones--,preliminary services--,operations--,fort ,nottich attacked--,adventure at ,fort ,tzee and escape from it--,bomarsund captured--,destruction of the forts--,conduct of the company--,sickness2 it returns to ,england--,detachment to ,turkey--,augmentation to the corps--,seventh company withdrawn from ,hurst ,castle--,eleventh and seventh companies to ,turkey--,odessa--,services of the first detachment in ,turkey--,corporal ,cray--,gallipoli2 ,boulair2 ,ibridgi--,commendation by ,sir ,george ,brown--,tenth and eighth companies to ,scutari--,redoubt ,kaleh--,works there--,circassia--,working-pay--,compan ies attached to divisions of the army--,buyuk ,tchekmedjie--,first detachment to ,varna--,followed by the tenth company--,also by the eleventh--,complimentary order for services of the latter--,contrast between the ,french and ,english sappers--,works at ,varna--,also at ,devno--,encampments at ,aladyn and ,varna--,works at ,gallipoli and ,boulair--,eighth company to ,varna--,gallantry of corporal ,swann and private ,anderson--,sappers join at ,varna from the fleet--,coast of ,circassia--,photographers--,detachment to ,rustchuk--,trestle bridge at ,slobedzie--,bridge of boats over the ,danube--,return to ,varna of a portion of the sappers from ,rustchuk--,misconduct of the detachment2 also of the seventh company--,spirited conduct of corporal ,cray--,major ,bent and party of sappers to ,bucharest--,private ,anderson and the ,austrian ,dragoons--,fourth company to ,varna--,the ,somerset ,fund--,the ,central ,association #aga #ahed4 ,,crimea4 ,september--#ahth ,october4 ,instructional operations--,embarkation for the ,crimea--,the landing--,the sappers sink wells--,attempt to erect a pier for landing the horses--,bed of the ,bulganak improved with reeds for the passage of artillery--,the ,alma--,services of the sappers during the battle--,they repair the ,buliack timber bridge--,march to ,balaklava2 ,sir ,john ,burgoyne2 services of the third company--,the corps encamps at ,balaklava--,then removes to the heights before ,sebastopol2 misery for want of tents--,parties assist to reconnoitre the positions and trace the lines--,an instance given--,two sappers carrying the mail miss their way1 are wounded and benighted--,destruction of ,upton's aqueduct--,positions on the heights2 staff engineers--,the attacks2 parks--,sapper brigades--,reliefs--,breaking ground--,duties of the sappers--,their deficiency of tact in working the skilled portions of the batteries--,progress of the works2 a party wanders from the trace--,sergeant ,morant misses his way1 and only discovers his mistake when encountered by a ,russian guard--,a mistrusted guide restores confidence by his conduct--,state of the works on the night before the first bombardment--,the batteries and parallels--,siege operations--,restoration of the works--,sir ,john ,burgoyne's remarks on them #aif #ahed ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 #ahth ,october--#cast ,december4 ,a corporal guides the field officer to the #ba-;gun battery in open day--,the last shot--,two sappers mend a gap of some magnitude in a mortar battery--,scarcity of soil and materials for carrying on the works--,picket-house battery--,mishap to a tracing party--,platforms--,magazines--,a detachment with arabas moves from the valley during the battle of ,balaklava--,private ,lancaster the only sapper engaged in it--,steady conduct of the sappers at the platforms during ,sir ,de ,lacy ,evans's combat--,battle of ,inkermann--,a corporal gallantly alters the splay of an embrasure while the fight rages--,sappers trench the road leading to the heights from the harbour--,two privates repair an embrasure under a severe fire--,submarine divers--,progress of the works--,hurricane of the #adth ,november2 wreck of the #8,prince'--and the #8,rip ,van ,winkle'--,effects of the storm on shore--,lines of ,inkermann--,mode of proceeding with the construction of the general works--,strength of corps at the siege and detached--,field electric telegraph--,sergeant ,anderson--,casualties--,sergeant ,drew--,arrival of second company2 its colour-sergeant taken for a ,pacha--,incentives to induce the ,turks to work--,the ,navvies--,army ,works ,corps--,the sappers1 though under a seeming cloud1 are upheld by a vigorous vindication in ,parliament #bad #ahee4 #ast ,january-#hth ,april4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,sanitary state of companies--,warm clothing--,collecting detachments in ,england to forward to the siege--,services of party with ,omar ,pasha's army--,granted medals by the ,sultan--,mishap on the ,tchernaya--,destruction of the village of ,inkermann--,exertions of sappers in the trenches during snow-storms--,anecdote1 ,corrigan's charcoal--,obstructions to the trenches by mud--,arrival of first company--,hut stables for the cavalry horses--,french build ,no4 #i battery2 right attack--,conduct of ,corporal ,lendrim--,sappers' share of the work--,the parallels--,huts--,french sappers entertained at ,southampton--,casualties--,reforming works to counteract enfilade fire--,nos4 #g and #h batteries1 left attack--,moving guns to the front--,international parallel2 zeal of non-commissioned officers--,destroying a rifle-screen--,completion of the parallel--,death of captain ,craigie--,sir ,john ,burgoyne's farewell address--,sorties--,bearing in a wounded ,russian--,augmentation to corps--,driver troop--,efforts to obtain recruits2 militia-men--,sergeant ,docherty captured on suspicion of being a ,russian spy--,countermine under cave magazine--,casualties--,zigzag from right rifle-pit in advance of second parallel2 wound sustained by a singular agent--,death of ,lieutenant ,bainbrigge--,third parallel1 right attack--,progress of the works--,faultless energy of sappers in building a two-gun battery in the third parallel1 left attack--,two corporals singularly escape from a shell which destroyed the magazine they were erecting--,embrasures of ,no4 #g battery opened--,preparations for a bombardment--,the weather #bcc #ahee4 #ith to #aith ,april4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,second bombardment--,gallant exertions of individual sappers--,repairing a magazine--,assistance to a comrade in an embrasure--,fatal meeting of schoolfellows--,cheerfulness in suffering--,slippery platforms--,repairing telegraph wire--,resistance of the magazines--,inkermann lighthouse battery--,progress of the siege--,mud in the trenches--,battery for two light field-pieces--,magazine on fire--,burning sand-bag on a merlon--,fixing mantlets--,unshrinking labours of sappers--,damages and repairs--,progress of the siege and works--,gallantry of two sappers--and two linesmen--,noble perseverance in an embrasure--,exertions at the batteries--,explosion of a magazine--,no4 #i battery1 left attack--,gallant extension of left advance sap1 right attack--,firmness of the last leading sapper in it--,progress of the works--,capture of the rifle-pits--,gallantry of sergeant ,mc,donald--,casualties--,corporal ,coles--,acknowledgment of services of sappers in the attack #bfc #ahee4 #bjth ,april-#aeth ,may4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,first day's work in the lodgment--,improvisd grenades--,polish fusilier--,capture of the third rifle-pit--,preliminary incidents connected with it--,saps issuing from the pits--,no4 #ac sand-bag battery--,no4 #i battery1 left attack--,building a magazine in day-time--,constancy of sappers in the trenches--,but little relief afforded them--,apparent want of ingenuity in their camp arrangements--,reason why so few sappers die--,their miserable condition--,regimen2 its effects--,care of the baggage animals--,the means employed to preserve them becomes a vexed question--,rifle-holes--,no4 #aa battery1 left attack--,generals' and engineers' huts--,diversified engagements of the sappers--,death of ,lieutenant ,carter--,progress of the works--,wells--,repairing the advance saps after a sortie--,expedition to the sea of ,azoff--,storms of rain1 and consequent difficulties in carrying on the works--,sortie--,effects of the rain--,endurance of the men exposed to it--,casualties #bhe #ahee4 #afth ,may-#gth ,june4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,the batteries--,stoical tranquillity in blasting rock--,round-hill or fourth parallel--,state of the works--,siege materials and expedients--,corporal ,william ,swann--,expedition to ,kertch--,second international communication--,no4 #ae battery on the right--,rope mantlets--,hospital caves--,companies reviewed by ,general ,jones--,french officers' opinion of the corps--,repairing right rifle-pit--,arrival of ninth company--,progress of the works--,third bombardment--,bravery in the embrasures--,corporal ,stanton in the batteries of the second parallel on the right attack--,casualties--,first appearance of ninth company in the trenches trenches--,the sailors--,voluntary resolution of ,corporal ,lockwood and his sappers--,the engineers--,inobtrusive devotion in an embrasure--,adam ,mc,kechnie--,death of ,captain ,dawson--,selection of old sappers for front duty2 their sterling exertions--,labours in the batteries2 platforms--,magazine blown up--,russian plan of extending their trenches--,capture of the quarries and white works--,the lodgment--,death of ,lieutenant ,lowry2 bravery of corporal ,stanton--,casualties--,lord ,raglan's approbation of the sappers--,infernal machines in the quarries #cje #ahee4 #hth ,june-#ahth ,june4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,repairs to the works--,death of corporal ,fraser--,conduct of private ,orr--,improvisd church--,perseverance in the quarries--,segmental trench in front of them--,successful exertions of the miners--,yenikale--,cape ,st4 ,paul--,detail of sappers furnished for the trenches--,completion of defences in the lodgment--,casualties in a party mending a trench bridge--,state of the works--,platforms--,what is an embrasure8--,destruction of one--,its repair--,casualties--,a tolerated grumbler--,generous conduct of corporal ,lockwood--,fourth bombardment2 preparations for assault--,vigorous conduct of sergeant ,anderson in repairing the electric wires--,and of corporal ,borbidge in renewing a platform for a sea-service mortar--,first storming of the ,redan--,chivalric behaviour of private ,head--,casualties--,conduct of the sappers in the assault--,volunteer services of sergeant ,drew and corporal ,jenkins--,they rescue some of the wounded--,so also does private ,ramsay--,brigadier-,general ,eyre's column in the cemetery grounds--,valiant behaviour of corporal ,baker--,general casualties--,death of ,lord ,raglan #cbg #ahee4 #ahth ,june-#afth ,july4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,condition of the batteries2 their repair--,alarm of a sortie--,noble intention of four comrades to recover the body of corporal ,baker--,strategic occupation of the rifle redoubt behind the cemetery--,interchange of civilities between the ,russian and ,english truces--,capture of a memento--,escape of ,lieutenant ,donnelly and lance-corporal ,veal--,lodgment in the cemetery--,a sortie frustrated--,destruction of the rifle redoubt--,no4 #ah battery1 right attack--,perils in the saps in advance of the quarries--,progress of the works--,reoccupation of the cemetery--,the stone double sap2 corporal ,j4 ,t4 ,collins--,the two ,dromios--,industry of the miners--,progress of the works and repairs--even during a storm--,advance of the chevaux-de-frise up the ,woronzoff ravine--,sappers annoyed by light balls--,difficulties in executing the works--,demolitions in the rear parallels--,the ,picket-house--,approach to the cemetery--,wooden bridge--,general officers' hut--,abstraction of gabions by the ,french--,gallantry in pushing the sap from left advanced parallel1 right attack--,night details--,no4 #ae battery1 left attack--,obstacles to success in commencing the fifth parallel1 right attack--,trenches in the cemetery--,progress of the works--,conduct and exertions of the engineers and sappers #ceg #ahee4 #agth ,july-#beth ,august4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,trials in carrying on the works--,fifth parallel1 right attack--,detachments and statistics--,spirited conduct of corporal ,ross--,neglect of non-commissioned officers--,trench dress of the line--,shifts of the miners to form the parallels and approaches--,siege minuti--,trenches flooded--,a sergeant1 in the absence of an engineer officer1 in charge of the lines--,casualties--,sortie by the ,russians--,sergeant ,docherty examines the chevaux-de-frise--,overseers of the miners--,the carpenters--,renewal of the chevaux-de-frise demolished in the sortie--,casualties during a moonlight night--,exertions of sergeant ,jarvis and party2 the sailors--,strange sensation produced by the blow of a shell splinter--,resources for field-work purposes--,progress of the trenches and batteries--,removal of the right attack sappers to the camp of the left attack--,they thus escape a subsequent catastrophe--,fifth bombardment--,cost of a whiff of tobacco--,activity of the sappers in the batteries and works--,anecdote of a new-comer visiting the works--,no4 #ag battery1 left attack--,corporal ,jenkins1 the master carpenter of the left attack--,the white-banded cap--,fifth parallel1 right attack--,breaking ground from it for the last approach to the ,redan--,workmanlike industry and vigour of corporal ,ross in the sap--,corporal ,william ,baker1 #gth company--,progress in the advanced trenches2 sergeant ,hale of the guards2 corporal ,stanton--,prolongation of fifth parallel1 right attack--,effects of wounds4 #chj #ahee4 #bfth ,august-#eth ,september4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,state of the works--,russian floating-bridge across the harbour--,gallantry of corporal ,mc,murphy and his sappers--,the sailors--,advance from fifth parallel on salient of ,redan--and on its extreme left flank--,defection of the workmen in the latter sap and firmness of the two sappers in charge--,valour of sergeant ,castledine and private ,mc,kellar--,intrepid continuance of the right sap--,the double sap1 left attack--,fifth parallel of the same attack2 corporal ,paul its overseer--,experienced hands selected for the front2 charge of the non-commissioned officers--,casualties--,fresh details--,trench from fifth parallel to cemetery--,unsuccessful attempt to open a screen in advance of white rifle-pit--,notice of corporal ,phillips--,a sapper guides his party along the open or part of fifth parallel in preference to taking a longer route though a covered one--,perseverance of sappers in the front saps--,sixth bombardment--,the works and repairs proceed steadily--,results of the cannonading--,fatal meeting of friends--,siege career of sergeant ,wilson #dje #ahee4 #fth ,september-#ith ,september4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,state of the batteries--,the foremost saps--,repairs to embrasures while opposed by blinding dust driven through the trenches by a fierce wind--,distribution in the trenches--,no4 #bb battery--,final attack of the ,redan and the ,malakoff--,names of the sapper storming party--,their brave and steady demeanour and exertions--,escapes of corporal ,baker--,valour of private ,bowman--,casualties--,continuation of the foremost saps--,daring adventure of corporal ,ross--,his report leads to the bloodless occupation of the ,redan--,conduct of the corps in the siege--,captain ,ewart--,reflections #dbc #ahee4 ,,sebastopol4 #ith ,september1 #ahee-bhth ,january1 #ahef4 ,statistics--,andrew ,anderson--,misconduct of the sappers--,non-commissioned officers and men who received honours1 appointments1 or commissions for their gallantry or useful services--,sergeant ,samuel ,cole--,field electric telegraph--,private ,fox taken prisoner--,exploring the batteries for machines and electric wires--,commence batteries near ,fort ,paul--,sappers removed to the ,karabelnaia--,reinforcements from ,gibraltar and ,england--,driver troop to ,scutari--,sapper quarters in the docks--,huts--,companies attached to divisions of the army--,expedition to ,kinbourn--,marshal ,pelissier's acknowledgment of services of the sappers attached to it--,sir ,william ,codrington assumes the command of the army--,explosion of the great ,french magazine--,exertions of tenth company in arresting the fire--,gallantry in preserving the ,inkermann magazine mill--,and removing live shells from the vicinity of the flames--,construction of a magazine for small-arm ammunition--,stone bridge over the middle ravine--,barrel causeway across its swampy bottom--,another reinforcement from ,england #dci #ahee-ef4 #acth ,september-#ast ,march4 ,,demolitions ,,at ,,sebastopol4 ,testing the authenticity of some ,russian plans concerning the docks--,force employed in the demolitions--,situation of the docks--,their magnitude and strength--,the operations--,difficulties encountered in their execution by storms and frosts--,labours and hardships of the miners--,the explosions--,destruction of the docks--,accidents2 intrepid exertions of corporal ,cray--,poisonous gas in a gallery2 prompt efforts to rescue the sufferers--,shelling the docks while the demolitions were proceeding--,sir ,william ,codrington's despatch reporting the success of the operations--,also ,colonel ,lloyd's report--,the ,white ,barracks--,their destruction--,death of ,major ,ranken2 notice of conduct of second-corporal ,baker #dfb #ahef4 ,,concluding ,,services ,,in ,,the ,,crimea4 ,surveys1 c4--,casemates in the ,redan and contiguous works--,roads--injuries sustained by men in their execution--,huts and stables--,wharfs at ,balaklava--,company to ,cossack ,bay--,peace--,bridge across the ,tchernaya--,reinforcements to the ,east--,barrel-floats for the embarkation of the army--,graveyards and monuments--,parting ,order by ,lord ,paulet to tenth company--,final services2 ,miss ,nightingale--,order of leaving the ,crimea and ,turkey--,reviews at ,aldershot2 inspections by the ,queen--,names of the distinguished men specially paraded before her ,majesty--,wreck of the ,clarendon--,last detachment from the ,east--,statistics since the fall of ,sebastopol--,surveys near ,erzeroum--,parties detached for employment in the ratification of the ,moldavian and ,danubian boundaries--,company added to the ,cape of ,good ,hope command--,corporal ,mack present at the coronation of the ,emperor of ,russia at ,moscow--,a company to ,portsmouth--,another to ,aldershot--,removal of the museum from ,marlborough ,house to ,kensington ,gore--,a company moved to ,devonport--,augmentation--,a party embarks for ,ceylon--,another for ,mitylene--,corporal ,pennington wins the 8,champion's ,belt0 at the foot races on ,chatham ,lines--,corps incorporated with the royal engineers--,grade of private changed to that of sapper--,history of the royal sappers and miners closed #dgf #ahef4 ,,concluding ,,chapter4 ,establishment of the corps--,organization of companies--,distribution--,establishment at ,chatham--,the ,ordnance ,survey--,its divisional districts--and military character--,qualifications of the observers--,list of the non-commissioned officers employed as such--,greatest distances observed by them--,importance of the services of the non-commissioned officers1 as proved by the reduction of the officers--,situations of trust filled by them--,strength of the companies--,average distribution in the ,united ,kingdom--,division of labour--,great triangulation--,private ,james ,weir--,secondary and minor triangulations--,other general survey duties--,perambulation of boundaries--,sergeant ,robert ,meade--,pay and allowances--,skilful and distinguished talents and usefulness of eleven non-commissioned officers2 and of quartermaster ,william ,young--,merits and services of the survey companies #did ,,appendix #ebi ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations4 ,,vol4 ,,ii4 ,,xvi4 ,uniform #ahed ,,xvii4 ,working-dress #ahed ,to face ,title4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,illustration3 ,royal ,sappers ,miners ,plate ,,xvii4 ,working ,dress #ahed4 ,printed by ,m ,n ,hanhart4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,royal ,,sappers ,,and ,,miners4 --------------------- #ahdh4 ,staff appointments--,survey of ,london--,colour-sergeant ,smith--,sergeant ,bay--,trigonometrical operations--,opposition to the military survey--,observatory above ,st4 ,paul's2 the scaffolding--,privates ,pemble and ,porteous--,sergeant ,steel--,industry and conduct of the ,sappers in the ,metropolitan survey--,preliminary arrangements of the ,arctic expedition--,privates ,waddell and ,sulter--,corporal ,mackie--,expedition starts2 corporal ,mc,laren--,coasting journeys and services--,overland march--,winter at ,fort ,confidence--,party detached to ,great ,bear ,lake--,close of the search for ,sir ,john ,franklin and his crews4 ,sergeant-major ,jenkin ,jones was commissioned to be quartermaster to the corps on the #aath ,january1 #ahdh1 vice ,hilton retired4 ,these pages amply testify to the merits of ,mr4 ,jones4 ,a more indefatigable non-commissioned officer never served his country1 nor one more worthy of the honours conferred upon him4 ,colour-sergeant ,michael ,bradford1 a good soldier and foreman1 succeeded him as sergeant-major at ,woolwich4 ,with a view to establish a system for the sanitary improvement of the drainage of ,london1 a survey of the metropolis1 under the auspices of the ,commissioners of ,sewers1 was commenced in ,january1 #ahdh1 and continued with a fluctuating detachment--once as many as forty-three strong1 and as few as two men only--until ,january1 #ahej4 ,captain ,yolland1 ,r4,e41 had the direction of the work1 and colour-sergeant ,joseph ,smith#a was first appointed to the executive charge1 but he being soon afterwards discharged1 it then fell upon sergeant ,andrew ,bay1#b sergeant ,doherty1 and others4 ,with this survey was connected the determination of the relative levels of all parts of ,london4 ,the great triangulation was the first point attended to4 8,that wonderful specimen of skill1 the scaffolding on and around the cross of ,st4 ,paul's1 put up in the spring1 was the main station for observations4 ,the summits of ,primrose and other hills1 the towers10 steeples1 8and roofs of churches1 the parapets or terraces of public buildings or houses10 were made 8available as the sites for signal-staffs1 visible from each other and from ,st4 ,paul's40#c ,by these observations1 8the relative angular positions0 of the several points were obtained1 from which1 as the bases of the work1 a detailed survey was made1 embracing not only the principal streets and squares1 but the minuti of alleys and single buildings4 ,of every street the slope or ascent was ascertained1 and also the exact height of every spot above the assumed datum or base-line4#d ,the benchmarks to show the permanent points of the survey and levels were cut in stone1 or on the most prominent objects1 by the sappers1 who1 though not brought up to that work1 became very expert in the use of the mallet and chisel4 ,at least twelve parties with twelve-inch instruments were scattered to the most conspicuous places in the metropolis and its vicinage1 to complete the observations2 and sergeant ,james ,donelan1 with the great three-feet instrument1 visited some of the old stations celebrated by the labours of ,general ,roy and other officers1 to check the smaller triangles formed by the operation of the twelve-inch instruments4 ,some of those stations were at ,hanger's ,hill near ,twyford1 ,banstead ,downs1 ,severndroog ,castle on ,shooter's ,hill1 c4 ,the survey1 including the city1 extended to a distance of eight miles in every direction from ,st4 ,paul's4#e ,london was unaccustomed to see soldiers employed in so important a work as the metropolitan survey1 and much excitement was caused by their unobtrusive and peaceful operations4 ,the jealousy of a class of surveyors was at once called into angry activity1 and under the name of the 8,associated ,civil ,surveyors10 they formed themselves into a body1 and opposed by meeting1 petition1 and remonstrance1 the continuance of the sappers on the duty4#f ,the ,metropolitan ,commissioners did the ,association the honour calmly to investigate their grievance2 but from the lucid and truthful statements of ,mr4 ,edwin ,chadwick and others1 the continuance of the sappers on the duty was confirmed and justified1 not only on the score of competency1 but of policy1 from the disciplined experience of the men1 and the perfection of the ,ordnance system of responsibility and resource4#g ,the particular objects which elicited from the public the most attention were the observatories on the summit of the north-west tower of ,westminster ,abbey1 and above the cross of ,st4 ,paul's4 ,the latter1 from the dexterity with which the construction of the cradle at that dizzy height was pursued1 supported only by the architectural ornaments of the structure1 excited much curiosity and wonder4 ,the scaffolding was of rough poles2 the stage1 ten feet square1 formed of planks1 which supported the observatory1 rested on the golden gallery on the top of the great cone4 8,the four lower posts1 twenty-nine feet long1 stood upon short planks bedded on the stone footway2 and the top supported the angles of four horizontal planks1 each twenty-three feet long1 bolted together at the angles4 ,from these planks a screen of boards was erected to prevent materials1 c41 from falling4 ,the base of the four upper posts1 fifty-three feet long1 rested on the angles of the above planks2 and the scaffold1 in addition to these posts1 consisted of four sets of horizontal and four sets of transverse1 braces on each of the four sides1 the whole being fastened together with spikes and ropes4 ,fifty-six of the uprights were double poles1 placed base and point1 and bound together with hoop iron and wedges1 and with bolts and hoop iron at the splices4 ,the height from base to floor was eighty-two feet1 and to the extreme top of the observatory1 ninety-two feet40#h ,a railing1 roughly but securely put up1 surrounded the 8crow's-nest40 8,the ascent was by the inside of the tower or lantern to the circular openings1 then to the outside of the foot-ladders set at the north-east corner1 parallel to the north-east principal post inside the scaffold4 ,the whole of the materials were drawn up from the floor by a permanent windlass erected in the tower1 to the golden gallery1 and thence passed to the outside1 horizontally1 through an aperture thirty-two inches wide1 and finally were drawn up and put into position by purchase erected for the purpose40#i ,the whole construction weighed about five tons1 and though designed by sergeant ,james ,steel1 was erected by sergeant ,james ,beaton1 the most successful builder of these aerial fabrics1 assisted by privates ,richard ,pemble and ,john ,porteous1#aj and some civil labourers1 under the direction of ,captain ,yolland4#aa ,the time occupied in going up the ladder was about seven minutes1 but the descent required only four or five4#ab ,on the #bnd ,november the last piece of the scaffolding was removed and carted away4 ,in the hazardous and intricate operations of building and dismantling it1 not the slightest accident to human life or limb--not even the breaking of a single pane of glass--occurred4#ac ,the observations were taken by sergeant ,james ,steel with an eighteen-inch theodolite1 both at ,westminster ,abbey and ,st4 ,paul's4 ,when not prevented by haze1 the sergeant attended to his duty1 frequently when the breeze shook his small location to a perilous degree1 with a coolness1 perseverance1 and accuracy that were highly praiseworthy4 ,sometimes he and his assistant sapper--private ,john ,wotherspoon#ad--;ascended to the observatory at ,st4 ,paul's as often as three times a-day1 and this carried through a period of four months--between the #agth ,june and #afth ,october--with unflinching resolution and assiduity1 made the sergeant and the sappers objects of much interest and of curious and anxious inquiry4 ,the observations taken from this height comprised between #h1jjj and #aj1jjj4 ,in many instances the same subject was gone over as many as six times1 none less than three or four1 and the utmost distance obtained was twenty-six miles4#ae ,the points thus trigonometrically fixed were #b1adj1 a vast number being church towers1 spires1 conspicuous public buildings1 and manufactories4 ,to carry on the survey during the day in crowded streets1 with an unbroken stream of vehicles in double transit1 was an extremely difficult and irksome operation2 but to be free as much as possible from this interruption1 the sappers went to work every morning as soon as day broke1 and pushed the survey while the metropolis was still at rest4 ,the survey was completed in ,january1 #ahej1 and the mapping finished at ,southampton4 ,for the merit and talent with which the work was conducted1 the periodical press frequently expressed its admiration2 and ,sir ,henry de la ,beche and ,mr4 ,edwin ,chadwick--two of the ,commissioners of the highest authority--praised the survey as being one of extreme success4#af ,at another time the former gentleman observed at a special court of the ,commissioners1 that 8the ,ordnance undertook the work of the surface4 ,a triangulation of no common order1 but such as they might have expected from that distinguished service1 was undertaken and executed2 and upon that triangulation was founded a block plan of extreme efficiency and completeness2 and it was also no common map1 for it always had reference to that great triangulation to which he had already referred40#ag ,the arctic expedition1 which halted in ,october1 #ahdg1 for the winter1 detached in the spring of #ahdh a party of sappers to ,cedar ,lake to repair the boats1 first cutting the wood for the purpose4 ,when this preliminary service was accomplished1 six of the party were selected to drag three planks each to ,cedar ,lake4 ,each man took with him ten days' provisions2 but from the weary labour and fatigue of carrying such heavy burdens1 and the snow-blindness that affected the men1 the journey was not completed under sixteen days4 ,the party consequently suffered great privation4 ,after the boats were made thoroughly seaworthy1 the sappers brought them and the stores up to ,cumberland ,house on the first opening of the ,saskatchewan4#ah ,privates ,james ,waddell and ,john ,sulter afterwards started from ,cumberland ,house without a guide1 considering the half-disclosed tracts of a previous party to be sufficient for their purpose4 ,they were going to ,cedar ,lake4 ,at ,point ,partridge1 however1 the snow having fallen heavily1 the track was missed and they lost their way4 ,for several days they continued to travel1 and were wholly without food for more than seventy-two hours4 ,hunger pressed them to resort to expedients to mitigate their cravings4 ,in this extremity ,waddell1 who had a spare pair of mocassins and a morsel of buffalo grease1 consigned both to the canteen4 ,when boiled1 the old boots were speedily devoured1 and the soup equally divided among the famished adventurers1 formed a novel but refreshing repast4 ,onwards the party went1 winding through the woods and trending through the deep snow1 when after a journey of about four miles they gained an ,indian encampment1 where the natives provided them with musk-rats to eat1 and one of their number guided them to the lake4 ,it is right also to record another little adventure in which lance-corporal ,robert ,mackie was the actor4 ,he strayed in the winter on ,cedar ,lake4 ,overpowered by exertion and weariness he laid down on his planks and fell asleep4 ,when he awoke two of his toes were frozen4 ,nothing dismayed by this untoward affliction1 he started off to seek a retreat from his difficulties4 ,a native sent to search for him1 found the wanderer 8contentedly steering for the moon1 which being near the horizon and gleaming red through the forest1 was mistaken by him for the fire of the men's bivouac4 ,the snow which covered the ground at the time fortunately enabled the ,indian who went in pursuit of him to trace his steps before he had gone many miles40#ai ,reinforced by the party from ,cedar ,lake1 the expedition started in ,may1 #ahdh1 from ,cumberland ,house1 with boats fully laden1 leaving two sappers behind 8who were unequal to the labours of the voyage40 ,one had received an injury in the hand by which he lost a joint of one of his fingers1 and the other suffered from scurvy and pains in the bones4 ,both were sent to ,england by the first conveyance after their arrival at ,york ,factory2 and the expedition thus lost the services of second-corporal ,james ,mc,laren1 a man of enlarged intelligence and experience1 and active zeal4 ,very prosperously the expedition now moved on1 crossing rivers1 lakes1 and streams1 pulling the boats over difficult and rugged portages1 and bearing heavy burdens4 ,for three days they were delayed by ice in ,beaver ,lake1 and then pressing on anew1 tracked the course to ,methy ,lake1 where on the #bgth ,june1 ,sir ,john ,richardson reached his men4 ,they had encamped at the landing-place the previous day1 and were advanced one stage of different lengths according to the physical capabilities of the respective individuals4 8,on visiting the men1 ,sir ,john found two of the sappers lame from the fatigue of crossing the numerous carrying places on ,churchill ,river1 and unfit for any labour on the long ,methy portage40#bj ,the baggage1 which it was indispensable to carry with the expedition1 was equally distributed1 which gave to each man a burden of #dejlbs41 exclusive of his clothing and bedding1 all of which he shouldered over the portages in three or more trips according to the measure of his strength4 ,this was an enormous load1 and was borne day after day under constantly-varying circumstances of trial and fatigue4 ,the boats with their masts1 sails1 anchors1 c41 were also carried by the whole party at every portage4#ba 8,on the #crd ,july the baggage and the boats were brought to the banks of the ,little ,lake2 and on the #fth1 everything having been taken over to ,clear-water ,river1 the expedition descended from the ,cockscomb1 where they had been encamped for two days10 and in nine days more completed the laborious passage of the ,methy portage4 8,the transport of the four boats was made on the men's shoulders1 and occupied two days and a half40#bb ,on the #gth two of the boats were broken in crossing the portage of the woods1 but1 being repaired with some dexterity by the sappers1 they were ready for proceeding the following morning4 ,athabasca ,lake was entered on the #aath ,july1 but two of the boats taking a more easterly branch of the river in the night1 delayed the arrival at ,fort ,chipewyan4 ,in the misguided craft were the chief artificers of the sappers1 and the accident prevented the boats being completely repaired and furnished with false keels1 to contend with the difficulties inseparable from adventure4 ,all leaks1 however1 were stopped1 and some damaged planks replaced1 which enabled the party to start again on the #abth ,july4#bc ,many days were now spent in effecting the clearance of numerous portages over broken and rocky prominences1 and driving on through narrow and tortuous channels made picturesque by the presence of frosted cascades1 dashing over ledges1 or rushing past blocks of trees and drift timber--the accumulation of ages4 ,a boat was upset in one of the portages by lowering it down a narrow channel1 when several articles of marine importance were lost or damaged1 among which were the indispensable oars1 which1 however1 were soon replaced by the assiduity of the sappers4 ,fort ,resolution was gained on the #agth ,july1 from which1 by rapid marches1 laboured boat journeys1 and toilsome industry1 they made1 on the #bdth1 the first range of the ,rocky ,mountains4 ,hurried stages1 through intricate courses and over rocky chasms1 with gales blowing and heavy rains falling1 brought them on the #bnd ,august to ,point ,encounter1 where they encamped for the night2 and on the #crd they reached the estuary of the ,mackenzie ,river1 where a horde of ,esquimaux visited the boats4 ,the interview on the part of the natives was characterised by a spirit of intrigue and hostility1 but terminated without serious consequences2 and1 striking out from the shore1 the boats pushed on to ,copland ,hutchison ,inlet1 ,cape ,bathurst1 ,point ,deas ,thomson1 and ,cape ,young1 where the expedition went ashore to repair the boats1 which had been rendered unseaworthy by the ice tearing the planks into leaks4 ,the damage was repaired by the sappers in the evening4 ,near ,point ,cockburn1 on the #bbnd ,august1 a storm overtook the party4 ,the sky was dark and lowering1 heavy showers fell1 and a waterspout was seen on shore4 ,sir ,john ,richardson thus alludes to it4 8,ice-floes lying close off ,cape ,hope caused us no little trouble1 the passages among them being very intricate1 and the perpendicular walls of the masses being too high to allow of landing or seeing over them4 ,in the afternoon we passed ,cape ,bexley1 running before a stiff breeze1 and at #e ,p4,m4 a storm suddenly coming on we were compelled to reduce our canvas to the goosewing of the mainsail1 under which we scudded for an hour1 and then entering among large masses of ice1 about two miles from ,point ,cockburn1 found shelter under some pieces that had grounded40 ,to encamp was impracticable1 for the shore was flat1 and they passed a bitter night in the open boats4 8,the ice-cold sea-water chilled the men as they waded to and fro20 and1 as the wind was too strong to admit of the employment of any expedient to shelter or warm them1 no protection could be afforded against the biting bleakness of the storm4#bd ,on the #bfth ,august the expedition was at ,lambert ,island4 ,a frosty night covered the sea and ponds with young ice1 and glued all the floes immoveably together so that the rise of the tide was no longer of service4 8,assisted by the seamen1 the sappers launched the boats and carried the cargo ashore1 devoting the greater part of the day to the operation of cutting through tongues of ice1 dragging the boats over the floes1 moving large stones0 that intersected the route1 and resorting to every conceivable expedient to make progress4 ,two more rugged portages were also crossed2 and in that day of severe toil and unremitted zeal a journey of five miles only was accomplished4 ,heavy snow-storms now succeeded1 the cold became intense1 and the surface of the pools of sea-water was converted into a consistency like paste1 which demanded great physical exertion in pushing on the boats4 ,on the #bhth1 three hours were spent in moving forward an inconsiderable distance--about one hundred yards--owing to the benumbing coldness paralysing the physical energies of the men4#be ,with little incentive to spirit and none to amusement1 save what the incidents of arctic travel were calculated to produce1 the men relaxed no effort1 and avoided no danger1 in their endeavour to achieve the great purpose of the enterprise4 ,against obstacles both by land and sea1 from wind and storm1 they bore an undismayed front1 and1 driving on day by day1 they gained ,basil ,hall ,bay1 and encamped about eight miles from ,cape ,kendall4 ,in dragging the boats over the floes in these parts they were greatly shattered1 the planks being torn and broken1 although they had been strengthened by the sappers 8on the water-line with sheets of tin beat out from the pemican cases40#bf ,here terminated the coasting voyage1 some distance from the ,coppermine ,river1 on account of the ice having1 from the severity of the weather1 become too thick and firm to admit the continuance of the ascent1 without jeopardising the safety of the expedition1 in the few frail boats employed in their along-shore adventures4 ,an overland journey in quest of ,sir ,john ,franklin and his missing crews was therefore decided upon1 and arrangements for the march were at once entered into4 ,thirteen days' provisions were packed up for the party1 with cooking utensils1 bedding1 snow-shoes1 fowling-pieces1 a portable boat1 c4 ,the burdens were apportioned by lot1 each load weighing about #gjlbs4#bg ,the boats1 tents1 stores1 c41 that could not be taken on were abandoned on the coast2 and on the #crd ,september1 after breakfast1 prayers being read to propitiate guidance and protection from a gracious ,providence1 the march commenced4 ,with few exceptions1 the men trudged on with so indifferent a pace1 that to keep up they lightened their loads by leaving their carbines behind4 ,about seven-miles from ,cape ,kendall a halt was made1 and the men slept at night in the cold air1 under the miserable shelter of some towering blocks of basalt #bjj feet high4 ,private ,donald ,fraser this day sprained his knee1 and on the next he was so unfit for his task that his burden was eased by throwing away his large hatchet1 and distributing1 for carriage1 a portion of his pemican among the other travellers4 ,several of the men straggled and made but slow progress4 ,rae's and ,richardson's ,rivers being crossed--the latter by a portable boat fastened to a hawser--the expedition reached1 on the #eth ,september1 the ,coppermine ,river and bivouacked about three miles above a dreary spot bearing the tragic designation of the ,bloody ,fall4#bh ,on the #fth the weather was clear1 with a hard frost1 but the sun1 which had been a stranger for more than a fortnight1 now shone brilliantly4 ,generally the party walked briskly1 protected in some degree from frostbite by an addition to their cumbersome apparel of warm seal-skin boots2 8but three of the seamen and two of the sappers and miners were so lame it was necessary to make long and frequent halts to allow them to close in20 so much so1 that they 8were unable to accomplish two geographical miles in the hour40 ,to give respite to their sufferings and time to gather strength1 a camp was formed which greatly refreshed them2 and next day they resumed the march in the face of a snowstorm1 heightened by a piercing northerly wind4#bi ,two rapid torrents1 full of boulders1 were forded in the course of the day's journey1 and 8the discomfort of the march was greatly augmented by the men's clothes1 which had been saturated in crossing the streams1 freezing on their backs40 ,in the vicinity of some narrow lakes by the side of a cluster of low1 naked1 but wide spreading spruce trees the expedition encamped1 and here1 as in other places1 they arranged a 8bivouac by placing small branches between the frozen ground and their blankets40 ,the following day found them resting near the ,copper ,mountains1 crossing which1 they walked onwards in snow-shoes1 not without much difficulty and fatigue2 and those of the travellers who lagged were assisted on their way by easing them 8of everything but their blankets1 spare clothing1 and a few pounds of pemican40#cj ,the ,kendall ,river was crossed on the #aath by a raft made on the spot of dry timber assisted by the sappers4 ,it supported in its transit three at a time4 ,a fresh disposition of the burdens was made here1 and the carriage of some books and dried plants relinquished4 ,the log raft was also broken up to recover the cordage by which the timbers were lashed together4 ,this done the course of the party was shaped across the country for ,dease's ,river4 ,they started in a fog1 which became denser as they proceeded1 so that at length an object three yards in advance could not be seen4 ,the compass was necessarily used to steer by2 all wended onwards in ,indian file1 and though the pace was brisk none fell back4 ,the lakes which barred their way had a dreary aspect1 for they were not seen until the travellers 8came suddenly to the brink of the rocks which bounded them1 when the contrast of the dark surface of their waters with the unbroken snow of their borders1 combined with the loss of all definite outline in the fog1 caused them to resemble hideous pits sinking to an unknown depth40 ,the intersection of their track by these lakes was very hazardous1 and it was a wonder none of the straggling explorers fell into the abysses and met their fate4 ,at night they spread their blankets on an isolated rock1 and without supper1 or the cheering gleams of a fire to give solace to their spirits1 sought to snatch some repose4 ,snow fell on their exposed bodies as they lay4 ,many groaned bitterly with pain1 and but few could sleep4 ,next morning1 however1 all were early afoot1 and before the day fairly opened1 they had marched three hours1 and forded1 up to their waists1 a tributary of the ,kendall1 by which they 8were all more or less benumbed40#ca ,in a country like the arctic region much is uncertain1 and extremes may be experienced with almost incredible rapidity4 ,here a supperless night was succeeded by one which gave a sumptuous meal of venison1 and a sound night's rest in a snug encampment4 ,with light loads1 full stomachs1 and a long halt in prospect1 the spirits of the party received a barometrical rise that indicated alike their satisfaction and cheerfulness4 ,hill after hill they mounted2 and traversed1 with unusual alacrity and ardour1 stretches of undulated country4 ,now they were wading through a swamp1 now trending a rough hummocky tract of land1 now scaling a difficult height1 and then forcing across an expanse of deep snow4 ,the journey was trying and harassing1 and each night1 the party1 jaded1 lame and footsore1 sought repose in open bivouac2 but on the morning of the #aeth of ,september1 after fording the ,dease1 the travellers arrived at ,fort ,confidence--the haven appointed to recruit their wasted energies1 and to shelter them from the storms and tempests of the coming winter4 ,the overland journey had occupied thirteen days4 ,three days subsequently1 ,sir ,john ,richardson1 finding he could dispense with the services of eighteen persons1 sent them on to the fishery location of ,big ,island on ,great ,slave ,lake4 ,ten of the detached party were sappers1 leaving only three of the corps with the chief1 viz3 lance-corporals ,james ,mitchell and ,robert ,mackie1 and private ,david ,brodie4 ,the two latter fitted up the meagre establishment with tables and chairs1 and such other social commodities as were considered to be requisite to give the fort a character of domestication1 and to afford facilities of comfort to the adventurers4 ,the fort was about three miles from the mouth of the ,dease ,river and near to ,fishery ,island4 ,as far as the ,european contingent was concerned1 the expedition was brought to a close2 and the search1 prosecuted under very trying circumstances1 amid perils1 hardships1 and want1 failed to discover any trace of the whereabouts of ,sir ,john ,franklin and his crews4 ,the shores of ,wollaston and ,victoria could not be examined as had originally been intended1 as ,sir ,john ,richardson had no means of carrying out the project1 his craft having1 unavoidably1 been abandoned in ,september1 #ahdh4 ,with the only boat1 however1 taken up to ,fort ,confidence1 ,mr4 ,rae1 with a party of natives1 essayed unsuccessfully to pass to ,wollaston land4 ,had this been achieved1 a defined clue1 in all probability1 would have been presented to the track of the missing adventurers4 ,it was in the vicinity of this region1 a few years after1 that the mournful relics of the fated explorers1 found by some ,esquimaux1 passed into the possession of ,mr4 ,rae1 and confirmed in this country the certainty of the appalling destiny of the expedition4 ----- ,footnote #a3 ,for some twenty years he was in charge of office and field parties on the detail survey and plan drawing4 ,he had the local superintendence and direction1 under ,captain ,williams1 ,r4,e41 of the survey of the property belonging to the duchy of ,lancaster at ,langeinor1 in ,south ,wales1 and of the ,royal domain of ,windsor ,castle1 under ,major ,tucker1 ,r4,e4 ,his qualifications1 as displayed in the direction of these surveys1 led to his selection for the charge of the ,london survey1 but his connection with it on the part of the ,ordnance1 was early broken1 by his receiving1 in ,july1 #ahdh1 the appointment of surveyor to the ,metropolitan ,commissioners of ,sewers1 at #bjjl4 a-year1 which salary has since been considerably increased4 ,on leaving the corps he received a silver medal and gratuity for his long services and exemplary conduct4 ,ever since his discharge he has had the superintendence of a large staff of draughtsmen and men surveying underground in the sewers4 ,in ,february1 #ahea1 seven hundred miles of sewers had been thoroughly examined1 and the levels of the different parts minutely ascertained4 8,the result of this10 observed ,sir ,henry de la ,beche1 8is that they had documents connected with the condition of these seven hundred miles of sewerage1 such as were not possessed by any metropolis in ,europe4 ,it was but justice18 adds ,sir ,henry1 8in referring to the work as examined1 to call attention to the officer who had charge of it--,mr4 ,joseph ,smith1 who had executed his task with an ability1 a zeal1 and perseverance1 deserving the highest eulogiums both of that court and the inhabitants of the whole metropolis40--#8,the ,times1' #ast ,february1 #ahea4 ,mr4 ,smith afterwards became conspicuous for his report condemning the construction of the ,victoria ,sewer1 which was nullified by an entirely antagonistic report from ,mr4 ,forster1 the engineer1 and gave rise to some little discussion in the ,house of ,commons between ,sir ,benjamin ,hall and ,lord ,ebrington4--#8,the ,times1' ,july #cj1 #ahea4 ,footnote #b3 ,remarkable for his great endurance of fatigue and exertion1 and as being one of the best and quickest surveyors in the ,ordnance4 ,in his early career in ,ireland1 it is said1 he once walked twenty-two miles to work1 surveyed twelve miles of lines1 and returned the same evening--twenty-two miles--to his quarters6 ,this was considered at the time to be fair progress for six days2 indeed1 it was facetiously said of him that he carried on his work by moonlight4 ,he was also clever as an observer with the two-feet theodolite1 and the accuracy of his arcs was so rigidly faithful1 that an officer visited him specially to watch his work1 and test the value of his services4 ,more than twenty-one years he took part in the national surveys1 and had the local superintendence for many years of large parties dispersed over extensive districts4 ,he also assisted with much credit in the survey of the disputed territory in ,north ,america2 and1 receiving for his good conduct and long services a gratuity and silver medal1 was discharged from the corps in ,january1 #ahea4 ,soon afterwards he emigrated to ,canada4 ,footnote #c3 #8,companion to ,almanac1' #ahdi1 p4 #cg4 ,footnote #d3 ,ibid41 p4 #ch4 ,footnote #e3 ,ibid4 ,footnote #f3 #8,the ,observer1' ,april #i1 and ,june #d1 #ahdh2 #8,civil ,engineer and ,architectural ,journal1' and some of the ,london press4 ,footnote #g3 ,the #8,times1' ,june #aj1 #ahdh4 8,the example of the employment of this corps10 said ,mr4 ,chadwick1 8on beneficial public works1 qualifying them for civil employment1 was worthy of public note1 for in their case1 the discharge from the military service was not1 as he had in ,poor ,law administration too frequent occasion to observe1 the creation of paupers1 or mendicants1 or worse4 ,there was no class of persons who so soon got into productive civil service40--,ibid4 ,footnote #h3 #8,illustrated ,london ,news1' ,june #bd1 #ahdh4 ,footnote #i3 ,ibid4 ,footnote #aj3 ,the privates here named have died under rather singular circumstances2 ,porteous suddenly1 in ,september1 #ahec1 when encamped on ,brandon-hill2 ,pemble in ,june1 #ahed1 at ,elvanfoot1 in ,lanarkshire1 from exhaustion and exposure to stormy weather4 ,the latter had been sent from the camp to build a pile for trigonometrical purposes1 and next evening1 after a fatiguing day's work1 he was returning to the station1 when he lay down to rest himself by the side of a mountain stream1 and perished4 ,both these soldiers were the chief practical workmen in the formation of the structures for the observatories4 ,at lofty heights1 where the senses of most men would paralyze1 borne up on shaking props or slender supports1 they calmly carried on their dangerous operations with spirit1 activity1 and ingenuity4 ,footnote #aa3 #8,illust4 ,lond4 ,news1' ,june #bd1 #ahdh2 #8,historic ,times1' ,january #ai1 #ahdi4 ,in both of which are spirited cuts of the scaffolding1 c4 ,footnote #ab3 ,the #8,times1' ,november #d1 #ahdh4 ,footnote #ac3 ,ibid4 ,here1 however1 it should be noted1 that a pole about four feet long1 on being let down into the boarded screen below1 struck on a moulding and went down whirling4 ,in its descent it struck the great dome1 where it received a shell-like range1 and dashed off1 at a sharp angle1 to the ,north ,transept1 where it made a hole through the lead of the roof1 similar to what a ball of the same diameter would have done if let fall from the same height4 ,in taking down the scaffolding1 an eight-feet plank fell on its flat side from the lantern to the pavement in the area of the ,cathedral1 and the report was like the booming of a piece of ordnance from the deck of a ship of war4 ,footnote #ad3 ,distinguished himself by his gallantry in the storming of the ,redan on the #hth ,september1 #ahee4 ,footnote #ae3 ,the #8,times1' ,november #d1 #ahdh4 ,footnote #af3 #8,builder1' #gth ,april1 #ahdi1 p4 #afe4 ,footnote #ag3 ,the #8,times1' ,february #a1 #ahea4 ,footnote #ah3 ,sir ,john ,richardson's #8,boat ,voyage1' i41 p4 #ec4 ,footnote #ai3 ,sir ,john ,richardson1 ii41 p4 #ada4 ,footnote #bj3 ,sir ,john ,richardson1 i41 p4 #aaj4 ,footnote #ba3 ,ibid41 i41 pp4 #aaj1 #aaa4 ,footnote #bb3 ,ibid41 i41 p4 #aae4 ,footnote #bc3 ,ibid41 pp4 #aai-aca4 ,footnote #bd3 ,sir ,john ,richardson1 i41 p4 #bhi4 ,footnote #be3 ,ibid41 i41 p4 #bid4 ,footnote #bf3 ,ibid41 p4 #bii4 ,footnote #bg3 ,sir ,john ,richardson1 p4 #cjh4 ,footnote #bh3 ,ibid41 i41 pp4 #cji-cah4 ,footnote #bi3 ,sir ,john ,richardson1 i41 p4 #cba4 ,footnote #cj3 ,ibid41 p4 #cbf4 ,footnote #ca3 ,sir ,john ,richardson1 i41 p4 #cca4 #ahdh4 ,augmentation to corps--,a calculating prodigy--,company removed from ,portsmouth to ,ireland--,chartist demonstration and services of the sappers in ,london--,road-making in ,zetland--,company to the ,mauritius--,major ,sandham--,sergeant ,anderson--,sergeant ,ross--,sir ,harry ,smith's frontier tour at the ,cape--,passage of the ,mooi2 corporal ,pringle--,passage of the ,konap2 sergeant ,mc,leod2 also of the ,orange ,river--,boem ,plaatz--,spirited conduct of a party in removing an ammunition tumbril1 which had upset in some burning grass--,peace--,inspection at ,gibraltar by ,sir ,robert ,wilson--,also at ,hong-,kong by ,major-,general ,stavely--,company at ,corfu--,return of party to ,england from the ,falkland ,islands--,sergeant ,hearnden4 ,the nineteenth company was formed on the #ast of ,april and appropriated for the duties of the survey4#cb ,on the #ast of ,september1 another company1 numbered the #bjth1 was organized1 which increased the establishment from #a1hjj to #b1jjj of all ranks4 ,the detachment of one sergeant1 one corporal and twelve privates1 formed by royal warrant in ,july1 #ahci1 for service in ,south ,australia1 merged into the establishment in ,december1 by an order dated #aeth of that month1 and thus reduced the corps from #b1jjj to #a1ihe of all ranks4 ,this measure was effected to simplify details and to make the detachment form part of a company1 without removing it from the province4 ,its expense still continued to be borne by the colonial government4 ,the company at ,portsmouth1 ninety-eight strong1 under ,captain ,robertson1 ,r4,e41 was sent by rapid conveyances to ,dublin1 and arrived there on the #bnd of ,april1 to assist in quelling the rebellion in ,ireland4 ,late in ,july1 ,lieutenant ,akers1 ,r4,e41 with one sergeant and fifteen rank and file1 accompanied the troops under the command of ,major-,general ,macdonald to ,thurles1 and encamped about a mile from the town1 and returned to ,dublin in ,september1 without any necessity for their services arising4 ,the meditated revolt was crushed1 and ,smith ,o',brien with some other demagogues1 convicted of traitorous designs1 were expatriated4 ,the company on being withdrawn from ,ireland1 removed to ,woolwich1 where it arrived on the #aith of ,february1 #ahdi4 ,a rising of the ,chartists being anticipated1 measures were taken to thwart their designs4 ,troops were collected with rapidity from all quarters and appointed to various posts in ,london1 to act if occasion required4 ,late in the evening of ,saturday the #hth of ,april1 a company of #ajj strong with sergeant-major ,bradford1 under the command of ,captain ,tylee1 ,r4,e41 was detached from ,woolwich to the ,tower of ,london4 ,each man took with him forty rounds of ammunition4 ,the company slept in the ,tower that night1 but early next morning1 two sergeants and thirty-two rank and file1 under ,lieutenant ,sedley1 ,r4,e41 were sent to the ,ordnance ,office1 ,pall ,mall1 to oppose any attempt at possession by the ,chartists4 ,another party with sergeant-major ,bradford under ,lieutenant ,wilkinson1 ,r4,e41 was removed to the ,bank of ,england4 ,on the roof of this edifice were built platforms2 and at certain places1 massive timbers with loop-holes were run up as positions for defence4 ,several thousand sand-bags filled the upper tier of windows facing the ,royal ,exchange1 and others as high as a man were piled upon the parapet of the roof1 with apertures between them for musketry4 ,over the entrance of the building1 a strong wooden machicouli1 resting upon ponderous beams1 projected into the street1 which held a party of the corps ready to open a volley on the rabble1 had an attempt been made to force an entrance4 ,in the yard leading to the workshops1 c41 the sappers also erected an enormous barricade of casks1 handcarts1 c4 ,the detachment at the ,tower was no less zealous4 ,at the ,byward tower1 the face--overlooking the entrance to the fortress from the ,thames by the bridge--was loop-holed1 as also a building to command the other entrance4 ,about thirty yards inside--from the gate of the ,byward tower--a strong intrenched stockade was erected2 and on the wharf near the ,traitor's tower1 two barricades were constructed of crates with bricks in them1 iron coal boxes1 c41 which were loop-holed for musketry4 ,along the ,traitor's wall was an erection of sand-bags with openings for firing1 and on the roof of the barracks1 banquettes1 to enable the troops to play on the mob in the rear near to the ,mint1 were formed of scaffolding and military forms4 ,the old bricked-up embrasures facing ,tower ,hill were also rendered ready for the reception of guns by picking out the bricks and clearing away the debris1 which for years had been accumulating there4 ,fortunately no outbreak occurred1 and the company returned to ,woolwich on the #adth of ,april4 ,there happened at the time to be a handful of the corps in ,london employed in the metropolitan survey1 who1 as the occasion was ominous and pressing1 were relieved from their professional operations to assist in those of defence4 ,so well did they discharge the duties intrusted to them in barricading the entrances to the high offices of the ,state1 that their conduct was acknowledged in a communication from ,lieut4-,colonel ,alderson of the engineers in these terms4 8,i have been requested by ,mr4 ,trevelyan1 on the part of the ,chancellor of the ,exchequer and other authorities of the government1 to express their satisfaction at the good conduct of the detachment of royal sappers and miners1 under the command of colour-sergeant ,smith1 during their employment under me at the ,treasury and government-offices on ,sunday1 ,monday and ,tuesday last2 also in the efficient professional aid they afforded1 in putting the ,treasury-buildings and ,downing-street in a state of defence40 ,in ,may1 ,captain ,webb1 ,r4,e41 with one sergeant and one private1 both surveyors1 proceeded to ,zetland by an order from the ,commissioners of the ,treasury1 and laid out and surveyed nearly ninety miles of road1 upon which the poor of the islands were employed to afford them relief4 ,in ,september1 the party returned to ,woolwich1 where ,captain ,webb and the sergeant completed the plans of the work for the ,home ,office4 ,the conduct and zeal of sergeant ,r4 ,forsyth were specially brought to the notice of the ,treasury1 and in a letter from ,sir ,charles ,trevelyan to ,captain ,webb1 dated #bfth of ,december1 #ahdh1 it is stated1 8that my lords have received with satisfaction your report of the zeal and intelligence displayed by sergeant ,forsyth in assisting in this service2 and that if his exertions shall continue to be equally useful1 they will be prepared to grant him some moderate additional remuneration when these operations have been brought to a close40#cc ,a new station was opened for the corps this year1 by detaching to the ,mauritius a company of #ajj strong1 under the command of ,captain ,j4 ,fenwick1 ,r4,e41 which embarked at ,gravesend on the #bnd of ,may1 and landed from the #8,edmundsbury' on the #aith of ,august4 ,a half company had previously been employed there1 but on the completion of the citadel in #ahdj1 it was removed to the ,cape of ,good ,hope4 ,captain ,john ,walpole1 ,r4,e41 was commissioned as brigade-major to the corps on the #ast of ,june1 #ahdh1 vice ,major ,sandham removed to the ordnance office as second inspector-general4 ,with the sappers1 ,major ,sandham had served for many years1 and the great interest he took in their concerns is well known4 ,strict impartiality and a penetrating discrimination marked his whole conduct2 and his attention to the discipline and drill1 raised the character of the corps for military appearance and efficiency4 ,the ready testimony of ,lord ,bloomfield1 the commandant of ,woolwich garrison1 was frequently awarded to ,major ,sandham for his success in these particulars1 and never was the corps present at a garrison parade1 but his lordship called the attention of his staff to its correct marching and manuvring4 ,a sterling friend to the sappers1 ,major ,sandham1 with hearty goodwill1 provided many non-commissioned officers and men with comfortable and lucrative situations in civil life1 although in doing so1 he laid himself under many and deep obligations to those from whom he obtained the patronage4#cd ,at the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 the companies were still dispersed to about fifteen stations on the eastern frontier and at ,pieter ,maritzburg4 ,in ,february1 corporal ,george ,pringle1 having under him twelve men of the #deth regiment1 threw a raft of casks for the passage of his ,excellency ,sir ,harry ,smith and his guard1 over the rivers ,umgani1 ,mooi1 ,bushman's1 and the two ,tugelas4 ,sir ,harry was taking a peaceful tour of the colony from the frontier to ,natal1 during which he inquired into the disaffection of the ,boers1 and settled matters with ,pretorius relative to the sovereignty of some territory north of the ,orange river1 and eastward as far as the ,draakenberg mountains4#ce ,corporal ,george ,pringle and party1 under ,lieutenant ,gibb1 ,r4,e41 went from ,pieter ,maritzburg to the foot of the ,draakenberg range1 about #abj miles1 to meet him4 ,his ,excellency noticed corporal ,pringle for the activity and intelligence he displayed on this service4 ,when crossing the ,mooi1 in consequence of the strain on the hawser which had been previously fastened to the opposite bank1 the raft capsized1 and threw the pontoon party and fifteen men of the ,cape mounted rifles into the stream4 ,corporal ,pringle and a man of the #deth regiment1 alone clung to the raft2 and as it swept along with the rapid current1 whirling round and round with the eddy1 the corporal dexterously seized the end of a breast-line1 jumped into the stream1 and swimming to the shore1 moored the raft to a clump of bush1 by which it swung in safety4 ,all the saddles and carbines1 the waggon1 and ,sir ,harry ,smith's horse1 which were on the pontoon at the time1 were thrown into the river4 ,the horse1 by means of a lasso1 was soon rescued2 and the waggon1 about five feet under water1 was recovered by the coolness of the corporal1 who swam to the spot1 and lashing it to the boom1 hauled it1 with the assistance of his party1 to the bank4 ,all the soldiers were saved4 ,the corporal now adopted another method to take his ,excellency and the guard across1 and the passage of the ,mooi1 more than fifty yards wide1 was eventually effected without accident to the troops or injury to the baggage4 ,six privates1 under sergeant ,alexander ,m4 ,m#8,leod1 left ,king ,william's ,town on the #bnd ,august with a division commanded by ,sir ,harry ,smith1 to chastise the rebel ,boers at ,boem ,plaatz4 ,on nearing the ,konap1 the party was sent in advance to discover the ford4 ,all night was spent in the tedious search1 but by daylight next morning it was effectually traced and the march across the ,konap commenced4 ,the train1 however1 was soon stopped in its progress1 as the leading waggon1 unskilfully conducted by the vorlooper in charge of it1 got off a ledge of rock upon which it was proceeding safely1 and sinking into the water1 the gunpowder it contained was destroyed4 ,at the same time the vorlooper1 young and weak1 unable to stand against the current1 was swept off his legs4 ,in this emergency ,colonel ,buller directed the sergeant to assist the train in crossing4 ,standing in the centre of the stream1 he controlled the refractory oxen and drove them to the opposite shore4 ,there1 however1 fresh difficulties arose1 for1 as the soil was greasy and the bank steep1 the oxen could not draw the waggons out of the river4 ,instantly the party of sappers reduced the bank1 and throwing the excavated earth on the slippery beach1 the waggons were at length dragged to the shore4 ,arriving at the ,great ,fish ,river1 the troops1 guns1 and baggage were ferried across on the ,india-rubber raft taken with the sappers1 while the empty waggons were drawn over by means of a hawser4 ,on the #bjth the ,orange ,river was reached2 next day four other sappers were added to the party1 and on the #bbnd1 at day-light1 the ,india-rubber float was launched for the passage of the division4 ,the river was #bej yards wide and a very rapid tide was running1 when1 having stretched a sheer line across the stream fastened on either shore to a tree1 the operation was successfully carried out4 ,forty men were ferried across at a time1 the expedient of the guiding hawser considerably lessening the labours of the party4 ,three guns and several waggons were also taken over4 ,the latter were simply rolled on the raft without disturbing their loads1 and were deprived of any dangerous motion by blocking their wheels4 ,not a single accident occurred2 and in compliment to the unfailing zeal and efficiency of the men1 ,sir ,harry ,smith took occasion1 on a general parade at ,graham's ,town in ,october1 #ahdh1 to acknowledge that to the royal sappers and miners he was 8greatly indebted for the means with which he had been enabled to make the passage of the ,orange ,river1 many of the men swimming in the river like dolphins in getting across the baggage and material40#cf ,marching for ,boem ,plaatz the detachment was present in an engagement with the ,boers1 remaining for a time in the rear in charge of ten ammunition tumbrils1 and four engineer waggons1 containing engineer tools and stores2 but ordered to the front by the ,governor's aide-de-camp1 ,captain ,holdich1 they pressed forward with four ammunition waggons1 and did good service1 during the remainder of the action1 by serving out the cartridges to the troops4 ,it was not long before the ,boers were beaten1 and the column advanced1 followed by the sappers and the train of waggons4 ,the grass was on fire on either side of the road4 ,just at this time the fore-skean or linch-pin of the leading waggon broke1 the near fore-wheel came off1 and the tumbril upset4 ,another minute and the burning grass would have blown it up2 but there were resolute spirits in the party1 who1 undaunted by the danger1 rushed to the spot1 raised the dismembered waggon from the fire1 and replacing the wheel1 fastened it by the drag-chain through the spokes to the tessel-boom4 ,the expedient answered its purpose for twelve miles1 when1 by ,sir ,harry ,smith's orders1 the ammunition was removed to a commissariat waggon4 ,on the #cjth ,august1 at ,bloem ,fontein1 the ,sovereignty was proclaimed to be ,british territory4 ,a few days after1 marching for ,wynberg1 the sappers cut a road up the steep and rugged banks of the river they crossed on the route1 and repaired a drift for the waggons at ,wynberg4 ,there a review was held by ,sir ,harry ,smith4 ,moshes1 the paramount chief of the ,sovereignty1 and his sons were present1 attended by a cortege of #hjj armed horsemen clothed in ,european garb1 and #a1ejj foot warriors in their war costume and accoutrements4 ,when the display terminated1 the ,kaffirs formed a circle round ,sir ,harry ,smith and the chief ,moshes1 and performed a frantic war-dance to serve as an additional proof of the re-establishment of peace4 ,the sappers with the other troops witnessed this barbaric demonstration1 and afterwards returned to ,bloem ,fontein4 ,the companies at ,gibraltar1 brought to a strength of #aig men by the arrival of a reinforcement of #ec rank and file1 were inspected by the ,governor1 ,sir ,robert ,wilson1 in ,may1 and his report complimented them on their efficiency1 zeal1 and capacity4 8,under arms10 ,sir ,robert added1 8their appearance is soldier-like1 and their exercises were creditably performed40 ,his ,excellency1 however1 had to regret 8that the vice of drunkenness should exist in a corps otherwise so respectable40 ,in ,october1 ,major-,general ,stavely inspected the half company at ,hong ,kong1 but while he commended the men for their 8fine looks0 and 8being well dressed10 he censured the irregularity which had recently marked their conduct4 ,intoxication1 the greatest bane of the colony1 was the chief predisposing cause of disease2 and the sappers1 who from the nature of their service were continually employed and often much exposed to the sun1 carried the propensity to an extent which produced much sickness1 and justly called for the ,major-,general's animadversion4 ,very different1 however1 was the conduct of the seventh company at ,corfu1 which1 having completed its tour of foreign duty1 was relieved early in the year and returned to ,woolwich4 ,the ,lieutenant-,general spoke of their constant good conduct and exertions during the period they had been under his command1 and commended them for the excellency of their services4 ,in parting with the company he expressed his good wishes for their welfare1 and a vast concourse of the inhabitants cheered them through the streets to the point of embarkation4 ,since #ahbd1 the companies successively sent to ,corfu were chiefly employed in the works of the citadel1 and the defences of ,vido4 ,fort ,neuf and the church in the citadel1 as well as ,fort ,george1 ,lunette ,wellington1 and the ,maitland ,tower at ,vido1 attest the skilful workmanship of the sappers4 ,individuals or small parties were at different times detached on particular duty to ,santa ,maura1 ,zante1 ,paxo1 and ,cephalonia4 ,of this special duty some idea may be formed1 from the nature of the employment of a corporal1 who being sent to ,santa ,maura in ,december1 #ahde1 by order of the ,lord ,high ,commissioner1 superintended the workmen engaged in opening a new channel into the port1 to render the inner passage once more practicable for ships sailing either up or down the coast4 ,the detachment at the ,falkland ,islands was removed from that settlement on the recall of ,governor ,captain ,moody1 and landed at ,woolwich the #bith ,november1 #ahdh4 ,for more than six years the party had discharged all the duties of soldiers and artificers1 assisted by about forty civilians chiefly labourers2 and in that short period a considerable improvement had been made in the colony4 ,several buildings had been erected1 including the ,government-house and offices2 also a school-house and barracks1 and cottages for emigrants and workmen1 with houses for boats and stores4 ,jetties were also constructed1 sea-walls made1 roads traced and formed1 bridges thrown1 weirs made for fishing1 and kraals for cattle1 with numerous ditches1 drains1 sod walls1 and sod huts4 ,to these must be added the performance of an endless variety of services1 which the wants and contingencies of a new and inhospitable colony rendered indispensable4 ,four of the detachment were discharged in the settlement1 and the remaining four1 soon after reaching ,england1 left the corps by purchase or on pension4#cg ----- ,footnote #cb3 ,this year was enlisted a calculating youth named ,alexander ,gwin1 a native of ,londonderry1 who had a brother and an uncle in the corps4 ,when only eight years of age1 he had 8committed to memory the logarithms of all the natural numbers from one to a thousand40 ,two years later1 his fame having spread1 his precocity was tested at ,limerick 8in the presence of ,colonel ,colby1 ,lord ,adare1 and several other gentlemen of distinction10 to whom he repeated the whole series1 without a mistake1 taking up two hours and a half to deliver himself of that gigantic mental effort6 8,his rapidity and correctness in calculating trigonometrical distances1 triangles1 c40 were equally remarkable4 8,in less than one minute1 he could make a return in acres1 roods1 perches1 c41 of any quantity of land1 by giving him the surveyor's chained distances2 while10 it is added1 8the greatest mathematician with all his knowledge would certainly take nearly an hour to do the same1 and not be sure of truth in the end40--#8,year-,book of ,facts1' #ahdb4 #8,boys' ,own ,book1' p4 #cha1 published by ,bogue4 ,this calculating boy1 making allowance for the hyperbole of his admirers1 was without doubt a youthful prodigy4 ,he is now a corporal on the survey1 useful and energetic in his duties2 but as the opportunities for improving his faculty for figures have been considerably lessened by the nature of his employments1 he has not become what his infantine capabilities promised--another ,bidder4 ,footnote #cc3 ,he never received any additional remuneration at the close of the work1 but his high rate of working-pay may have been considered a sufficient equivalent for his services4 ,footnote #cd3 ,sergeant ,james ,anderson was one of those who was thus favoured4 ,on obtaining his discharge1 with a pension of #as4 #aj;d4 a day1 in ,august1 #ahde1 he received an appointment in ,worsley-yard1 belonging to the estate of ,lord ,ellesmere1 as superintendent and storekeeper of the yard1 at a salary of #abjl4 a-year1 with a residence4 ,since then1 such has been his scrupulous character for honesty and careful supervision1 that a very handsome addition has been made to his income1 and the utmost confidence is reposed in him4 ,another was colour-sergeant ,john ,ross1 a very ingenious mechanic1 who after his discharge1 in ,april1 #ahdh1 was appointed engineer at ,runcorn1 to attend to a small steam fleet in the canal1 under the ,bridgewater ,trust4 ,he invented the drawbridge at the entrance of ,fort ,albert1 ,bermuda1 the largest of its class in any military fortification1 and which can be easily worked by two men1 either in throwing it across the ditch1 or pulling it in4 ,many years of his life had been spent in perfecting a new system of locomotion for ships4 ,his great idea was the construction of a vessel which should ride above the control of the waves1 resting upon an arrangement of large cylinders1 to serve1 like the piers of a bridge1 as the natural supports of the ship1 and within which should be placed his revolving paddle-wheels1 to be moved by steam appliances4 ,by a very ingenious contrivance he provided that the sea1 which should come in contact with the paddles1 should not only be deprived of its resistance1 but made to assist in the propulsion of the vessel4 ,the speed he calculated to obtain by his system was almost incredible4 ,personal trials of an imperfect model1 in the waters at ,bermuda1 convinced him of the practicability of his bold scheme4 ,after quitting ,runcorn1 ambitious of higher employment1 he emigrated to ,canada1 where he is pursuing the study and development of his novel notions of shipbuilding and locomotion4 ,he received a gratuity and medal for his services in the corps1 and might have been promoted to the rank of sergeant-major1 but1 restless and speculative1 he preferred to try what his mechanical genius would yield him in civil life4 ,footnote #ce3 #8,cape and the ,kaffirs1' by ,mrs4 ,captain ,ward4 ,bohn's edit4 #ahea1 p4 #bcj4 ,footnote #cf3 #8,graham's ,town ,journal1' ,october #ad1 #ahdh4 ,footnote #cg3 ,sergeant ,hearnden1 so frequently spoken of in these pages1 purchased his discharge and emigrated with his savings1 nearly a thousand pounds1 to ,north ,america1 where1 from his enterprising spirit and commercial tact1 he is realizing a fortune4 ,throughout his service of twelve years in the corps he was constantly employed on particular duty4 ,in the practical instruction of the ,cadets at ,sandhurst and ,woolwich1 and in one of the early expeditions to the disputed territory in the state of ,maine1 he showed much talent and energy1 and obtained great credit4 ,for his services at the ,falkland ,islands no higher testimony could be afforded to a soldier than the repeated warm acknowledgments of ,governor ,moody4 ,a word may also be given about his horse4 ,blanco was brought from ,south ,america2 was perfectly white1 and exhibited signs of good breeding4 ,hearnden purchased him at a rather high figure2 but his subsequent usefulness and hardihood in a trying climate gave him ample reason to be satisfied with his bargain4 ,on the #gth ,january1 #ahdg1 at the ,falkland ,island races1 ,blanco had the good fortune to win the ,governor's cup1 worth #ejl4 ,the cup1 made of silver1 by ,hunt and ,roskill1 stood about eighteen inches high1 and was richly ornamented and chased4 ,on one side the sergeant was represented mounted1 with sword1 sabre-tache1 and gauntlets4 ,in another panel was the inscription4 ,the cover was very massive1 and both cover and cup were lined with silver gilt4 #ahdi4 ,breach in the sea embankment at ,foulness--,company to ,portsmouth--,augmentation to corps--,homeward journey of the ,arctic expedition--,private ,brodie--,great ,slave ,lake party--,expedition arrives in ,england--,south ,australia--,sergeant ,r4 ,gardiner--,road-making in ,zetland--,survey of ,dover--,wreck of the #8,richard ,dart'--,miserable condition of the survivors on ,prince ,edward's ,island--,found1 and taken to the ,cape--,remeasurement of the base-line on ,salisbury ,plain--,shoeburyness--,eulogium by the ,marquis of ,anglesey--,fatal accident at ,sandhurst ,college4 ,on the #ajth ,january fifty-five men1 under ,captain ,tylee of the engineers1 were sent by express conveyances from ,chatham to ,foulness ,island1 near the entrance of the river ,burnham on the coast of ,essex1 to repair the sea embankment which for about #bjj feet had been forced away by a heavy sea4 ,the detachment took with it a quantity of intrenching tools1 water-boots1 and stores1 including #cjj fascines and #c1jjj sand-bags1 which were made and filled in about three hours4 ,in less than twelve hours from the commencement of the work1 the breach was effectually mended by an ingenious placement of fascines and sand-bags1 at an expense not exceeding #fl4 #ajs4 ,the party worked in two divisions4 ,the day was extremely wet1 but the men laboured with the utmost zeal1 and their conduct both on sea and land was exemplary4#ch ,a company was sent from ,woolwich to ,portsmouth in ,january to supply the place of the one removed from that garrison to ,dublin in ,february1 #ahdh4 ,the return of a company to ,portsmouth induced much opposition to its employment on the part of the civil workmen1 and disparaging remarks1 with respect both to its conduct and its mechanical abilities1 appeared in the provincial journals of the time4 ,one company1 the twenty-first1 was raised #ast ,february1 and another1 the twenty-second1 on the #ast ,march1 thereby increasing the establishment of the corps from #a1ihe to #b1ahe of all ranks4 ,the royal warrant1 authorizing the formation of the last eight companies1 is dated #bbnd ,august1 #ahdi1 and on its authority the companies were organized as follows1-- ,colour ,ser- ,ser- ,cor- #bnd ,pri- ,general geant4 geants4 porals4 ,corp4 ,bugl4 vates4 ,total4 ,total4 #ag ,companies1 ,service1 each #a #d #e #e #b #hc #ajj #a1gjj #a ,company1 ,corfu #a #b #c #c #b #ea #fb #fb #c ,companies1 ,survey1 each #a #f #g #g #b #hb #aje #cae #a ,company1 ,survey #a #d #e #e #b #hc #ajj #ajj ----- #b1agg ,staff--#a ,brigade-,major1 #a ,adjutant1 #a ,quartermaster1 #b ,sergeant-majors1 #h #b ,quartermaster-sergeants1 and #a ,bugle-major1 ----- ,total #b1ahe ----- ,when the summer fairly set in1 the arctic expedition under ,sir ,john ,richardson commenced its return4 ,the van1 with corporal ,mackie1 started about a week before ,sir ,john1 who followed on the #gth ,may with ,mitchell1 ,brodie1 and three seamen4 ,in five and a half days the journey over the ice was completed1 and on the #abth they encamped at ,cape ,macdonald1 clearing away for the purpose snow to the depth of five feet4 ,they then moved on to ,fort ,franklin1 where the advance division had arrived with a good supply of provisions for the voyage4 ,soon afterwards a detached party was commissioned to ,fort ,norman for a barge and stores1 for which ,sir ,john ,richardson waited nearly a month1 having with him ,mitchell and ,brodie and two fishermen1 who1 in the mean time1 lived on trout1 whitefish1 herrings1 and geese1 and 8bivouacked under the shelter of a boat's sail as a substitute for a tent40 ,in time they quitted the vicinity of the fishing-hut1 and moved to the banks of the ,bear ,lake river1 where they encamped until the #ith ,june1 when the descent of the river commenced4 ,in the fishing coble brought from ,fort ,norman1 ,sir ,john ,richardson with three of the party embarked1 whilst ,mitchell1 ,brodie1 and a fisherman named ,morrison1 walked along the bank of the river1 each of them carrying his own bedding and clothing4 ,narcisse1 another fisherman1 was left behind in charge of some stores4 ,half an hour after setting out1 the party in the coble put ashore1 8and in a short time ,corporal ,mitchell and ,morrison joined them1 but private ,brodie1 having struck into the woods with the view of making a straighter course1 did not arrive in the hour that the chief waited for him20 and expecting that he had gone past1 the voyage was resumed with ,mitchell and ,morrison added to the party in the boat4#ci ,fourteen miles from the lake a cache was reached2 and as ,brodie had not arrived in the course of the day1 it was evident he had lost himself1 and therefore corporal ,mitchell and ,morrison were sent 8back to the lake to acquaint ,narcisse with what had happened1 and to engage an ,indian living at the fishery to go in quest of ,brodie4 ,in the meantime the party at intervals fired their fowling-pieces1 and set fire to some trees1 that the smoke might be seen by the strayed wayfarer at a distance40#dj ,next day the men came back from the lake4 8,after placing written directions for ,brodie in the cache1 the expedition re-embarked1 and in a short time came to the influx of the ,black ,river1 then flooded4 ,there another paper of instructions was left for ,brodie1 directing him to the cache for provisions1 and to remain with ,narcisse until the barge came for him40 8,the incident10 writes ,sir ,john ,richardson1 8of ,brodie's straying gave me much uneasiness1 as ,i feared he would experience some suffering1 though ,i did not apprehend he would lose his life4 ,he was a man of much personal activity and considerable intelligence4 ,when he discovered he was walking in a wrong direction1 he began to mend his pace1 and to run1 as is usual in such cases1 but took an inland course1 and at length came to the borders of an extensive swamp4 ,here the woods being more open he obtained a distant view of the #8hill at the rapid1' which he recognized1 from having seen it on his former journey to the cache2 and as he knew that he must pass it in descending the river1 he resolved on walking straight for it1 in the hope of arriving there before us4 ,after this he came to the ,black ,river10 a rapid1 unfordable stream1 scarcely passable by a raft2 but1 continues ,sir ,john ,richardson1 8being a fearless swimmer1 he swam across it carrying his clothes on his head4 ,the stream being very tortuous1 came again in his way1 when he crossed it a second and a third time in the same manner2 but on the last occasion1 his bundle slipping off1 floated away1 and he regained the bank with difficulty in a state of perfect nudity4 ,after a moment's reflection1 he came to the conclusion that without clothes he must perish1 and that he might as well be drowned in trying to recover them as to attempt proceeding naked4 ,on which he plunged in again1 and fortunately landed this time safely with his habiliments4 ,he now refreshed himself with a part of a small piece of dried meat1 which in his anxiety he had hitherto left untouched1 and forthwith decided on finding the cache and returning from thence to the lake4 ,on the third day 7#aath ,june7 he found my note1 together with some provisions which had been suspended to a pole for his use1 but he had so husbanded his own small supply1 that he had still a morsel of dried meat remaining4 ,he had no difficulty afterwards in joining ,narcisse1 by keeping sight of the river the whole way20#da and in due course he joined the expedition at ,fort ,simpson1 in a barge sent to receive him4 ,at this fort also joined the ten sappers who had wintered on the ,great ,slave ,lake2 and on the #beth ,june ,sir ,john started again on his homeward journey1 encountering a succession of hardships1 until he arrived at ,norway ,house on the #acth ,august4 ,the services of the mission were now wholly ended1 and of the sappers1 ,sir ,john ,richardson thus recorded his opinion3 8,during the time these men were under my command1 not a single act of disobedience occurred4 ,crews better fitted for heavy portage work and for the ordinary duties of a winter's residence in the north1 might doubtless have been selected in the country1 but none that ,i could have depended upon with so much confidence in adverse circumstances40#db ,the arctic travellers arrived in ,england in ,november #ahdi1 when three or four1 in recognition of their usefulness1 received gratuities of #ael4 each1 and the remainder #ajl4 each4 ,captain ,freeling1 ,r4,e41 appointed surveyor-general in ,south ,australia1 with a party of five surveyors--sappers and miners--sailed for ,port ,adelaide on the #fth ,march1 and landed there the #bast ,june4 ,these men were forwarded to the colony to fill the vacancies occasioned by men discharged4 ,captain ,frome1 ,r4,e41 who had commanded the detachment in that province since #ahci1 was recalled to the corps in consequence of his period on the seconded list having expired4#dc ,early in ,march one sergeant and five rank and file under the orders of ,captain ,webb1 ,r4,e41 returned to ,zetland to lay out and superintend the construction of the roads surveyed in the two previous years4 ,up to this time1 there was nothing in the island that could be called a road1 except from ,lerwick to ,scallaway1 a distance of about six miles1 which1 though not finished1 was passable for riders1 c4 ,captain ,craigie1 ,r4,n41 the commissioner for ,zetland1 accorded them high credit for their exertions in directing the work1 and controlling the poor employed upon it2 and in a report to the ,edinburgh section of the ,central ,board1 he thus wrote of their usefulness and merits3 8,i cannot close this report without bearing my humble testimony to the invaluable services of ,captain ,webb1 ,r4,e41 sergeant ,forsyth and the staff of royal sappers and miners1 and recording the gratitude felt towards ,government by the whole community1 for their consideration in granting an officer so eminently fitted to conduct and carry out to completion1 works of such public and permanent utility4 ,but great and most important as these works unquestionably are1 they fall into comparative insignificance as compared to the social regeneration now in progress1 in the industrious habits of the people1 and to which their efforts have mainly contributed4 ,the patience1 forbearance1 the tact and temper with which ,captain ,webb and his staff have led the people on1 step by step1 to a knowledge of their physical powers2 their indefatigable industry and disregard of difficulties of no ordinary kind in such a climate and country2 but above all1 their being looked up to as the organ and representatives of government in this remote region1 have invested them with a moral influence among all classes which can scarcely be calculated40 ,in ,april eight rank and file from ,chatham were employed under the direction of ,lieutenant ,stotherd1 ,r4,e41 in completing the survey and contouring of ,dover4 ,a detachment of one sergeant1 one corporal1 and twenty-six privates1 with four women and nine children1 embarked at ,woolwich on the #crd ,april1 #ahdi1 on board the brig #8,richard ,dart1' for ,new ,zealand1 under the command of ,lieutenant ,liddell1 ,r4,e4 ,the ship sailed from ,gravesend on the #eth ,april1 and made a pleasant voyage until the #aeth ,june1 when1 to the southward of the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 foggy and rainy weather set in1 which continuing till the #aith1 the ship was carried to the north side of ,prince ,edward's ,island and struck on the rocks4 ,the waves at the time ran high1 and within a few short minutes1 the stern cabin-windows were stove in1 the boats were filled and torn from the quarter1 and while the vessel1 beaten by a raging sea fell to pieces1 wave after wave swept the decks and rigging and carried forty-seven of the crew and passengers into the deep4 ,of this number twenty-four men belonged to the detachment of sappers1 who1 with all their wives and children1 and ,lieutenant ,liddell1 perished4 ,eleven souls only out of sixty-three were saved4 ,among those who escaped were the captain of the ship--,samuel ,potter--and four sappers1 named ,thomas ,inglis1 ,owen ,devany1 ,james ,reid and ,william ,goldsmith4 ,they took refuge in the mainmast rigging2 and the wreck1 having been driven broadside to the shore1 the mainmast went by the board1 falling fortunately upon the rock1 and the survivors crawled along the shaking spar to the shore4 ,the rocks being exceedingly steep and difficult of access1 the men had to undergo much labour and fatigue in reaching the summit of the cliff1 occasionally hanging on by fragile sea-weeds and every now and then throwing themselves into crevices to prevent the receding surge drawing them into the sea4 ,most of the party were barefoot and thinly clad4 ,the night was cold2 the snow fell fast and thick1 and beating upon their drenched and shivering frames1 their sufferings may possibly be imagined but never adequately described4 ,the island was a mass of black rocks1 torn by volcanic violence1 and wore an aspect of wild and sterile desolation4 ,selecting a small green spot where fresh water was found1 they made it a temporary residence1 and built with the wood recovered from the wreck and some sods1 a small hut1 which sheltered them in a measure from the bitter wind and frost4 ,a few sperm candles and some blankets1 washed from the wreck1 were all that could be found to reward their anxious exertions4 ,no provisions of any kind could be picked up2 but at length1 when forced by hunger1 they killed some young albatrosses and fed sparingly on the raw flesh4 ,the candles in this extremity became savoury morsels and were devoured with considerable relish4 ,as they were without fire1 or the means of procuring any to assuage the bitterness of their distress1 they determined1 on the seventh day of their deliverance1 to explore the island and see what ,providence might turn up to their hopes4 ,two of the men1 from being frostbitten and cut in the feet1 were unable to walk4 ,the remaining nine1 therefore1 started1 leaving a stock of raw meat with the two sick sappers1 who laid themselves down on the cold ground only to feel the increase of pangs which the presence even of a spark of fire would have helped to soften4 ,without a cheering ray to palliate their wretchedness1 with the nipping frost gnawing their reeking wounds1 they gave themselves up to the destiny which seemed to await them4 ,hourly the toils and miseries of the adventurers increased4 ,after travelling all day1 sometimes over high hills covered with sharp vitrified cinders1 sometimes on marshy ground up to their hips in bog1 they stopped for the night by the side of a frowning rock4 ,the rain poured in torrents2 shelter could not be found2 no expedient for kindling a flame succeeded2 and in this deplorable condition they sat down on the charred ground1 huddled together to preserve some little warmth among them1 exposed throughout the night to the drenching storm1 covered only by their blankets4 ,next morning1 resuming their travels1 they gained a beach where four sea-elephants were lying basking in the sun1 for the day opened with a cheering summer's warmth4 ,two of the monsters they killed1 but made no use of them4 ,here the travellers waited for a few days to recruit their strength4 ,the place was called 8,double ,beach10 but no fissure or cavity could be found to hide them from the winds and rains2 and so night after night1 rolling themselves up in their blankets1 they slept in the open air4 ,after a few days1 private ,reid1 with some others1 returned to the first location to visit the invalids4 ,private ,goldsmith--a mere lad1 slim and weakly by nature--was much worse2 his frame was frightfully emaciated1 his agony intense1 and his toes were sloughing with gangrene2 but private ,devany--constitutionally stout and strong--was improving though unable to walk4 ,three days they remained with their sick comrades to encourage and cheer them with a narrative of their proceedings and a recital of their hopes2 and on the #ast ,july they again repaired to ,double ,beach1 leaving with the sick men the raw flesh of six birds1 equal to a week's provisions4 ,devany was most assiduous in his attentions to the dying man1 and to save his poor mouth from the exertion of mastication1 tore up the uncooked flesh into small pieces1 and fed him4 ,but the time came when he was no longer able to receive the morsels--the last struggle was upon him--and he closed his eyes for ever4 ,a snow-storm now set in1 which lasted all night and throughout the day of the #bnd4 ,raw flesh was their only repast1 and of this1 from the want of powder and gun1 they could not obtain a sufficiency to sustain their strength4 ,weak and attenuated1 and completely benumbed by exposure to frost and snow1 but little could be done in the way of exploration4 ,nevertheless they lagged on in their desperate mission1 like men contending against some crushing adversity1 determined to win4 ,crusoes they could not hope to be in such a clime and such a barren sea-holm2 but whatever was practicable to their ingenuity and strength1 they adapted to their use to support life till deliverance gave them succour4 ,the night of the #bnd ,july was still more severe in its effects upon the spirits and constitutions of the party1 and the rain poured on them incessantly4 ,miserable nights were these to spend their vigils4 ,up1 however1 they rose with the returning dawn--stiff and aching in every limb2 then wringing the wet from their stanched blankets1 and feasting upon the raw breast of an albatross1 journeyed on to seek a retreat from the recurring storms4 ,on the #crd1 private ,inglis discovered a cave close to the shore1 whither the party joyfully repaired2 and as the day was fine1 they dried their dripping clothes and blankets4 ,meanwhile1 watching from their lairs upon the passing birds1 they brought down eighteen from the wing to replenish their impoverished game store4 ,stones they threw as if fired from rifles and used sticks with an address not inferior to ,kaffirs4 ,necessity indeed was indulgent to give certainty to the primitive means they employed to secure their prey4 ,next day1 from the return of a severe frost1 all power of feeling and motion left their feet and fingers1 and confined them to the dreary cave for a full week4 ,until the #bfth ,july1 the cave afforded them a partial retreat from the severe inclemencies of the weather4 ,on that day1 private ,inglis1 the most successful of the adventurers1 discovered a small hut about three miles away1 in which a number of men's names were carved4 ,under the last name was cut the words1 8,on a journey round the island1 #bgth ,may1 #ahdi40 ,this unlooked for intimation gave rise to strange emotions and speculations1 and the last cloud of despair vanished before the sudden hope which sprung up in his breast4 ,how intensely did he gaze upon the portentous words6 and how often did he read them to assure himself that the passage was not the insane impression of a diseased mind6 ,satisfied that the inscription was not a mental caprice1 he started off to announce to his fellow-sufferers the purport of his discovery4 ,all received the intelligence with wondering doubt4 8,where6 where60 burst from every lip1 and hastening forward1 they followed ,inglis to the hut4 ,there indeed was the 8handwriting on the wall20 and seeing in that ominous sentence1 the legacy of their lives bequeathed to them by ,providence1 each voice was swelled in thankful ascriptions to that gracious ,power1 which1 hitherto1 had so marvellously preserved them4 ,it was now resolved that the captain1 one seaman1 and privates ,reid and ,inglis1 should take a circuit of the sea-girt isle1 until they regained the cave1 to see whether any one was near to help them4 ,having started1 they reached the hut early in the morning2 but as1 at the time1 it was blowing a heavy gale and snowing hard1 they waited a day or two for the weather to moderate4 ,during this interval they consulted together as to their future movements2 and private ,reid having volunteered to remain alone at the hut1 the others commenced1 on the #cjth ,july1 to make the special tour4 ,next day two of the party returned to the hut1 so that on the #cast ,july the adventurers were thus dispersed--three on the search1 three at the hut1 two at the cave1 and one of the two sailors in charge of the two sappers at the sick dpot4 ,the explorers made a long march the first day1 examining every nook and every cliff for fresh evidences of habitation4 ,the rain pelted on them2 the snow sat in flakes on their gaunt frames2 and wearied and foot-sore they dropped at night on the spot where the last speck of twilight left them in darkness4 ,next morning they were early afoot1 and onward they travelled in pursuit of what1 so far1 seemed an ignis fatuus4 ,resolved to win their spurs1 they would not suffer despondency or gloom to cheat them of their expectations2 and another morning had scarcely opened upon them when the reward of their endurance and exertion was within their grasp4 ,it was on the #ast ,august1 when1 after rambling about the island for no less than six weeks1 shaken and enfeebled by hunger1 pain1 toil1 and frost1 they fell in with a party of twelve seafaring men in the service of ,mr4 ,geary of ,cape ,town4 ,the meeting was one in which mutual amazement and happiness were keenly felt2 and for the following thirty-two days1 no vessel having touched at the island1 the ,cape seamen generously shared with the adventurers their scanty stock of farina4 ,poor ,goldsmith was still alive4 ,the strangers carried him more than thirty miles to the cave on the south beach of the island in which they resided4 ,one by one his toes dropped from his feet1 and he perished on the #bdth ,august4 ,with every feeling of affection and sorrow for his unhappy fate1 his comrades interred his remains on the spot where he ceased the mortal struggle4 ,the schooner #8,courier1' of ,cape ,town1 at length brought up at the island with a supply of provisions2 and the survivors of the wreck1 after seventy-two days' sojourn in that bleak and desolate region1 having embarked on board of her1 landed at ,table ,bay on the #ajth ,november1 where they were gratefully welcomed and entertained by a party of the corps4#dd ,a party of sixteen non-commissioned officers and men1 afterwards increased to nineteen of all ranks1 under sergeant ,james ,steel1 was detached on the #ast ,may with sufficient camp-houses1 equipage1 and stores1 to carry out the remeasurement of the base line on ,salisbury ,plain1 by means of the compensation bars invented by ,general ,colby4#de ,no man or officer on the survey had ever seen the apparatus in position before2 and sergeant ,steel1 therefore1 has the credit of acquiring a full knowledge of the adaptation and uses of the various instruments belonging to the apparatus1 unassisted by the teaching of any practician4 ,this he achieved by more than three months' unwearied study of some manuscript records on the subject1 and by closely observing the results of a series of experiments which he conducted4 ,during the first fortnight1 the line1 six miles and three-quarters in length as the crow flies1 was three times measured with the chain1 marked off1 cleared of wood1 furze1 and other obstacles1 and again roughly surveyed4 ,the little wooden encampment of the detachment was by this time in excellent order2 and1 after three days' tedious work in testing the apparatus by comparison with the standard bar1 the first compensation bar in the remeasurement was laid at ,beacon-hill4 ,owing to the steepness of the ground1 and other causes1 progress over the hill was both slow and wearisome2 but having once mastered the descent1 the operation throughout its length presented less difficulties than were at first encountered4 ,from time to time the sergeant communicated to the ordnance map office at ,southampton the obstacles1 both physical and instrumental1 he met with in his progress1 and the contrivances he resorted to1 to overcome them4 ,the journal so sent was full of practical instruction1 of a kind to be easily acquired on future reference1 and was replete with interesting information4 ,the distribution of the party gave ample employment to every man1 and the division of labour was adapted to the attainments of the men and the necessities of the duty4 ,corporal ,william ,jenkins assisted the sergeant at the bars and microscopes4 ,the latter compared the microscopes with the standard on ,sundays2 and frequently1 after a severe day's work1 the same process was necessarily gone through1 and other adjustments of the instruments effected4 ,corporal ,edward ,harkin constantly attended to the aligning instrument1 whilst one man assisted him in preparing the stations1 c42 two privates levelled the triangles for the feet of the supporting stools for the bars2 two attended to the adjustment of the stools on the triangles1 levelled the camels on them1 and moved forward the microscopes1 c42 two carried forward the bars and point-carriers1 and levelled the former and fixed the latter2 one registered the bars and microscopes1 and otherwise aided in moving them forward and adjusting them2 one1 a carpenter1 made the pickets1 and repaired the mallets1 tents1 c42 four attended to the shifting and placement of the tents2 one was sentry over the bars at the dinner hour and during the night1 to prevent any disturbance in the apparatus2 and two attended to the domestic and miscellaneous duties of the huts4 ,the camp occupied three different positions on the line4 ,it was thus moved twice forward4 ,on each occasion1 for a few days1 no progress was made in the remeasurement1 and sergeant ,steel with two privates1 filled up the interval in comparing the bars and microscopes with the standards4 ,in the meantime1 the remainder of the detachment fitted up the portable huts in the position selected for them4 ,great nicety and precision were required in the placement of the bars2 and so rigidly did the sergeant enforce the strictest exactness in their alignment and contiguity1 that he would not order the 8move forward0 until he satisfied himself that the possibility of an error in the operation was not likely to exceed the #aj1jjjth part of an inch4 ,in this way the work was continued till the #afth ,october1 #ahdh1 when the #c1dhdth bar shot over the old ,sarum terminus of the line4 ,this was followed by a spontaneous cheer1 hearty and sustained1 from the assembled party who thus commemorated the successful accomplishment of the operation4 ,by previous computations from the ,lough ,foyle base1 the perfect accuracy of the remeasurement was proved2 for1 not only did the predetermined bar reach the gun1 but the very inch of it entered the muzzle4 ,to ascertain by the usual computations whether any error by the omission in the registry of a bar or microscope could be detected1 the line was divided into three parts1 and each part was used as a base for a minor triangulation4 ,very great care was taken in executing this triangulation1 but it failed to discover any inaccuracy in the measurement4 ,sergeant ,james ,donelan and corporal ,william ,jenkins1 with the two #c-;feet instruments1 carried out this special service4 ,the results of the two measurements stand on record as under3-- ,by ,general ,mudge with ,ramsden's steel-chains in #agid #cfegefd feet4 ,by sergeant ,steel1 with ,colby's compensation-bars1 in #ahdi #cfeggie 0 ,computed from ,lough ,foyle base #cfeggcd 0 ,the precision of the two operations by such different instruments is strikingly close and beautiful1 and not only illustrates the excellence of the instruments1 but the perfection of the work4 ,on the completion of the service1 corporal ,jenkins was intrusted with one of the great theodolites1 and removed with a camp party from the base detachment to a mountain station4 ,the remainder were soon dispersed on the general duties of the survey1 and sergeant ,steel1 after again comparing the bars and microscopes with the standard measures1 returned with the compensation apparatus1 c41 to ,southampton4#df ,on the #gth ,june1 one sergeant and twenty-five rank and file were removed from ,woolwich to ,shoeburyness to erect temporary barracks1 c41 for the royal artillery1 and also to lay platforms1 build batteries1 and to execute the varied works which a new station might call for1 both for the convenience of the ordnance troops and the interests of the service4 ,the party was increased to thirty of all ranks in ,july1 but in ,october following was reduced to six non-commissioned officers and privates4 ,ever since this period1 a small detachment has been retained at the station to carry on the current repairs and improvements1 and its strength has fluctuated from time to time1 in accordance with the prevailing emergencies4 ,the convicts had been working for a time in repairing the main-sewer in the royal arsenal at ,woolwich1 but in consequence of the unhealthiness of the duty1 were withdrawn from it4 ,as the work was one of considerable importance to the locality in a sanitary point of view1 volunteers to finish the drain were therefore demanded from the royal sappers and miners4 ,one sergeant and eight privates at once undertook the work1 continuing at it during a portion of the month of ,august1 and its execution was effected without the slightest injury to any one engaged4 ,this led the ,marquis of ,anglesey1 then ,master-,general1 on the #eth ,september to extol the labours of the party in these words3 8,i desire to mark my high approbation and admiration of the gallant conduct of the corps of royal sappers and miners1 in volunteering an unpleasant and even dangerous service in the cause of humanity4 ,such self-devotion1 wholly devoid as it is of the stimulus of public honour and of glory1 far exceeds the renown gained in the battle-field4 ,i offer my thanks to all the individuals concerned40#dg ,on the #fth ,october an experiment was made at the ,royal ,military ,college at ,sandhurst1 to blow in the barrier-gate of the bastion-fort1 which cost the lives of the sergeant and one of the privates employed4 ,sergeant ,john ,cameron under ,major ,adams1 had the conduct of the arrangements and the preparation of the fuse4 ,nine pounds of powder were placed in a sand-bag having a canvas tube joining into the middle of the powder4 ,in this canvas tube was fixed a grenade fuse with a piece of cotton in it1 calculated to burn a sufficient time after the cotton should burst into flame4 ,the bag of powder placed against the barrier1 was covered over with a curved iron shield with a hole in it to permit the fuse to come through1 and then four sand-bags were lodged against the shield4 ,the arrangements being completed1 all the sappers retired except the sergeant and a private to ignite the fuse4 ,suddenly the explosion took place1 and at once the sergeant was blown into the wet ditch1 and the private knocked down on the berm4 ,both were mutilated in a frightful manner and in a few days expired4 ,the accident is supposed to have arisen from some defect in the fuse which was made by the sergeant4 ,sergeant ,cameron was a zealous and talented non-commissioned officer1 had several seasons been employed with great advantage at the college1 and presented the institution with some interesting military models4 ,his widow was granted a pension of #ajl4 a-year4 ----- ,footnote #ch3 ,the #8,times1' #abth ,january1 #ahdi4 #8,corps ,papers1' i41 pp4 #dae1 #daf4 ,footnote #ci3 ,sir ,john ,richardson1 ii41 p4 #ach4 ,footnote #dj3 ,ibid4 ,footnote #da3 ,sir ,john ,richardson1 ii41 pp4 #ach-ada4 ,footnote #db3 ,ibid4 ii41 p4 #add4 ,footnote #dc3 ,sergeant ,robert ,gardiner1 the senior non-commissioned officer of the party1 by great assiduity and application so improved his attainments1 that he was recommended for the appointment of clerk of works in the royal engineer department4 ,his drawings of the ,supreme ,court of ,adelaide gained him much credit1 and his services were marked by skill1 zeal1 and usefulness up to the period of his discharge1 in ,february1 #ahed4 ,military men1 particularly in the distant south1 have every means of improving their condition2 and if they possess a commercial bias1 may1 with tact1 accumulate wealth4 ,gardiner has not been unmindful of his interests in this respect1 and he is in a fair way of making his fortune4 ,offered for his good services to the public the situation of foreman of works to the department at ,hobart ,town1 he declined it1 and he now fills an advantageous appointment in the survey department of the colony of ,south ,australia4 ,footnote #dd3 #8,cape ,town ,mail1' ,november #ag1 #ahdi4 ,footnote #de3 ,general ,mudge measured the line in #agid4 ,footnote #df3 ,while on ,salisbury ,plain he was visited by ,lieutenant-,general ,sir ,charles ,pasley1 frequently by ,colonel ,hall and ,captain ,yolland1 and by about fifty other officers of the royal engineers2 also by ,professors ,airy1 ,sheepshanks1 and ,cape4 ,the last gentleman was very free in his inquiries4 ,the mode of aligning the instrument did not1 at first1 satisfy him1 but eventually the process having been minutely explained by the sergeant1 he went away convinced and gratified4 ,captain ,gosset was present at the laying of the first bar and ,captain ,hawkins at the last4 ,footnote #dg3 ,in the reign of ,tarquin ,i41 #fjf ,b4,c41 a force of ,roman soldiers1 ordered to construct common sewers1 considered the employment an indignity and destroyed themselves4 ,the self-esteem of the ,roman soldier which led to so fatal a result1 had a different effect on the modern2 for the pride of the latter1 tempered by a consideration of duty1 urged him into the midst of danger and for the sake of humanity to seek it4 ,reflecting too1 that the service1 though paramount1 was too objectionable for even convicts to perform1 the warm eulogy of the ,marquis may not be regarded as undeserved by those on whom it was conferred4 #ahej4 ,sir ,robert ,gardiner's opinion of the corps--,party to the penal settlement at ,swan ,river--,detachment to ,new ,zealand--,draft to ,hong-,kong--,mining operations at ,seaford ,bay--,determinations of the latitudes of various trigonometrical stations--,sergeant ,james ,steel--,professor ,airy--,the leisure of the sergeant--,new method of acquiring a knowledge of chess--,hardships of a party landed at ,rona4 ,early in the year1 ,sir ,robert ,gardiner1 the governor at ,gibraltar1 wrote a complimentary letter to ,sir ,john ,burgoyne1 relative to the companies of the corps under his ,excellency's command4 8,my opinion of the sappers10 he says1 8is everything that you1 in your personal1 natural1 and official station would desire2 their movements surprise me1 and are proofs of the care and attention of the officers1 who must be good tacticians1 as well as good engineers40 ,on the #aeth ,february1 five rank and file embarked at ,deptford in the #8,scindian' convict ship1 under ,captain ,e4 ,y4 ,w4 ,henderson1 ,r4,e41 for the ,swan ,river settlement1 and landed at ,freemantle on the #aath ,june4 ,the captain had been appointed comptroller-general of prisons1 and obtained the authority of ,earl ,grey1 then ,secretary of ,state for the colonies1 to take with him this small detachment4 ,the men were experienced as soldiers and tradesmen3 one of their number was a competent draughtsman and architect1 and another was acquainted with surveying1 camp-duty1 and the mode of blasting rock4 ,on their arrival in the colony1 they were appointed warders over the convicts1 as well to keep them in discipline as to direct them in the execution of the various works that might be undertaken for the establishment of a penal settlement and the development of the colony4 ,the party was also intended to superintend the submarine operations required in the removal of the bar at the mouth of the harbour4 ,the rates of working-pay granted to them1 ranged between #as4 #c;d4 and #bs4 a-day4 ,a full company has since been added to the command on the recommendation of ,captain ,henderson1 ,r4,e4 ,late in ,march one sergeant and twenty-six rank and file embarked for ,new ,zealand1 under ,lieut4 ,f4 ,r4 ,chesney1 ,r4,e41 and landed at ,auckland on the #bfth ,august1 increasing the detachment there to a half-company of forty-one strong4 ,the removal of this party from ,woolwich was occasioned by the loss by shipwreck1 near the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 of the detachment which sailed for that colony in ,april1 #ahdi4 ,fifteen rank and file embarked on the #aeth ,may for ,china1 and landed at ,victoria on the #ahth ,october4 ,this was the fifth detachment sent to that country4 ,two men sent from ,woolwich in ,april1 to superintend the laying of asphalte on the government works1 arrived at ,hong ,kong on the #agth ,june4 ,at ,seaford ,bay1 on the coast of ,sussex1 the sea had made considerable encroachment1 so as to jeopardise much of the adjacent property1 and also the defences and martello-tower in its vicinity4 ,large sums of money had been expended in the construction of wood groins and clay embankments1 with only partial success2 and as an effectual remedy1 it was proposed to throw down by mining a portion of the chalk rock itself1 in the direction of the tidal current1 and thus cause it to accumulate the shingle and protect the land and contiguous property4 ,the cliff was high1 bold1 and bare1 and worn at the base into hollows and long perpendicular crevices by the lashing of the waves1 which1 at high water1 rushed up its aged and craggy face4 ,with the view to efficiency and economy1 the ,master-,general approved of the operations being carried out by a detachment of sappers and miners2 and accordingly two sergeants and forty-four rank and file of the fourth company left ,portsmouth at the end of ,july under ,lieutenant ,e4 ,w4 ,ward1 ,r4,e41 who1 on arriving at ,seaford1 lost no time in commencing the interesting undertaking4 ,late in ,august1 the party was increased by ten rank and file under ,captain ,craigie1 to assist in completing the final arrangements1 and to take the military duty consequent upon the anticipated explosion4 ,the works were conducted under the direction of ,colonel ,g4 ,g4 ,lewis1 ,r4,e41 with ,captain ,e4 ,c4 ,frome as his executive officer4 ,in the face of the cliff1 about thirty-five feet above high-water mark1 a nearly horizontal gallery was cut a considerable distance into the chalk4 ,the mouth of this gallery was approached by a ladder and platform1 supported by scaffolding4 ,inside the opening a cave was formed for spare tools and materials1 and another also was excavated at the end of the gallery for a similar purpose4 ,at right angles from this gallery1 extending fifty-five feet to the right and sixty-five to the left1 were corresponding galleries1 at the extremities of which were two chambers of about seven feet cube1 containing #ab1jjj lbs4 of powder each4 ,two wires1 respectively in connexion with two of ,grove's batteries1 completed the arrangements for exploding these charges simultaneously4 ,the chambers of powder were about seventy feet from the face of the cliff1 and were intended to drive out its under portions and roll them towards the sea4 ,upon the surface of the rock1 eighty-four feet from its edge1 were sunk five vertical shafts1 at the bottom of which other chambers were excavated1 containing1 in three of them1 each #fjj lbs4 of powder1 to be fired simultaneously with the two great charges4 ,the two other chambers were not loaded1 from the non-arrival of a sufficient quantity of powder4 ,the shaft chambers were connected by wires to a ,smee's battery1 placed in a wooden shed erected about #ahj feet from the edge of the cliff4 ,the wires to convey the electric fluid to each chamber were covered with tape and varnished or tarred over4 ,the galleries were tamped with sand and chalk1 in bags1 to within fifty feet of the mouth1 both branches being tamped up1 and twenty feet down the large gallery4 8,the men worked in reliefs for the whole twenty-four hours4 ,for the gallery three reliefs of four men each1 were appointed2 and subsequently for the branches three reliefs of six men for the two4444 ,the relieving hours were #f ,a4,m41 #f ,p4,m41 and midnight1 except at periods when the high spring tides prevented the relief passing a projecting part of the cliff at the proper hours1 when arrangements were made to equalize the extra time the men were so employed4444 ,the work was hardly ever interrupted in its progress1 for by compelling each relief to be in barracks six hours before their turn came for work1 the men were invariably fresh at the commencement of their time2 and as the working pay was good and the best miners were always employed1 the average amount of work performed by night equalled that accomplished by day40 ,all the necessary operations being completed1 the great explosion1 on a signal from the galvanic battery by sergeant ,edward ,wright took place on the #aith ,september1 under the immediate orders of ,colonel ,lewis4 ,the effect of firing the two great chambers was to throw out the under portions of the rock1 which1 from the downward pressure of the superincumbent masses1 rolled with a convulsive heaving towards the sea1 carrying with them the three smaller chambers unexploded1 and causing deep fissures in the chalk as far back as the very foundation of the battery shed4 ,the undertaking1 so far as dislocating an immense mass of chalk from the cliff was concerned1 was thus perfectly successful2 but subsequent experience has thrown doubts upon its utility as a breakwater1 for the chalk is gradually being washed away1 and if some natural intervention does not take place to conglomerate the mass into a compact resisting body1 time will remove the headland altogether1 and expose as before the land and its defences to the gradual invasion of the sea4 ,the explosion was one of the largest that had ever occurred1 and passed off without accident1 delay1 confusion1 or inconvenience to any one of the detachment engaged1 or to the thousands of spectators who witnessed the operation4#dh ,the quantity of chalk displaced was about #bjj1jjj cubic yards1 or about #bib1jjj tons4 ,the distance the debris was hurled in front of the original line of cliff was more than #cjj feet4 ,the average breadth of the mound formed was about #cfj feet1 and its mean height about #ej feet4 ,much of the expense of the service was paid by ,mr4 ,catt1 jun41 a miller1 to whom the surrounding property belonged1 and who1 as well for his own interest as for the welfare of ,newhaven and its harbour1 undertook a large share in the liability4 ,the total cost of the work was #ijgl4 #abs4 #aa;d4 ,of this sum only #ibl4 #cs4 #a;d4 was spent on sapper labour1 which included their services for levelling the ground1 and other preliminary duties1 excavating the galleries1 shafts1 and chambers1 digging a trench above the cliff1 loading and tamping the mines1 making surveys and sections of the cliff and the works1 preparing and laying wires1 clearing away the debris1 and various other miscellaneous duties1 which the extensive and peculiar character of the operations rendered essential4 ,lieutenant-,general ,sir ,john ,burgoyne1 the inspector-general of fortifications1 ,lieutenant-,general ,sir ,charles ,pasley1 and a number of officers of royal engineers1 were present to witness the explosion4 ,later in the day the non-commissioned officers and privates commemorated the success of their exertions with an excellent dinner4 8,night and day10 wrote ,colonel ,lewis1 8the detachment worked with great zeal and alacrity1 exposed to colds from draughts and alternations of temperature1 and to injury from falling masses4 ,nevertheless1 no material accident occurred to any one1 and all gained the praise of their officers1 and the respect of the inhabitants of ,seaford for their courteous behaviour and good conduct40#di ,the observations made with ,airy's zenith sector for the determination of the latitudes of various trigonometrical stations used in the ordnance survey of the ,british ,isles1 which commenced in #ahdb1 terminated in ,december #ahej1 and the results have become the subject of an important volume from the pen of ,captain ,yolland1 ,r4,e4 ,the instrument at first was in charge of officers of the corps1 but in course of time1 from a paucity in their number1 it devolved upon corporal1 afterwards sergeant1 ,james ,steel4 ,the first man of the sappers honoured with the use of the instrument was private ,benjamin ,keen ,spencer1#ej who was employed with the earliest parties in carrying on the observations2 and it is not a little curious to add1 that ,general ,colby directed his own personal observations1 the work of his most able days to be tested by sergeant ,steel4 ,this is a striking proof both of the greatness of his mind1 and his freedom from those petty jealousies which sometimes mar the superiority of distinguished characters4#ea ,the following table 7p4 #dh71 taken from ,captain ,yolland's ,sector ,volume1 8shows in a condensed form the stations observed from1 the period during which the observations were in progress1 the officer of royal engineers1 or non-commissioned officer of royal sappers and miners in charge of the instrument1 and the strength of the party2 also the number of nights on which observations were made1 and the number of observations registered at each station40#eb ,officer or ,number of ,number ,observations in progress4 non-commissioned ,nights on of ,stations ------------- ------------- ,officer ,strength which ,ob- ,single in charge of of the servations ,obser- ,from ,to the ,instrument4 ,sappers4 were made4 vations4 ,south ,barule1 #aa ,oct41 #ahdbab ,oct41 #ahdb ,lieuts4 ,hornby #f #b #aac ,isle of ,man4 and ,gosset ,blackdown1 #bf ,nov4 0 #a ,jan41 #ahdc ,ditto #g #bj #ajhgec ,dorset ,precelly #aa ,apr41 #ahdcaj ,may 0 ,lieuts4 ,hornby #e #ag #fgdec ,mountain1 and ,luyken ,wales ,forth ,mountain1 #bi ,may 0 #ag ,june 0 ,lieut4 ,hornby #g #ab #fei ,wexford ,hungry ,hill1 ,co4#cj ,june 0 #ca ,july 0 ,ditto #g #i #bieec ,cork ,feaghmann1 ,co4 #ad ,aug4 0 #bf ,aug4 0 ,ditto #g #i #cieec ,kerry ,tawnymore1 ,co4 #b ,oct4 0 #ad ,oct4 0 ,ditto #b #g #bid ,mayo ,s4 ,end of ,l4 #h ,nov4 0 #ae ,nov4 0 ,ditto #b #f #cce ,foyle ,base ,monach1 #af ,june1 #ahddc ,july1 #ahdd ,lieut4 ,gosset #e #aj #ahj ,stornoway ,ben ,hutich1 #e ,nov4 0 #bd ,nov4 0 ,ditto #f #aj #dhj ,sutherlandshire ,hensbarrow1 #i ,june1 #ahdead ,june1 #ahde ,corporal ,steel #d #f #bij ,cornwall ,south ,barule1 #ba ,july 0 #e ,aug4 0 ,ditto #c #b #aad ,isle of ,man ,ben ,lomond #b ,sept4 0 #d ,oct4 0 ,ditto #d #aa #fce ,ben ,heynish1 #aa ,nov4 0 #bh ,dec4 0 ,ditto #d #aj #bfg ,isle of ,tiree ,week ,down1 ,isle #bf ,apr41 #ahdfag ,may1 #ahdf ,ditto #d #aa #eef of ,wight ,dunnose1 ditto #bd ,may 0 #f ,june 0 ,ditto #d #ac #fdc ,boniface ,down1 #ac ,june 0 #ba ,june 0 ,ditto #d #g #cef ditto ,port ,valley1 #bh ,june 0 #ad ,july 0 ,ditto #d #aj #daa ditto ,saxavord1 ,unst1 #c ,oct4 0 #bf ,jan41 #ahdg ,ditto #d #bj #eff ,shetland ,gerth of ,scaw1 #af ,feb41 #ahdgaj ,apr4 0 ,ditto #d #ba #eha ditto ,balta1 in #cj ,apr4 0 #ac ,july 0 ,ditto #d #bj #gcbed ,shetland ,isles ,cowhythe1 #g ,aug4 0 #bg ,sept4 0 ,ditto #d #ah #fda ,banffshire ,southampton #ba ,oct4 0 #d ,sept41 #ahdh,sergt4 ,steel and #b #ahj #hgcj ,corp4 ,w4 ,jenkins ,st4 ,agnes1 #ac ,may1 #ahej #a ,june1 #ahej ,sergeant ,steel #d #aa #dah ,scilly ,goonhilly ,down #be ,june 0 #bh ,july 0 ,ditto #d #i #ddb ,cornwall ,north ,rona1 #aa ,sept4 0#af ,sept 0 ,ditto #d #e #dbh ,co4 of ,ross ,great ,stirling1 #ad ,nov4 0#f ,dec4 0 ,ditto #d #i #dci ,aberdeenshire 8,the list of stars10 says ,captain ,yolland1 8selected for observation fell within the parallels of declination of #cg #ch and #fi #ed4 ,about two-thirds of this number were originally chosen1 so as to admit of a continuous series of observations being made when the weather proved favourable throughout the night1 and two observers were for some time employed with the instrument1 who relieved each other after an interval of several hours' work4 ,the observations were frequently carried on continuously for upwards of eight hours1 but six hours' constant observing was reckoned a good night's work for one person1 in consequence of the fatigue caused by his having to ascend twice to the table to make each complete or double observation40#ee ,in the course of the service additional stars1 not originally selected for observation1 were occasionally observed1 some of which were not found in the works of the best authorities4#ef ,two men1 ready penmen1 were also employed in booking1 and afterwards copying1 the observations on the skeleton forms1 for transmission to the map office at ,southampton1 where the necessary computations in connection with the observations1 were carried out and completed under the direction of ,captain ,yolland1 ,r4,e4 ,it would be out of place here to make any copious detail of the employment of the sappers on this special duty1 belonging as it properly does to the history of the operation1 and being so amply recorded in ,captain ,yolland's ,sector ,volume2 but exception may fairly be taken to a few particulars in the personal services of the sergeant1 which may prove interesting to the reader1 and induce other non-commissioned officers in the corps to render themselves not only useful to their officers1 but to deserve1 in executing any important duty for which they may be selected1 their confidence and approbation4 ,sergeant ,steel's first station was at ,hensbarrow1#eg from which he was removed to ,south ,barule1 and after completing his observations there1 he was stationed for a time on the wild and romantic hill of ,ben ,lomond4 ,there he witnessed a phenomenon which1 perhaps1 had never before been seen by any one4 ,he had frequently been above the clouds1 and at ,hensbarrow1 of a low altitude compared with ,ben ,lomond1 he had observed the stars a whole night when the clouds beneath him were saturating with their vapour the little village of ,roach below2 but on ,ben ,lomond he saw extensive masses of cloud settle down into a level wide-spread stratum1 the upper surface of which was at least #ejj feet beneath the camp4 ,this was after sunset1 on the #ajth ,september1 #ahde1 with a beautiful moon and a clear blue sky above1 altogether presenting an impressive coup d'il4 ,such was the depth and density of the mass1 that it required the powerful influence of the sun's rays for the two following days to dispel it4 ,the whiteness of snow was grey1 contrasted with the silver hoar of the heavy cloud when the sun rose on the #aath1 and it offered1 said ,steel1 in his forcible language1 8a strong temptation to a lover of nature's wildest grandeur1 to treat himself to a celestial walk on its upper surface to the peak on the neighbouring hill40 ,some tourists ascended the mountain on the #aath and #abth of ,september in the true spirit of enthusiastic enterprise1 wishing to connect their names in history with this startling1 yet truly magnificent phenomenon1 but their amazement was indeed great1 when1 after penetrating the cloud1 they saw above them an encampment of soldiers carrying on the official services of the station1 with all the activity and fearlessness of men accustomed to such extraordinary appearances4 ,at ,ben ,heynish1 in ,tiree1 one of the westerly isles of ,scotland1 the sergeant had to struggle in watching and taking a few observations between the almost incessant storms4 ,next he was employed in the remeasurement of the latitude of ,dunnose1 the southern extremity of a ,british arc of meridian1 to verify its result as determined with ,ramsden's zenith sector in #ahjb1 and also to test the value of ,professor ,airy's sector4 ,the observations for this purpose were carried on both at ,week ,down and ,dunnose4 8,the near agreement in the results of the comparison proved very satisfactory as regards the work performed with both instruments2 but to endeavour to trace the extent and amount of the disturbance that evidently affected the inclination of the plumbline at ,dunnose10 the sergeant afterwards made observations both at ,boniface ,down and ,port ,valley1 in the ,isle of ,wight1 by which 8the difference in the geodetic and astronomical amplitudes between ,greenwich and ,port ,valley were found to be almost insensible1 and the comparison with ,boniface ,down and ,week ,down tolerably good40 ,the discovery1 however1 of singular disagreements in the observations at 8one of the stations in the ,isle of ,wight1 which had hitherto been looked on as the southern extremity of the longest of the ,british arcs of meridian1 and where no sensible deviation could priori have been anticipated1 led to the re-examination of the northern extremity of the same arc1 situated in ,balta ,island1 by revisiting it1 and by observing also from two other stations in the ,shetland ,islands contiguous to it1 viz41 ,gerth of ,scaw and ,saxavord40#eh ,the disturbance alluded to--the effect of local attraction--caused the plumbline and level to be deflected or acted upon1 as a loadstone would influence the needle of a mariner's compass1 and thus1 when the levels indicated that the instrument was pointed at zenith1 it was in fact directed to a point nearly four seconds to the north of it4 ,to ,unst1 in ,shetland1 the northern extremity of the arc just mentioned1 sergeant ,steel now repaired1 and ascertained the existence of a disturbance at ,saxavord1 but in the contrary direction4 ,this was fully established by taking a similar series of observations at the ,gerth of ,scaw1 near ,lambaness1 and on the small uninhabited island of ,balta4 ,the relative position of these stations he fixed astronomically as to latitude1 and geodetically by triangulation and levelling from the mean level of the sea1 which involved observations with regard to the ebb and flow of the tides4 ,by the series of observations so far made1 it was clearly proved1 that the latitude of a place could not be measured with the degree of certainty formerly supposed1 and that though astronomers may profess to give seconds1 tenths1 and even hundredths of a second of their latitude1 yet the real truth is1 that the record may often be several whole seconds in error4 ,the discovery1 now confirmed by sergeant ,steel's inflexible accuracy1 is likely to produce some interesting discussion in the scientific world1 and has already been made the subject of an article in the #8,philosophical ,journal of ,science' for ,april1 #ahec1 embraced in a review of ,captain ,yolland's ,sector ,volume4#ei ,after passing a station at ,cowhythe ,hill1 in ,banffshire1 to verify the sector operations of #ahac1 and which object was satisfactorily attained1 the sergeant fixed his observatory at ,southampton1 where1 in carrying on the duty1 he made various experiments to ascertain the cause of apparent errors4 ,in taking the usual readings of the telescope micrometers1 the value of the zenith point1 derived from each double observation of a star1 varied sensibly4 ,to determine this more accurately1 by ascertaining the true value of the divisions of the screw1 and correcting the error involved in the reduction of the whole of the observation1 he adopted the method of making two distinct observations of the same star without reversal of the revolving frame1 in the manner described in the ,sector ,volume1 page xxvii1 and so excellent was this method considered1 that the value of the screw thus obtained1 was finally applied to all the observations4 ,in prosecuting the work1 it was also evident1 that the most northerly stars furnished the greatest1 and the most southerly the least resulting latitudes4 ,to arrive at the cause of this anomaly1 sergeant ,steel devoted much of his time to careful investigation1 and his efforts and experiments were both ingenious and interesting4 ,these embraced comparisons of the arc with ,simms' dividing engine1 by which the non-existence of any sensible error in the divisions of the limb that would account for the observed errors was proved2 but it was at the same time clearly ascertained1 after a patient examination of the micrometer screws1 the levels1 the lenses1 and the fullest consideration of the law of expansion by heat or contraction either by cold or pressure1 that the immediate cause of the disparity arose from the compression of the divided limb by the downward pressure of the upper screw pivot1 which1 at each station1 varied in proportion to the degree of pressure supplied4 ,this was1 ever after1 a special point of attention with the sergeant1 and as1 from the construction of the instrument1 no absolutely permanent and uniform pressure could be insured at all times1 he regulated its extent as well by his judgment as his recollection4 ,it was a rule with him1 notwithstanding the apparent errors that might be the result1 to register his observations with the strictest exactness4 ,experience had taught him to expect them as well from local as from indefinable causes4 ,he considered1 moreover1 that the more perfectly an instrument was constructed1 the more honestly would it report the discrepancies of both maker and observer1 and that although the conclusions would seem to be a volume of errors1 more credit and merit were due to the observer for ascertaining1 instead of concealing or covering his errors4 ,influenced by this novel consideration1 he threw an amount of earnestness1 care1 and faithfulness into his work1 that rendered his observations of the highest class for accuracy1 and deserving of the fullest confidence4 ,at ,southampton he was assisted in the sector service for nearly twelve months by corporal ,william ,jenkins3 the one observed from sunset till midnight1 and the other from midnight till sunrise4 ,his final observations were at ,st4 ,agnes in ,scilly1 ,goonhilly ,down near the ,lizard ,point1 ,north ,rona1 and ,great ,stirling--the north-east peak of ,scotland4 ,by this series of observations1 the arc of meridian1 which before terminated at ,forth ,mountain in the county of ,wexford1 and ,monach in ,lewis1 was extended to ,st4 ,agnes in the south1 and to ,rona in the north1 a small1 unknown1 and stormy island1 about #ajj miles west of ,orkney4 ,at ,stirling1 according to instructions1 he examined the promontory to select for his observations a spot1 which would be probably free from unequal attraction1 and fix its position by triangulation4 ,in this he was quite successful4 ,the point was 8so far to the east as to be out of the direct meridional line of attraction of the hills lying south of ,cowhythe10 and by this series of observations it was ascertained1 8that the deflection existing at ,cowhythe1 is not general in those latitudes1 and that the discrepancy between its observed and calculated latitude1 is not due to an error in the figure used in computing the geodetic result1 but to local attraction affecting the astronomical latitude40#fj ,the fact of local attraction was now fully established2 but from some peculiarities of its influence in particular districts1 the inference derivable from it is1 notwithstanding the skilful conclusions of scientific men1 that the figure of the earth is different to the commonly-received opinion of its form4 ,in these later services he and his party were alike exposed to dangers at sea1 and to trials and privations on land2 and besides encountering many perils in difficult boat service1 and in landing on almost inaccessible coasts and islets1 they were on several occasions nearly shipwrecked4 ,a small party at ,rona was subjected to severe hardships4 ,its number consisted of corporal ,michael ,hayes and ten civil labourers1 who embarked with sergeant ,steel's party on the #bith of ,august1 #ahej1 to survey the island4 ,on the following day1 by a desperate effort1 the corporal and his labourers pushed into the boat1 and taking with them a little provisions scrambled amid the surf on shore2 but as the weather was boisterous1 and there was no harbour or anchorage in which the schooner could lie-to1 she was compelled to return that evening to ,stornoway with sergeant ,steel and the sector party4 ,several days were now spent in intrepid attempts to regain the island1 but such was the roughness of the sea1 and such the fury of the wind1 that all efforts to do so proved fruitless2 thereupon1 the master of the vessel considering the undertaking to be impracticable threw up his contract1 and it was not until the #gth of ,september1 when another vessel had been engaged for the service1 that ,rona was approached1 and a landing effected4 ,all this time1 seven days and eight nights1 corporal ,hayes and his party were pent up in ,rona upon a very scanty allowance of food1 and exposed without shelter of tent or hut1 or even the comfort of warm clothing1 to the cold and tempestuous storms of that dreary and desolate island4 ----- ,footnote #dh3 ,the accidental destruction of the three smaller chambers was providential1 for had they exploded1 the battery-shed1 with ,captain ,frome and his assistant1 would inevitably have been carried away1 and crushed among the falling masses3 as it was 8the electricity of the two ,grove's batteries1 on igniting the powder in the larger chambers1 caused an instantaneous disconnection of the ,smee's battery from the smaller chambers1 and1 at the same time1 the table on which they stood was jerked violently forward between two and three feet1 upsetting the ,smee's battery on the floor1 and throwing out from the others also a quantity of the acids40--#8,illust4 ,lond4 ,news1' ,september #bh1 #ahej4 ,footnote #di3 #8,professional ,papers1' i41 ,n4 ,s41 #fh-hf4 ,colonel ,lewis's ,paper in #8,jones's ,journal1' ,november1 #ahej4 ,footnote #ej3 ,now a quartermaster-sergeant4 ,in his early career he was employed in the chronometrical determination of the longitude of ,valentia1 and for many years rendered very useful services in filling in the railways on the one-inch map4 ,his talents and energy have singled him out at different times for the execution of particular duties4 ,he was intrusted with the local superintendence of the survey1 c41 of ,her ,majesty's domain at ,osborne1 in the ,isle of ,wight2 and as a mark of approbation for the 8attention and care0 he exercised in discharging the duty1 ,his ,royal ,highness ,prince ,albert presented him with a cheque for ten pounds4 ,he also had subordinate charge of the survey made for the military encampment at ,chobham ,common4 ,footnote #ea3 #8,professional ,papers1 ,r4 ,e41' iii41 ,n4 ,s41 p4 xxiii4 ,footnote #eb3 ,captain ,yolland1 #8,sector ,volume1' p4 xiii4 ,footnote #ec3 ,private ,b4 ,k4 ,spencer took a few observations at these stations4 ,footnote #ed3 ,a few observations were taken at this station by ,corporal ,jenkins4 ,footnote #ee3 ,captain ,yolland1 #8,sector ,volume1' xiii4 ,footnote #ef3 ,ibid41 xiv4 ,footnote #eg3 ,on journeying from ,roach1 in ,cornwall1 to ,exeter1 he sat by the side of the ,astronomer ,royal1 who made various inquiries concerning the survey4 ,at length1 he asked1 8,what instrument have you been using80 8,professor ,airy's zenith sector10 was the reply4 8,indeed1 ,i am ,professor ,airy60 ,the surprise and pleasure of the sergeant1 before unconscious of the presence of the eminent astronomer1 may be left to the imagination of the reader to conceive4 ,the incident is memorable1 on account of the introduction1 thus singularly obtained by sergeant ,steel1 and of the information he received from the ,professor in the efficient use of the instrument1 as well as in some salient points connected with astronomy4 ,footnote #eh3 ,captain ,yolland's #8,sector ,volume1' pp4 xi4 xii4 ,footnote #ei3 ,when oppressed by the monotony of his employments sergeant ,steel sometimes resorted to the study of extraneous subjects to hold his mind fresh for his public duties4 ,in this way he learned phonography and the grave game of chess4 ,the latter he acquired1 not by the teaching of any interested instructor1 but by an examination of a series of numbers of the 8,illustrated ,london ,news40 ,it may be allowed to expatiate a little on this matter4 ,a gentleman1 who had visited the ,shetland group1 being kindly entertained by ,mr4 ,spence of ,haroldswick in ,unst1 quitted the country favourably impressed with the homestead of that good man4 ,shortly after1 8,the ,illustrated ,london ,news0 was sent to ,mr4 ,spence1 and has ever since been regularly forwarded to him1 either by the unknown visitor or the proprietor himself4 ,the mystery which ,still hangs over the generous transaction is not without interest in ,unst4 ,from ,mr4 ,spence the illustrated journal was weekly supplied for the perusal of the sergeant1 then encamped on the lonely island of ,balta1 who1 after devouring its contents1 turned his attention to the study of chess4 ,discovering no analogy between the powers of the puppets and their forms or designations1 he first applied himself to manufacture a suite of men1 which should at least have the merit of corresponding in character with the authority they possessed4 ,eschewing those fantastic shapes in which chessmen are usually carved1 and which1 indeed1 seem as ancient as the grotesque figures on the court cards of a genuine pack1 he devised a simple scheme to remind him of their powers4 ,thirty-two cubes of wood1 sixteen stained white and sixteen black1 were marked with lines on all their faces1 agreeably to the ranks of the warriors1 and the liberty they possessed in moving over the board4 ,the definitions were shown by black lines on the white cubes1 and white on the black4 ,the bishop having power to roam1 under certain restrictions1 in diagonal directions1 a piece was assigned to his reverence with diagonal lines marked across the square4 ,the rook having a rectangular motion was indicated by a rectangular figure1 while the redoubtable knight1 always moving obliquely1 was reticulated with lines which pointed out the avenues of his march in quest of the enemy4 ,the queen1 combining in her will1 the power of motion exercised both by the rook and knight1 exhibited on her royal square the necessary lines to make plain the extent of her liberty4 ,just so with the king1 who1 in this respect had equal power with his consort2 but as the queen had authority to move forward or backward as far as the chequers were open1 and the king could only plant his royal foot in one check at a time1 ,steel1 to show the curious difference between their majesties1 introduced into the king's escutcheon1 a pellet between each pair of lines to mark the limit of his government and distinguish him from his royal spouse4 ,the pawn--the common soldier of the board--permitted only to move forward perpendicularly1 and to capture like his knight obliquely1 was singled out from the other puppets by three lines issuing from a common centre--one directed upwards to the edge of the square and the other two diverging obliquely to the angles4 ,by this facile application of geometrical combinations he never required to charge his memory with the relative powers and movements of the several pieces1 and thus became a fair player at the game of chess4 ,footnote #fj3 ,captain ,yolland's #8,sector ,volume1' p4 xii4 #ahea4 ,malta--,portsmouth--,swan ,river--,brown ,down batteries--,kaffir war--,strength of sappers at the ,cape--,corporal ,castledine--,attack on ,fort ,beaufort--,whittlesea1 c4--,skirmish near ,grass ,kop ,tower--,also in ,seyolo's ,country--,patrol--,fight at ,fort ,brown--,patrol--,storming ,fort ,wiltshire--,patrols--,action at ,committy's ,hill--,gallantry of corporal ,james ,wilson at ,fort ,cox--,patrols--,increase to the ,cape by withdrawal of ,company from the ,mauritius--,sir ,harry ,smith's opinion of the sappers--,eulogies concerning them by ,lieutenant-,colonel ,cole and ,captain ,stace1 ,r4,e4 ,the fourth company under the command of ,captain ,craigie1 ,r4,e41 was removed from ,portsmouth on the #crd ,january1 and sailed from ,southampton for ,malta1 where it landed on the #agth of that month4 ,this was a new station for the corps1 and its employment there was recommended on the ground that its services would be of great advantage in the erection of the proposed fortifications1 and in providing an efficient force for the purpose of defence1 in the event of the contingencies of the times rendering its co-operation desirable4 ,head-quarters were established at ,valetta1 and a large detachment was sent to ,st4 ,clement's to build new barracks4 ,much opposition was shown by the working people to the employment of the company for months after its landing1 and even violence in some instances was resorted to4 ,the press of the island also entered into the controversy1 and the #8,mediterraneo' used its agency in strong editorial articles against the company to effect if possible its removal from the island2 but the #8,malta ,times' ably defended it1 and successfully exposed the statements of its contemporary4 ,malignant as the #8,mediterraneo' was1 it nevertheless concluded one of its articles thus3--8,the sappers and miners are1 we admit1 a most efficient and therefore highly useful body of men everywhere40 ,immediately on the removal of the company to ,malta another from ,chatham succeeded it on the works of the royal engineer department in the ,portsmouth district4 ,the small party of five men at ,freemantle1 ,western ,australia1 was this year increased to a company by the arrival of ninety-five non-commissioned officers and men under ,lieutenant ,wray1 ,r4,e4 ,the additional force was sent out to superintend the convicts in the erection and repair of the various public works and buildings1 and to afford military protection to the colonists in the event of any demonstration of the convicts against authority or the settlers4 ,the first detachment of sixty-five non-commissioned officers and privates embarked at ,woolwich #ajth ,september1 #ahea1 under ,lieutenant ,wray1 and anchored in ,gage's ,roads #agth ,december1 #ahea4 ,the second1 under ,lieutenants ,crossman and ,e4 ,f4 ,du ,cane1 ,r4,e41 of two sergeants and twenty-eight rank and file1 embarked as a convict guard #bast ,october1 #ahea1 and landed #bnd ,february1 #aheb4 ,the number of women and children that accompanied the parties were seventy-one of the former and ninety of the latter1 and ten children were born on the voyage4 ,located for a time as a sanitary expedient on a slip of land running into the sea1 called ,woodman's ,point1 the company was removed1 as soon as the restriction was rescinded1 to ,freemantle1 where the projected works for the formation of the convict establishment at once commenced4 ,many of the men were appointed instructing-warders1 with working pay at #bs4 a-day each4 ,the company was soon after distributed in small sections through the penal district1 superintending the formation of labour depts for ticket-of-leave men1 or working at their trades at the different convict buildings1 bridges1 c41 and also in the making of roads4 ,one man for many months assisted in the duty of exploring and surveying a portion of the colony under the ,surveyor-,general2 and another--private ,john ,cameron--did good service as a diver in recovering from the wrecks of vessels on the coast1 treasure and valuable property4 ,an additional company was added to the ,portsmouth district by the arrival at ,gosport from ,woolwich on the #ajth ,december1 of the second company under the command of ,captain ,j4 ,h4 ,freeth1 ,r4,e4 ,the object of this reinforcement was to enable the commanding royal engineer to construct two large earthen batteries on the sea-shore at ,brown ,down1 some two or three miles below ,gosport4 ,as soon as the works were completed1 the company1 early in ,april1 #aheb1 was removed to ,chatham for instruction in the field duties of the corps4 ,hostile irruptions had occasionally been made on the frontiers of the ,cape of ,good ,hope by the ,kaffirs from the adjacent territories1 and murders of peaceable subjects perpetrated1 which rendered it essential to check by force of arms their incursions and their crimes4 ,with that intention the first movement of troops took place in ,december1 #ahej4 ,the opposition of the enemy was determined and furious1 and there was every appearance in the onslaught to induce the belief that the contest would be severe and protracted4 ,at the period of the outbreak the total of the sappers in the colony1 scattered to fifteen posts and forts on the frontiers1 was about #bjj of all ranks1 and notwithstanding that their services were much required in carrying on the temporary defences in the several localities1 they were1 in this war1 called upon for a more general co-operation than in any previous struggle in the colony4 ,from the unexpected firing of a field-piece from the tower of ,fort ,beaufort on the #bjth ,january1 #ahea1 it was feared that the enemy by some means had entered the place unobserved4 ,corporal ,benjamin ,castledine of the corps1 without any delay1 reported the circumstance to ,colonel ,sutton1 ,cape mounted rifles1 and received his orders to assemble the troops under arms at their several posts4 ,the order was promptly obeyed2 but scarcely had it been effected when a reinforcement of the ,graaf ,reinet levy rode up1 and the tumult was readily explained4 ,the firing was given as a salute to the reinforcement by some imprudent civilians who had not communicated their intentions to the authorities4 ,the people who had thus so alarmed the fort were arrested1 so that the affair might be fully sifted2 but while measures were being taken with this object by ,captain ,pennington and a detachment of the #iast regiment to secure the persons of the offenders1 a concourse of people assembled at ,colonel ,sutton's quarters1 where his lady was alone and unprotected1 and there deported themselves with gross outrage1 at the same time demanding an entrance4 ,corporal ,castledine arrived at the moment1 threw himself between the garden-gate and the excited people1 and effectually prevented1 by his firmness and military bearing1 the ingress they so valorously sought4 ,the party then made off1 but all concerned were afterwards arrested to await the result of a full inquiry into their conduct4 ,at this investigation1 the explanations given being sufficiently satisfactory to exonerate them from the perpetration of intentional alarm or of complicity with the enemy1 the ,colonel at once released them from restraint4 ,the 8,graham's ,town ,journal0 of the #hth ,february1 contained some animadversions on the conduct of corporal ,castledine in this matter1 which led ,colonel ,sutton1 in the impression of that ,journal for the #bbnd ,february1 to vindicate in every particular the corporal's conduct1 and added 8,corporal ,castledine is one of those well-educated1 respectable1 and efficient soldiers which are only at present occasionally met with4444 ,during twenty-four years' service as a regimental officer ,i have never met corporal ,castledine's superior in his position--seldom his equal40 ,in the attack on ,fort ,beaufort in which ,hermanus was killed1 corporal ,castledine was posted with seven sappers in charge of a tower where the ammunition was kept1 and commanded a #bd-pounder howitzer mounted on it4 ,the post of honour was given to this trustworthy non-commissioned officer in anticipation of an attack from ,sandilli1 who showed in force on the opposite side of the town4 ,at the commencement of the action corporal ,castledine was nominated to be garrison sergeant-major1 and held the appointment until ill health compelled him to resign4 ,this occurred in ,february1 #aheb1 when ,major-,general ,somerset1 in a division order1 acknowledged that 8corporal ,castledine had performed its arduous duties with the highest credit40 ,colonel ,sutton1 for many months1 was the only officer at ,fort ,beaufort1 and on many occasions1 when the nature of the service required his presence elsewhere1 corporal ,castledine commanded the garrison in his absence4 ,often he had to send escorts of provisions and ammunition to supply ,general ,somerset's division1 which service was always so satisfactorily performed that both the ,general and ,colonel ,sutton repeatedly commended him for his judgment1 promptitude1 and zeal4 ,five rank and file attached to ,captain ,tylden1 ,r4,e41 employed surveying in the territory of the chief ,mapassa1 being interrupted in the duty1 were now necessarily occupied in adopting expedients for protection4 ,early in the year they assisted the inhabitants of ,whittlesea in strengthening their houses against attack1 and in converting the village into a strong defensible position4 ,afterwards they constructed a small musket-proof redoubt of dry stones1 twelve feet square1 with walls three feet thick and seven high1 round their own camp1 to protect the field guns1 military stores1 and equipment4 ,the waggons were also brought into requisition1 and stone walls were built up under them to render them defensible4 ,by the evening of the second day everything was completed4 ,into this miserable post the ,captain with his five sappers1 one officer1 a sergeant of police and his wife and four children1 took refuge4 ,the sappers worked so hard during the day that the ,captain had to take his turn at sentry during the night4#fa ,soon after these precautionary services1 repeated actions took place between the garrison with the levied troops raised by ,captain ,tylden1 and the neighbouring tribes1 in every one of which1 though attacked by an immensely-superior force1 the little band beat off their assailants with severe loss1 and gained for it the admiration and thanks of the ,general commanding-in-chief4 ,the desperation and difficulties of their isolation1 coupled with the paucity of their numbers1 whetted their spirit of enterprise1 and though their endurance and heroism might be equalled1 they could never be excelled4 ,in all the operations at ,whittlesea1 and in the actions with the tribes at adjacent places1 as many of the few sappers as could be spared from the redoubt and the village were engaged1 who participated with credit in the frequent desperate attacks1 exceeding twenty in number1 which it fell to the good fortune of ,captain ,tylden to repel1 and to his strategical tact and prowess to win4 ,sergeant ,john ,poole accompanied a patrol of fifteen mounted men on the #ahth ,february1 under ,ensign ,gill of the ,cape mounted rifles1 in pursuit of ,kaffirs4 ,near ,grass ,kop ,tower the spoor of cattle was discovered and followed up to within sight of ,double ,drift1 where some cattle were seen in charge of about twenty of the enemy4 ,taking at once to the bush1 half the detachment advanced1 unperceived1 until within a few yards of the kraal1 where the ,kaffirs fought for a short time1 and then fled to the river4 ,in crossing the stream1 sergeant ,poole shot one of the rebel ,kaffir police1 and one of the two other ,kaffirs who were killed on the occasion4 ,in this gallant affair the patrol captured #ajf head of cattle1 #b guns1 #c horses1 c41 and received the approbation of ,sir ,harry ,smith4 ,sergeant ,poole was second in command of the party4 ,one sergeant and twenty rank and file were attached1 on the #bhth ,march1 to a patrol of #ijj men under ,major ,wilmot1 ,r4,a41 and assisted in the devastation of ,seyolo's country until the #cast ,march4 ,with a detachment of the #fth regiment the sappers remained in charge of the pack-horses and ammunition1 and when attacked1 vigorously dispersed the enemy4 ,private ,george ,wilson killed two ,kaffirs in this skirmish1 and private ,charles ,jarvis was wounded1 the ball striking the fore-finger and thumb1 and lodging in the stock of his carbine4 ,two rank and file under ,lieutenant ,jesse1 ,r4,e41 were present in the field with ,major-,general ,somerset's division from the #bgth ,march to #ith ,april4 ,during this patrol the country was scoured near the old ,tyumie ,post1 ,hertzog1 ,eland's ,post1 and the adjacent highlands4 ,the two men were found very useful in repairing the numerous bad drifts through which the guns and waggons had to pass1 and in the execution of various incidental services of a professional character4 ,sergeant ,john ,poole and one corporal of the corps were present in repulsing a midnight attack on ,fort ,brown on the #ith ,april4 ,the enemy consisted of ninety-three ,hottentots and fifteen ,kaffirs4 ,robert ,dunlop of the corps was the corporal of the guard that night4 ,hearing the dogs barking more than usual1 he went out to see that the sentries were on the alert2 but finding the ,hottentot posted over the cattle1 away from his post in a cloak1 he was satisfied of the existence of some traitorous design1 and discovered that the enemy was already in the kraal4 ,giving the alarm1 the guard and the military in the fort were quickly assembled1 and1 under the command of ,ensign ,gill of the ,cape mounted rifles1 a sharp action for two hours was maintained1 when the enemy was driven from the fort with great loss4 ,the rebels attacked both the tower and the kraal2 but from the latter they succeeded in carrying off about #bjj head of cattle4#fb ,from the #bjth to the #bdth ,april1 four sergeants and seventy-six rank and file under ,lieutenant ,pasley1 ,r4,a41 were despatched1 with ,major ,wilmot's patrol1 into the country of ,stock and ,seyolo4 ,near the ,keiskama the sappers and artillery were placed in ambush to attack the flank and rear of the enemy1 while the main body of the patrol engaged the ,kaffirs in front4 ,the country through which the division passed was very perilous1 consisting of high kloofs and dense bush1 broken by precipices4 ,in this march the sappers assisted in destroying about #ajj huts1 several large gardens of the enemy1 and capturing some large granaries of corn4 ,in returning1 the detachment1 acting with the #fth regiment as skirmishers1 kept the enemy at bay and desolated their crops4 ,on the #cjth ,april1 two sergeants and forty-eight rank and file1 in burgher jackets1 and laden with provisions and the usual war equipment1 were engaged with the ,kaffirs on the march from the ,chumie junction to ,fort ,wiltshire1 and shared in storming and driving them from the heights1 where they had occupied a strong position1 under cover of the ruins of an old tower and a detached outwork4 ,on the #ast ,may the party was again in action on the ,keiskama2 and after five days' patrolling through the territories of ,seyolo1 ,stock1 ,sonto1 ,tola1 and ,botman1 regained ,king ,william's ,town on the #bnd ,may4 ,the troops were reported to have conducted themselves admirably4 ,as the sappers re-entered ,king ,william's ,town1 ,sir ,harry ,smith welcomed them by saying1 with characteristic cordiality1 8,well done1 my lads2 you can both build works and storm them60 ,two sergeants and sixty-nine rank and file1 from the #ith to the #acth ,may1 were employed with ,major ,wilmot's patrol in the ,amatola ,mountains4 ,in carrying out the service1 the division penetrated difficult and precipitous fastnesses1 surprised several of the enemy1 and captured some cattle4 ,the sappers were reported to have conducted themselves on this duty with willingness and zeal4 ,from the #agth to the #bbnd ,may1 one sergeant and twenty-one rank and file accompanied a patrol of #hjj men under ,major ,wilmot to ,seyolo's country as far as ,fort ,peddie1 and returned with a convoy of waggons1 cattle1 c4 ,a similar patrol of two sergeants and forty-one men scoured the ,amatola range1 was once engaged with the enemy near ,bailie's ,grave1 and returned to ,king ,william's ,town1 after a harassing march of seven days1 on the #cast ,may4 ,one sergeant and twenty men were out with another detachment under ,major ,wilmot as far as ,fort ,peddie4 ,the march extended over ten days1 and the patrol returned to ,king's ,william's ,town on the #adth ,june4 ,again from the #aith to #bast ,july two sergeants and forty-nine men were detached with ,colonel ,eyre's patrol1 and assisted in clearing the rebels out of the ,buffalo ,poorts and ,mount ,kempt4 ,the marching was very heavy1 being for the most part1 between eighty and ninety miles1 through dense bush4 ,under ,captain ,robertson1 ,r4,e41 four sergeants and seventy-seven rank and file quitted ,king ,william's ,town1 with the force1 about #djj strong1 under ,lieutenant-,colonel ,burns of the #bnd ,queen's on the #cjth ,august4 ,a body of ,kaffirs and ,hottentots being at ,committy's ,hill1 the troops marched on the #ast ,september from their bivouac at ,fort ,montgomery ,williams by ,breakfast ,vley to the hill4 ,one division of the sappers was extended as flankers on each side of the advancing column1 and upon them a galling fire was soon opened from the bush4 ,the sappers readily charged into it1 and where the thicket could be penetrated drove the enemy back2 but the denseness of the kloof in rear afforded the ,kaffirs much security in retreating4 ,having ascended the summit of the hill1 the sappers faced right about1 and made a rapid charge down the hill on the enemy1 who were gradually collecting in the bush from which they had just been driven1 and inflicted considerable loss upon them4 ,the charge was made with cheering1 yet not in a hurry2 the men stopped at each kloof and fired volleys into it1 and then dashed after the fugitives4 8,it is most gratifying10 writes ,captain ,robertson1 8to report the admirable and gallant conduct of the men under my command during this conflict which lasted nearly three hours1 and of the readiness with which they advanced to carry off the wounded of their own and of other corps under a heavy fire40 ,the officers of the #bnd ,queen's spoke in terms of high commendation of the spirited manner in which the sappers acted1 and of their cheerfulness in obeying their officers4 ,private ,james ,murray behaved with great courage in exciting the men both of the #bnd and his own corps to follow him4 ,running forward like one whose life depended on the action of the moment1 he was followed by several who lined the bush to which he drew them1 and some fell in their gallant exertions4 ,among them was private ,james ,fergus1 whose arm was pierced by a ball which passed through the left breast and out near the spine below the heart4 ,he died in camp soon after the action4 ,private ,patrick ,conroy1 a cool and brave soldier1 fired at a ,kaffir more than #cjj yards away and killed him4 ,private ,john ,arthur came in contact with one in passing round a bush1 and in a personal conflict laid him dead at his feet2 and private ,robert ,m#8,intosh1 whilst in the act of ramming home a cartridge1 saw a ,hottentot about to fire at him1 but not having time to withdraw the ramrod capped and fired1 and the ramrod passed through his opponent's body4 ,lance-corporal ,hosick ,cowen and privates ,charles ,foot and ,thomas ,brooking were wounded2 the last severely4 ,at ,fort ,cox1 on the #bhth ,september1 second-corporal ,james ,wilson behaved with intrepidity in repulsing a meditated attack on the cattle-guard4 ,a body of ,kaffirs intended to drive the cattle from the post unperceived1 and then to massacre the guard4 ,two civilians and the corporal happened to go out at the time for recreation to an unfrequented spot1 and were unconsciously directing their steps to the bush where the enemy were concealed in ambush4 ,fortunately one of the two in advance fired a random shot1 and suddenly more than #bjj ,kaffirs made their appearance4 ,the civilians were in front1 and the corporal considerably in rear followed in support4 ,a sharp fire now opened on the corporal1 and the enemy made a disposition to surround him2 but the corporal stealthily retired1 and took up a favourable position1 from which he kept up an unerring fire on his adversaries1 who fortunately for him seemed more bent on capturing the cattle than spending their efforts in beating down a single opponent4 ,taking advantage of their predatory activity1 the corporal shot down five of the ,kaffirs before any assistance was rendered by the military cattle-guard4 ,on being apprised of the approach of the enemy1 the guard lost no time in collecting and driving off the cattle to a place of security1 but in the attempt two soldiers of the #deth were shot dead4 ,the ,kaffirs at once stripped them1 and placing their red jackets on their own bodies1 danced frantically at their triumph4 ,while this scene of exultation was going on1 corporal ,wilson1 through the intricate windings of the bush1 cautiously neared the group1 and firing1 one of the savages received the ball from his carbine and fell dead4 ,on the troops advancing1 the corporal at once joined them1 and assisted in driving the enemy from the post4#fc ,from the #adth to the #cast ,october1 two sergeants and thirty-one rank and file served in the field operations with ,major-,general ,somerset's division in the ,water ,kloof1 ,fuller's ,hoek1 ,blinkwater1 and ,kat river4 ,again1 from the #dth to the #gth ,november1 two sergeants and forty rank and file were on patrol in ,seyolo's country2 and again1 from the #ast ,december until the #ahth ,january1 nine rank and file were present in the long marches and difficult services of the division under ,colonel ,eyre4 ,this party was intended to cut loop-holes in the missionary station at ,butterworth4 ,the ,india-rubber pontoon raft taken with the party1 was used in the passage of the ,kei4 ,this service occupied two days1 and the sappers worked with much ardour in its accomplishment4 ,with the exception of two or three patrols1 in which the sappers were commanded by the officers already named1 it was the good fortune of the corps in every instance during the campaign to be under the orders of ,captain ,c4 ,d4 ,robertson1 ,r4,e4 ,the cessation of the works at the ,mauritius made the services of the company there available for duty at other stations4 ,accordingly1 with the sanction of ,earl ,grey1 the seventeenth company1 under ,captain ,fenwick1 ,r4,e41 quitted the island on the #beth ,october1 and landed at the ,cape of ,good ,hope on the #aith ,november4 ,the force of sappers on the ,eastern frontier now consisted of three companies1 and counted #bgf men of all ranks4 ,speaking of the reinforcement ,sir ,harry ,smith thus wrote to ,earl ,grey1 under date the #dth ,october1 8,i assure your ,lordship that ,i very much appreciate the value of this reinforcement4 ,no officers and soldiers in ,her ,majesty's army do their duty in a more gallant and exemplary manner40#fd ,on the same date1 ,sir ,harry thus wrote to ,sir ,john ,burgoyne1 the inspector-general of fortifications1 8,i have #abj sappers here now1 under as gallant a fellow as ever lived--,captain ,robertson4 ,these men are the finest soldiers ,i almost ever saw1 and have taken their tour of most arduous patrol duty heart and soul40 8,from being employed on the works10 wrote ,lieutenant-,colonel ,cole1 the commanding royal engineer1 8and their usual industrious habits1 the men were generally found to endure long marches and fatigues better than the line1 particularly in the commencement of the war40 8,besides10 said ,captain ,w4 ,c4 ,stace1 ,r4,e41 8the performance of garrison1 patrols1 and escort duties in the field at most of the posts on the frontier1 the works provided for in the annual estimates1 and several special and numerous incidental services1 many of them contingent on the war1 were executed by the sappers and miners1 and their important and valuable services have been duly acknowledged to me verbally by different officers4 ,the want of such a body of men would have been seriously felt on many urgent occasions during the war1 in consequence of the difficulty at all times1 and sometimes impracticability1 to obtain artificers when required40 ----- ,footnote #fa3 ,letter from ,captain ,tylden in the #8,times1' ,april #bc1 #ahea4 ,footnote #fb3 #8,parliamentary ,papers1' ,cape of ,good ,hope1 ,june1 #ahea1 p4 #dg4 ,footnote #fc3 ,the incidents of this affair1 for the most part1 are taken from a ,cape paper4 ,one day this corporal was fishing in the ,keiskama1 armed with a loaded carbine1 when he was approached from behind by a ,kaffir4 ,the latter fired1 and corporal ,wilson1 who was untouched1 fell as if killed4 ,warily the ,kaffir neared the spot2 but the corporal1 watching his opportunity1 jumped up and shot his opponent4 ,the wound was not fatal1 but a blow from the butt end of his carbine sealed the ,kaffir's fate1 and the corporal took home his head as a trophy4 ,footnote #fd3 #8,parliamentary ,papers1' ,cape of ,good ,hope1 presented ,february #crd1 #aheb1 p4 #afd4 #ahea4 ,,great ,,exhibition4 ,sappers attached to it--,opening--,distribution of the force employed--,duties2 general superintendence--,clerks and draughtsmen--,charge of stationery--,robert ,marshall--,testing iron-work of building--,workshops--,marking building--,receiving and removing goods--,custom-house examination--,fire arrangements--,ventilation--,classmen--, private ,r4 ,dunlop--,clearing arrangements--,miscellaneous services--,bribery--,working-pay--,close of the ,exhibition--,encomium by ,colonel ,reid--,also by ,prince ,albert and the ,royal ,commissioners--,honours and rewards--,their distribution--,statistical particulars--,lance-corporal ,noon--,removing the goods--,return of companies to ,woolwich--,contributors to the ,exhibition--,the ,ordnance survey--,and ,mr4 ,forbes1 late sergeant-major4 ,it was the good fortune of the royal sappers and miners this year to be associated with the ,great ,exhibition of the ,industry of all ,nations1 by which its name and character1 its acquirements and usefulness1 became more extensively known1 appreciated1 and commended4 ,for this honour1 the corps is indebted to ,lieutenant-,colonel ,reid1 the ,chairman of the ,executive ,committee4 ,receiving the cordial concurrence of his civil colleagues1 he represented to ,prince ,albert and the ,royal ,commissioners1 the desirableness of military co-operation for carrying out the subordinate details of the work4 ,the measure--at once approved of--was ordered to be carried into effect1 and accordingly1 three lance-corporals--,richard ,rice ,lindsay1 ,thomas ,baker1 and ,charles ,fear--were attached on the #aath ,september1 #ahej1 to the executive committee4 ,the two former were clerks and draughtsmen1 and the latter an ingenious mechanic and modeller4 ,their first duty was to execute a plan and model of the proposed arrangements for the ,exhibition4 ,by the end of the year1 fifteen rank and file1 clerks and draughtsmen1 including a founder and an engineer1 were added to the party1 who for a time were quartered in ,kensington cavalry barracks4 ,by degrees the force continued to augment1 and at last by the arrival of the fifth and twenty-second companies1 under ,captains ,owen and ,gibb1 ,r4,e41 and a strong detachment under ,lieutenant ,stopford1 ,r4,e41 who was appointed acting-adjutant1 the corps1 on the #bast ,april1 #ahea1 counted #bjj non-commissioned officers and men4 ,this was the greatest number of the sappers ever employed at the ,exhibition4 ,the enlarged force was furnished on the ground that as the corps was composed of artizans1 its services would be especially useful1 particularly in the mechanical part of the arrangements4 ,as soon as the small cavalry barrack was full1 the subsequent arrivals at the ,exhibition were quartered in the royal palace at ,kensington1 and ultimately the detachment in the former barrack was also removed to the palace4 ,just prior to the opening of the ,exhibition on the #ast ,may1 parties of the corps placed barriers across the various entrances into the building and also at some of the naves leading into the transept4 ,at each outer barrier a small section of men was posted to prevent its removal1 or the ingress of persons not authorized to view or take part in the state ceremonial4 ,within the area of the transept a strong detachment was stationed near ,her ,majesty1 to attend to any orders which ,prince ,albert or the ,royal ,commissioners might see necessary to enforce4 ,as the crowd kept flowing in1 the 8temporary barriers to protect the space round the throne were in part swept away0 by the excusable impetuosity of the throng1 8and the entire space of the nave seemed to be permanently in possession of the spectators4 ,in this emergency ,colonel ,reid called out a party of sappers who soon restored order1 and thus10 wrote #8,the ,times1' to whose columns these pages are indebted for the above description--8added one additional service to the many others which they had contributed for months within the walls of the ,exhibition40 ,with temper and management the confusion soon subsided1 and by ten o'clock order was established1 8and reasonable facility afforded for the royal progress round the nave of the building40#fe ,immediately the ,queen proclaimed the ,exhibition opened1 the sappers removed the barriers1 and the avenues of the building were at once rendered free for the unrestrained passage of the people4 ,for the temperate1 quiet1 and efficient conduct of the sappers on the occasion1 they received the thanks of ,colonel ,reid1 ,sir ,george ,grey1 the ,home ,secretary1 and ,sir ,richard ,mayne1 the ,chief ,commissioner of ,police4#fi ,the subjoined table shows the strength of the corps at the ,exhibition at the beginning of each month from ,october1 #ahej1 to ,december1 #ahea1 and also illustrates the divisions of labour in which the several parties were occupied4#gj #ahej #ahea ,,ranks--,,distribution ,sep,oct,nov,dec,jan,feb,mar,apr,may,jun ,jul,aug,sep,oct,nov,dec ,strength3-- ,colour-,sergeants #b #b #b #b #b #b #b #b #b ,sergeants #b #d #f #d #f #e #f #d #c #b #a ,corporals #a #g #aj #g #aj #f #aj #aj #i #i #b ,second ,corporals #a #a #b #b #b #c #aj #ac #h #ad #aj #ac #aj #i #h #c ,privates #f #e #e #i #aa #caadbaehafjaeeacgaddadbacbaed #ag ,buglers #b #d #d #d #d #d #d #d #d #a ,total ,strength #g #f #g #aa #ac #cgafgaicaheaiaafdagiagbaeiagi #bd ,distribution3-- ,general superintendence #b #b #b #b #b #b #b #b #b ,clerks1 draughtsmen1 #d #c #d #h #i #ae #ac #be #ag #ag #ag #bb #bb #ag #g #g autographic press1 c4 ,charge of stationery1 c4 #b #b #b #b #b #b #b #b #b #b ,testing iron-work #b #b #b #b #b #b #b ,modellers--workshops #a #a #a #a #a #a #a #b #aj #aj #aj #aj #h #g #b #a ,lettering and laying out #ah #ah #aj passages ,receiving1 arranging1 #dd #df #bc #bh #ab #c #eaba #d unpacking1 and removing goods ,custom-house examinations #bd #bd #f #f #d #d #b #b #aj #b ,charge of gates #b #b ,charge of fire-engines1 #ad #i #bj #bj #bj #bb #bj #ab #c #c c4 ,ventilation #b #b #b #b #a #a ,class superintendents #ba #dh #df #df #di #ej #da #db #c ,cleaning ,british side of #ch #ch #ch #ch #cg #ci building#ff ,collecting and arranging #ac #d #d #d specimens ,on guard #d #d #d #d #e #e #e #e #e ,cooks and cooks' mates #a #a #a #aj #h #i #i #f #f #h #h #aj #a ,sick #g #i #c #e #c #b #a #a #b ,absent from various #a #c #a #b #d #c #c causes#fg ,tailors #c #a #a #b #b #c #h #d ,on command#fh #a #a ,total #g #f #g #ab #ac #cgafgaicaheaiaafbagiagbaeiagi #bd ,footnote #ff3 ,part of day only4 ,footnote #fg3 ,duty1 furlough1 pass1 c4 ,footnote #fh3 ,clerk1 ,royal ,engineers' ,department1 ,glasgow4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,a brief but more extended exposition of their duties than the above detail adduces1 is here given to show the general nature of the connection of the sappers with the ,exhibition1 and the availability of the men to discharge onerous duty and varied occupation4#ga ,one of the colour-sergeants during the arrangements superintended the sappers on the ,british side1 and the other on the foreign side4 ,after the opening of the ,exhibition1 colour-sergeant ,thomas ,harding acted as sergeant-major2 and colour-sergeant ,noah ,deary as foreman of works1 in the repair of damages which accidents and the pressure of the crowd were continually causing to the railings1 counters1 c4 ,on two or three occasions when there was a press for money-takers1 colour-sergeant ,deary and sergeant ,thomas ,p4 ,cook and ,william ,jamieson did duty as collectors4 ,the clerks were employed under the various officers1 military and civil1 of the ,executive ,committee2 the draughtsmen1 partly under ,sir ,w4 ,cubitt and ,mr4 ,m4 ,digby ,wyatt1 when they found such assistance necessary in the superintendence and record of the progress of the building2 but principally under the ,executive ,committee1 in making the numerous plans which were necessary during the preliminary arrangements4 ,it was from their surveys and drawings that the plans in the ,commissioners' ,first ,report were made4 ,the men employed as clerks and draughtsmen varied at different times from three to forty in number4 ,one of the men1 lance-corporal ,john ,pendered1 was also employed in working an autographic press1 which was useful when a few circulars were required at a short notice4 ,the facility with which he acquired a knowledge of the apparatus was creditable to his aptitude1 and the simple method he adopted to throw off the copies with rapidity and clearness proved him to be intelligent and skilful4 ,the most distinguished of the draughtsmen were lance-corporals ,james ,mack1 ,thomas ,baker1 and ,nicholas ,clabby1 corporal ,archibald ,gardner1 and lance-corporals ,richard ,r4 ,lindsay and ,john ,venner4 ,the large plans1 both of the ground and galleries1 made for the convenience of the visitors1 to enable them to find their way more easily to the parts likely most to engage their curiosity1 and which were displayed at the south side of the transept during the later months of the ,exhibition1 were prepared by corporals ,mack1 ,baker1 ,gardner1 and ,gabby4 ,both were considered to be highly-creditable specimens of drawing1 combining boldness and skill with perspicuity4 ,a daily journal1 after noticing one of the drawings1 thus wrote of the sappers1 8,indeed that body have rendered invaluable services1 not only in the general arrangements of the interior1 but more especially in making those nice measurements which were essential with reference to the question of space40 ,it then concluded its notice by making some flattering allusions to the proficiency of the sappers employed on the national surveys4#gb ,the plans were each twenty-one feet long by six feet wide4 ,similar drawings on a very reduced scale1 from which the plans in the first report were engraved1 were executed by corporals ,gardner1 ,mack1 ,clabby1 ,venner1 and ,lindsay1 but the principal and most effective part of the work devolved on corporal ,mack4 ,the ground plan was drawn by the three first-named non-commissioned officers1 and the galleries by corporals ,mack and ,venner4 ,the interesting coloured diagram to show the fluctuations in the number of visitors1 and other characteristic details1 was wholly drawn by corporal ,mack4 ,the plan of the exhibition building to illustrate the water-supply1 and measures for security against fire1 was drawn by corporal ,lindsay4 ,these four drawings comprised the plans in the ,first ,report4 ,the chart exhibited in the transept on the #fth ,october1 to show by diagrams the fluctuations in the number of visitors to the building1 was prepared by corporals ,gardner and ,mack1 under the direction of ,captain ,owen4 #8,the ,times1'#gc said it was 8a production of great merit and of much public interest1 and resembled those scales of mountain elevations which are usually prefixed to atlasses4 ,the shilling days were the ,himalayas and ,andes of the chart2 while the half-crown and five shilling days were represented by heights of much lower altitude40 ,with the permission of the ,executive ,committee1 these two non-commissioned officers compiled1 on the same principle1 a similar diagram with more copious general information1 for the proprietors of the #8,weekly ,dispatch1' from which an engraving was made1 and copies in immense numbers were thrown off and issued on two stated occasions to the purchasers of that newspaper4 ,referring to the great chart shown in the ,exhibition1 the #8,weekly ,dispatch' thus wrote3 8,this chart1 which is beautifully executed1 and is altogether a production of very great merit1 reflects the utmost credit upon the authors--corporals ,gardner and ,mack of the royal sappers and miners1 a corps which has rendered most intelligent and valuable service to the ,exhibition40#gd ,corporal ,baker1 under ,mr4 ,henry ,cole1 had the honour of preparing a coloured plan of the arrangements for ,her ,majesty1 another for ,prince ,albert1 one for the ,duchess of ,kent1 and several for the members of the ,royal ,commission4 ,he also surveyed the whole of the arrangements on the ground floor4 ,in an instructive article in #8,chambers' ,journal1' on the #8,crystal ,palace1' allusion is popularly made to this portion of the sappers' duty1 and it is justly added1 that 8the men were found very useful4 ,all our surveying and planning have been done by them40#ge ,during the latter months of the ,exhibition1 corporal ,clabby recorded hourly the number of visitors who had entered the building up to the time of making the registry4 ,this he did on a large sheet of paper fixed in the transept1 at a sufficient elevation for the public to consult it4 ,the rush at the moment of making the record was always great1 and the interest with which the corporal was greeted and questioned by the curious1 was accompanied by many honourable indications of kindness and good will4#gf ,two men were in permanent charge of the receipt and issue of printed forms1 and all articles of stationery to the various officers4 ,second-corporal ,john ,vercoe was in chief charge4 ,he also assisted as a clerk1 and was pay-sergeant for ,lieutenant ,stopford's detachment4 ,from the #bnd ,october1 #ahej1 to #bcrd ,january1 #ahea1 he had the charge of the party then at the ,exhibition1 and for his courteous deportment and address1 was well spoken of by those with whom he was brought in contact4#gg ,two men were employed during the erection of the building in testing the cast-iron girders and columns with an hydraulic press1 c41 and in ascertaining that all the bolts were sufficiently screwed up2 also in keeping a record of the ironwork fixed each day4 ,this duty was intrusted to lance-corporals ,robert ,fleming and ,joseph ,barrow2 the former tested the girders1 and the latter the proper adjustment of the fitments and bolts4 ,in cases of dispute about the practicable application of some defective columns and girders1 the opinion of corporal ,fleming was1 on three or four occasions1 sought for2 and he gave it in so clear and manly a manner1 that his views were readily followed by the contractors4 ,it is not a little remarkable that this non-commissioned officer was the only sapper recommended by ,sir ,william ,reid for promotion1 during the period that the ,colonel commanded the corps at the ,exhibition4 ,corporal ,barrow1 when not employed in examining the fitments1 took his place in the drawing-room1 and notwithstanding the rough occupation he had been accustomed to1 was found efficient4 ,for the successful stability of the building1 some little credit is at least due to these two humble officials4 ,their exertions were very great1 and their vigilance in the important work intrusted to them was fully equal to the responsibility4 ,soon after the building was constructed1 and before the goods began to be deposited1 it was considered desirable to ascertain the effect of regular oscillation in the galleries4 ,experiments of different kinds were tried1 but to carry out that which was regarded as the most trying1 a strong detachment of the corps in close columns1 keeping military time and step1 was marched several times up and down1 and round1 and finally were made to mark time4 ,with the result of this last test the eminent scientific men present expressed themselves highly gratified1 and the incident was considered to be sufficiently interesting to become the subject of illustration in a popular journal4#gh ,lance-corporal ,charles ,w4 ,fear made1 in the early part of the arrangements1 a model of a portion of the building for the information of the ,royal ,commissioners1 and afterwards was employed in making small models of counters of various parts of the building and other things of the kind required during the progress of the work4 ,after the opening of the ,exhibition a party was employed in repairing damages caused to the railings1 counters1 c41 and in copying1 in model1 some of the simplest and most instructive mechanical inventions and appliances for provincial institutions4 ,the better to carry out the new style of constructing models1 four of the party attended lectures on the subject delivered by ,professor ,cowper at ,king's ,college1 ,somerset ,house4 ,a party1 varying from five to twenty-five men1 all painters1 was employed during the arrangements in numbering and lettering the columns1 and laying down on the floor of the building the plan of the proposed passages and counters4 ,lance-corporal ,john ,venner1 who also worked as a clerk and draughtsman1 was conspicuous in this division of duty4 ,corporal ,archibald ,gardner1 also a draughtsman1 was in great request for printing4 ,the facility with which he lettered notices1 labels1 c41 required in an instant1 brought him greatly into favour with the officials4 ,the amount of work he had to execute rendered it indispensable that some more convenient substance than ,indian ink1 which took an immense time to grind1 should be found4 ,this he effectually provided1 and thereby caused a considerable saving of expense4 ,gas-stoves were used in the ,exhibition offices1 in which he observed a very available description of soot to accumulate2 and carefully collecting the material and mixing it with common ink and a little glue1 he manufactured an abundance of a fine jet black preparation1 which was always ready for emergencies4 ,the number available for unloading the goods when they were coming in varied from twenty to fifty men1 and was not sufficient without the assistance of considerable numbers of porters from the docks4 ,as the waggons containing the packages arrived within the building1 they were driven to the centre of the transept and there unloaded and marked by a ,custom-house officer4 ,from the transept relays of sappers conveyed the packages in trucks to the compartment of the foreign country from which they had been consigned1 where another band of ,custom-house officers was ready to receive them4 ,there was always a fresh supply of sappers with chisels and other implements to break open lids or other coverings1 and who1 with military determination1 swept everything before them until the goods were revealed4 ,this was the usual course of the reception arrangements4#gi 8,we have here10 writes a ,london ,journal1 8to commend the aptitude and intelligence with which the force of sappers execute the duties intrusted to them4 ,so quietly and precisely do they obey instructions1 that their assistance is properly considered of material consequence to the punctual fulfilment of the arrangements in which they are concerned40#hj ,another thus writes1 8,the sappers and miners form prominent objects in the animated scene4 ,their work is principally to facilitate the reception of goods1 and they get through all they have to do with great energy1 and with a certain observance of military precision which is not without its interest to the looker on40#ha ,from ten to twenty men were employed during the receipt of goods in opening the cases1 and in assisting the ,custom-house examination4 ,both in this duty and in removing the goods the greatest care was taken2 so much so indeed1 that only two or three accidents by breakage occurred to the exhibitors' property4 ,as early as ,january1 #ahea1 while the building was still under the control of the contractors1 a party of four men of the royal sappers and miners patrolled the building and its workshops every evening after work1 remaining until they had seen every fire and light properly extinguished except those in the offices1 where the great press of work rendered it necessary to allow fires and lights to be kept up during the night4 ,with the addition of a party of the ,london fire brigade1 this arrangement remained in force until the opening of the building1 when a picquet of twenty-four men of the corps was mounted in the building at eight ,p4,m42 this party on arriving at the ,exhibition was marched round it to all the stations where the different fire-engines1 fire-cocks1 tanks1 buckets1 c41 were placed2 thus every individual ascertained that all the stores were correct and ready for use4 ,the whole of the men of the corps at the ,exhibition had been drilled to the fire-engines1 and made acquainted with all the arrangements undertaken to provide for the immediate extinction of any fire4 ,the twenty-four men slept in the building every night1 one man remained on sentry to be in readiness to rouse the men in case of alarm1 and a non-commissioned officer and two men patrolled the building every two hours4 ,the picquet came off duty at six ,a4,m41 when another party of the sappers relieved them for the usual daily duty4 ,this arrangement continued until the #dth ,november1 #ahea4 ,the number was then reduced to twelve1 and on the #aath ,november to two men1 who remained all night in the building until it was again given over to the control of the contractors1 ,messrs4 ,fox and ,henderson1 in ,december1 #ahea4 ,by day two non-commissioned officers were selected1 one for each side of the building1 ,foreign and ,british1 whose sole duty it was to take charge of the men who belonged to the fire-party1 and in conjunction with the men of the ,london fire brigade on duty at the building1 they were held responsible for all the stores connected with the fire department1 that everything was in its proper place and ready for immediate use1 and also that the water was on1 and the pressure not less than sixty feet4 ,when the body of sappers was marched to work in the building each day1 a party of twelve or fifteen men was allotted for each side of the ,exhibition1 and placed under these two non-commissioned officers1 who distributed them to the various fire stations1 and visited them during the day to see that they were at their posts1 and alert4#hb ,the promptitude with which this service was attended to was exemplified on an occasion when a fire1 in the southern part of the ,colonial collection1 raised an alarm4 ,the flue attached to a stove in one of the offices of the contractors having become heated1 ignited a piece of wood with bunting attached to it4 ,a piece of the burning cloth fell into an open cask of ,indian corn1 but the drapery of the counter concealed for a time what had happened4 ,eventually the smoke began to break forth1 and as soon as the existence of fire was ascertained1 it was extinguished before it had time to do more than slightly char one plank of wood4 ,the stores in charge of the non-commissioned officers were #h engines complete1 #dj cisterns1 #af hydrants1 #daj spare buckets1 #af spare hose1 #af axes1 #ah hand-pumps1 and #ae fire annihilators4 ,opening and closing the louvre-boards for ventilation1 and keeping a register of the temperature in the building1 were attended to by a few of the men4 ,the register was kept from #aith ,may to the #aath ,october1 and the indications of fourteen thermometers were taken three times a-day4#hc ,corporal ,thomas ,noon was the chief at this duty1 and was found very intelligent and attentive4 ,there were one or more men1 termed classmen1 attached to each class on the ,british side1 who carried out the orders of the class and district superintendents during the arrangements1 and also during the time of the ,exhibition4 ,the number of classmen appointed to the thirty divisions of the arrangements during the progress of the building1 c41 was fifty-seven2 and the number included in the organization for assisting in the classes during the exhibition1 was sixty-one of all ranks4 ,five or six men also assisted on the foreign side1 of whom two were attached to the ,chinese court4 ,the classmen afforded material help to the exhibitors and their assistants in displaying their property to advantage1 and in protecting it4#hd ,they likewise were often found very useful in giving information to the public1 and in conducting individuals through the masses1 to those parts of the building which they were the most anxious to visit4 ,their courteous demeanour and intelligence were rewarded with repeated expressions of thanks and satisfaction1 and the exhibitors were desirous to mark1 in a substantial form1 their appreciation of the services of the classmen1 but it was declined on military considerations4 ,private tokens of respect1 however1 were frequently presented by some of the superintendents and class assistants to their military subordinates4 ,a party of about forty men came early in the morning during the ,exhibition1 and superintended a force of boys in sweeping the ,british side of the building4 ,the arrangement was systematic1 simple1 and effective4 ,six hours--from four o'clock in the morning until ten--were dedicated to this purpose4 ,had it not been for the peculiarity of the structure1 the duty of sweeping would have been insurmountable1 but fortunately both floors and roof assisted very greatly to carry off much of the dust and dirt4#he ,after finishing the service each morning1 the detachment was either kept as a reserve1 or returned to the barracks4 ,in addition to the above they on several occasions assisted the police in their duties1 especially on the opening and closing days2 occasionally a few trustworthy non-commissioned officers issued tickets during the arrangements1#hf and some of the privates rung the bells at the time the building closed each day4 ,in assisting the police1 corporal ,george ,pearson detected an official personage1 holding a lucrative situation at the ,exhibition1 taking money from the place in which it was deposited4 ,the corporal for a long time watched his proceedings1 and making known the case to the superintendent of police1 the delinquency of the official was fully proved1 and his dismissal from employment forthwith ordered4 ,during the preliminary arrangements the non-commissioned officers who issued tickets1 and took charge of the gates and private entrances1 were frequently besought by bribes to permit individuals the privilege of entering the building1 c41 but no man of the corps was so wanting in a right sense of his duty as in this way to break the trust reposed in him4 ,an instance of another kind was brought to the notice of ,colonel ,reid by sergeant ,thomas ,p4 ,cook1 who had a party under him employed removing goods from the hoarding to their destination in the building4 ,many of the exhibitors1 wishing to insure a priority of attention in the removal of their property1 offered considerations to effect it1 but they were justly exposed1 and the ,colonel made it the occasion of complimenting the sergeant for his integrity4 ,the working-pay of the non-commissioned officers and men was #as4 #c;d4 a-day each2 but from twenty-five to thirty of the most useful draughtsmen and others received #bs4 a-day4 ,the ,exhibition was closed on the #aeth ,october1 on which occasion small parties of sappers were posted at the barriers1 and in the various passages leading to the transept1 to assist the police in preventing the rush of the crowd4 ,they were also placed around three sides of the dais from which the ceremony took place1 and from which ,prince ,albert 8took leave of all those who had given their assistance towards conducting the ,exhibition to its prosperous issue40#hg ,the sappers were engaged the whole of the previous night in removing obstacles likely to interfere with the arrangements for the ceremonial4 ,they also constructed the platform1 or dais2 and while attending1 on the morning of the ceremonial1 to the preliminary arrangements for the temporary accommodation of the ,prince and the ,commissioners1 a sustained cheer was given by the visitors for the sappers1 as a parting token of thanks and satisfaction for their past services4 ,colonel ,reid1 now ,sir ,william1 on being appointed ,governor of ,malta1 resigned on the #bgth ,october1 #ahea1 his charge in ,london1 and the command of the corps at the ,exhibition consequently devolved on ,captain ,h4 ,c4 ,owen1 ,r4,e4 8,i have10 said ,sir ,william on leaving1 8the most perfect confidence that they will continue to the end of this service1 to perform their duties with the same zeal which they have hitherto invariably shown1 and with the same considerate and forbearing conduct towards all with whom they have been connected in this arduous undertaking40 ,the crowning testimony to the useful services of the corps was graciously given by ,prince ,albert and the ,royal ,commissioners in a letter to the ,marquis of ,anglesey1 the ,master-,general of the ,ordnance4 ,in promulgating the letter1#hh a copy of which follows1 his ,lordship expressed his confidence that this high testimonial in approbation of the valuable services of those immediately concerned1 would be received with feelings of pride and gratitude by the whole corps of ordnance4 8,,my ,,lord 8,,windsor ,,castle1 ,oct4 #bith 8,i have the honour1 as ,president of the ,royal ,commission for the ,exhibition of #ahea1 to convey to your ,lordship1 both in my own name1 and in that of the ,commission1 our thanks for the cordial aid you lent us in allowing several of the corps of royal engineers1 and two companies of royal sappers and miners to assist the executive committee in the arrangement and management of the ,exhibition4 8,her ,majesty's ,commissioners consider it due to the officers of royal engineers1 and to the non-commissioned officers and privates of the royal sappers and miners1 who have been thus employed1 to express to your ,lordship1 in strong terms1 the sense which they entertain of the admirable conduct of the whole body while engaged in this novel1 delicate1 and responsible duty4 8,the officers of engineers have1 in the able assistance rendered by them1 afforded another instance of the useful manner in which a military body may be employed in civil services during a time of peace4 8,the ,royal ,commissioners1 being desirous of marking their sense of the share which the different persons employed in connexion with the ,exhibition have had in bringing it to a successful issue1 have requested the various civilians so employed to accept a certain sum of money in recognition of their services4 ,we have ascertained from ,colonel ,reid1 that such a course would not be agreeable to the feelings of the engineer-officers who have similarly given their assistance1 and to whom we could have wished to offer a similar token4 8,with regard to the non-commissioned officers and privates1 it gives me much pleasure to state1 that at the period of the preliminary arrangements1 when the labour required was sometimes excessive1 their exertions were always cheerfully made4 ,during the course of the ,exhibition1 they practically demonstrated the great value of their schools of instruction by the many useful plans which they drew2 and by carefully acting always in subordination to the civil police force1 they established for themselves a character for good conduct and attention to the exhibitors and visitors1 greatly to the credit of the corps to which they belong4 8,the ,royal ,commissioners have therefore thought fit to award a sum of #fjjl41 to be laid out either in drawing or mathematical instruments1 or in other suitable lasting memorial of their connection with the ,exhibition1 for the non-commissioned officers and privates of the royal sappers and miners1 to be distributed by the officers in such manner as your ,lordship and the ,inspector-,general of ,fortifications may approve2 and we trust that you will give your sanction to the acceptance of these testimonials of their good conduct4 8,i have1 c41 8,,albert1 ,president ,royal ,commission4 8,field ,marshal the ,marquis of ,anglesey1 8,master-,general of the ,ordnance40 ,in the first report of the ,commissioners to the ,right ,honourable the ,home ,secretary1 the corps of sappers and miners was thus alluded to3 8,in many parts of these arrangements1 both before and after the opening of the ,exhibition1 the ,commissioners derived the most important benefit from the co-operation and assistance of the corps of royal engineers and royal sappers and miners1 who had been placed at their disposal40#hi ,to carry out the intentions of the ,commissioners with respect to the disposal of the #fjjl4 according to individual merit1 a board of officers of royal engineers--,captains ,owen and ,gibb1 and ,lieutenant ,stopford--laid down rules to guide them in the distribution4 ,the cardinal grounds for exclusion were1 that none should participate in the rewards who had been less than a month at the ,exhibition1 or who had been sent to head-quarters in consequence of irregularity1 or who had been notoriously idle and useless4 ,of this character it is satisfactory to add1 that among the whole body employed1 from the very beginning to the close1 only two privates had earned the unenviable distinction4 ,the distribution of the grant was arranged into sums considered to be equivalent to the criteria of five specific classes of qualification and utility4 ,on this principle therefore1 the first class comprised men only1 who in situations of considerable responsibility1 drew public attention for their steadiness and general ability4 ,the second and third classes embraced men1 who in various degrees called for favourable mention1 and who displayed considerable aptitude and zeal4 ,the fourth class contained men1 who not having the same opportunities of distinguishing themselves as the men in the previous classes1 gained the commendation of their officers and others for attention to duty1 and cheerfulness and exertion in its execution4 ,the fifth class comprised men who had only been a short time at the ,exhibition1 but who1 nevertheless1 rendered themselves1 by their conduct and zeal1 deserving of a slight memento of their services4 ,according to this classification1 the prizes distributed were in value and number as follows3-- ,class4 ,value4 ,number4 #ast4 each #ajl4 #ac #bnd4 #el4 #da #crd4 #cl4 #da #dth4 #al4 #ig #eth4 #ajs4 #ad --- ,total #bjf ,the prizes embraced a selection of gold and silver watches1 cases of instruments1 portable writing-cases1 and such other articles as would tend to increase the professional efficiency of the men1 and at the same time form a suitable and handsome memorial of their services4 ,every article was suitably inscribed with the owner's name1 and the source from whence it was obtained4 ,in addition to these rewards1 each non-commissioned officer and soldier1 to the extent of the above number1 received a bronze medal inscribed with his name1 in a morocco case1 to be kept as a token of useful services rendered1 and also a pictorial certificate signed by ,prince ,albert4 ,the number of men sent to the ,exhibition from ,september #ahej to ,december #ahea1 reached a total of #bgd of all ranks4 ,sixty-eight of the number reaped no advantage from the grant4 ,of these1 twenty-four had been removed to head-quarters for slight irregularity1 two deserted1 two did not participate on account of indolence1 thirty-three were only three weeks at the ,exhibition before it closed1 and the remainder1 seven men1 were removed after short periods of employment1 in consequence of illness4 ,only one casualty occurred in the companies during their service under the ,royal ,commissioners4 ,lance-corporal ,thomas ,w4 ,noon had obtained leave to visit his friends at ,oxford1 and was killed by a railway accident at the ,bicester station on the #fth ,september4 ,liberally educated1 and brought up to the profession of an architect and builder1 he promised to be very useful both as a non-commissioned officer and foreman4 ,in several situations of responsibility1 he proved the superiority of his attainments1 and was consequently one of the first men selected for duty in ,london4 ,mr4 ,wiltshire1 under whom he was employed at the ,exhibition1 bore testimony to the value of his services4 ,much esteemed by his comrades1 his melancholy end was deeply deplored1 and his remains1 interred in the cemetery of ,st4 ,sepulchre1 at ,oxford1 were followed to the grave by a large concourse of mourners1 among whom were seven non-commissioned officers of the corps from the ,exhibition4 ,in a funeral sermon1 preached by the ,rev4 ,w4 ,mitchell1 ,m4,a41 in ,hornton-,street ,chapel1 ,kensington1 was given a review of the history and character of the deceased1 which awakened interesting sympathies in the crowded congregation4 ,the removal of the goods commenced immediately after the closing of the ,exhibition1 and all the available sappers were for some weeks employed in assisting the exhibitors and their assistants to pack their property1 and remove it from the building4 ,soon these duties1 from the rapidity with which the clearance was carried on1 permitted a large force of the corps to be withdrawn1 and accordingly1 the #bbnd company quitted for ,woolwich on the #dth ,november1 and the #eth company with the greater part of ,lieutenant ,stopford's detachment on the #aath ,november4 ,of the number left1 a few were employed in collecting and arranging specimens presented to the ,commissioners for the formation of a trade museum1 and gradually the numbers were reduced to twenty-four1 and by the end of the year to nine men only4 ,among the contributors to the ,exhibition were the ,ordnance ,survey1 and ,mr4 ,forbes1 late sergeant-major of the corps4 ,the ,survey sent a number of artistic specimens of maps1 one of which1 ,lancashire1 was fifty feet in height and twenty-seven feet in width4 ,a plan of the city of ,dublin1 on a scale of sixty inches to the mile1 was the finest specimen of map engraving ever produced in the ,united ,kingdom4#ij ,with this plan was associated the name of colour-sergeant ,john ,west1 late of the corps1 whose services have already received honourable mention in these pages4 ,among the other maps exhibited1 which especially attracted attention1 was one of the borough of ,southampton1 on a scale of six inches to a mile4 ,for finished beauty of execution and truthful delineation of the various features of the ground1 it was regarded as unrivalled4 ,this specimen was executed by ,charles ,holland1 formerly second-corporal in the corps1 and who is still the leading draughtsman at the ,ordnance ,map office1 ,southampton4 ,as already noticed in these pages1 he received a case of instruments from ,prince ,albert for his talent in drawing a similar plan of ,windsor4 ,six or seven specimens of electrotype1 to illustrate the different stages of the process of engraving the copper-plates1 were also exhibited4 ,sergeant ,donald ,geddes assisted in mounting the maps1 which from the colossal dimensions of one of them1 was found very difficult2 and he also arranged the various specimens in the space assigned to them at the end of the western gallery4 8,the ,council gold medal was granted to the ,ordnance ,department who exhibited the maps1 as a just and honourable tribute to the meritorious and scientific officers of that department who prepared them40#ia 8,for the copper-plate etchings1 and for the use of the electrotype process in reproducing the plates1 our eulogium10 say the ,jurors1 8is justly due to the establishment at ,southampton1 where they are executed40#ib ,sergeant ,geddes had from the first the charge of the electrotype branch at ,southampton1 under the executive officers of royal engineers1 ,captain ,yolland1 and afterwards ,captain ,w4 ,d4 ,gosset2 and by his skill and acquaintance with chemical science1 attained that perfection in the art which1 but a few years past1 it would have been thought chimerical to expect4 ,mr4 ,forbes exhibited a beautiful model of his spherangular pontoon in raft1 with all its stores complete1 and waggon for carriage4 ,he also contributed the model of an apparatus for the ventilation of mines4 ,both objects were inventions of his own1 and the former1 though not adopted in the service1 gained for him the present of one hundred guineas from the ,board of ,ordnance4 ,mr4 ,forbes was very late in submitting the articles1 and they have therefore not been included in the official catalogues4 ----- ,footnote #fe3 #8,times1' ,may #b1 #ahea4 ,footnote #fi3 ,first ,report of ,royal ,commissioners1 ,exhibition1 ,app4 xxv41 p4 #abh4 ,footnote #gj3 ,ibid41 ,app4 vi41 p4 #ej4 ,footnote #ga3 ,chiefly from the ,first ,report1 ,royal ,commissioners1 ,exhibition1 #ahea1 ,app4 vi41 p4 #dh4 ,footnote #gb3 ,the #8,times1' ,july #b1 #ahea4 ,the reference is too good to be omitted4 8,the training--which10 proceeds the #8,times1' 8under ,sir ,c4 ,pasley's system they undergo1 admirably prepares them for this description of work1 and they have brought to it the practical experience acquired during the ,irish1 ,scotch1 and ,english surveys1 which it will be recollected they were employed upon in compliance with a most valuable suggestion to that effect made by ,colonel ,reid4 ,the plan to which we allude is a highly creditable specimen of the skill which the sappers have attained in the art of surveying40 ,footnote #gc3 ,october #g1 #ahea4 ,footnote #gd3 ,october #ab1 #ahea4 ,footnote #ge3 ,march #a1 #ahea1 p4 #acj4 ,footnote #gf3 ,apprehensive of accidents1 the public registry of the numbers was1 a few days before the closing of the ,exhibition1 abandoned at the instigation of the police authorities4 ,footnote #gg3 ,robert ,marshall1 formerly a private in the corps1 was also attached to the stationery department4 ,from this he was promoted to be collector from the money-takers4 ,after the ,exhibition closed1 he received a gratifying testimonial from ,earl ,granville1 and a gratuity of one month's pay from the ,royal ,commissioners as a recognition of his services4 ,in consequence of his industry and honesty1 he was one of two or three retained for employment under the ,commissioners1 from whom he was transferred to the ,department of ,practical ,art1 to assist in superintending the reception and classified organization of the ,trade ,museum of specimens presented to it from all countries4 ,in this duty his disciplined habits of order and arrangement made his services of great utility and value4 ,he now holds a lucrative appointment as superintendent to a boarding establishment in ,london1 under the ,electric ,telegraph ,company1 obtained for him1 in consequence of his creditable conduct at the ,exhibition1 by ,major-,general ,wylde4 ,footnote #gh3 #8,illustrated ,london ,news1' ,march #a1 #ahea4 ,footnote #gi3 ,the #8,times1' ,february #ai1 #ahea4 ,footnote #hj3 #8,illustrated ,london ,news1' ,february #bb1 #ahea4 ,footnote #ha3 ,the #8,times1' ,february #bf1 #ahea4 ,footnote #hb3 ,first ,report1 ,app4 xxvi41 p4 #acj4 ,footnote #hc3 ,first ,report1 ,app4 x41 p4 #fg4 ,footnote #hd3 ,one man1 private ,alexander ,dunlop1 in the machinery department1 was the operator of an interesting experiment with an article of manufacture in which both ,england and ,france were concerned4 ,the incident was related by ,mr4 ,overend1 at a public dinner1 given at the ,cutlers'-hall1 ,sheffield1 to the ,great ,exhibition ,local ,commissioners for that town4 ,among the jurors there was a ,french ,gentleman1 who very properly showed great zeal in protecting the interests of his countrymen4 ,he admitted that ,sheffield had made the best files1 but he maintained that there was a house in ,france that could make them incontestibly superior4 ,he challenged ,sheffield to the trial1 and selecting the house with which he would make the test1 it happened to be that of the ,mayor of ,sheffield1 ,mr4 ,turton1 who accepted it4 ,from ,france files were brought over for the purpose1 and a ,french engineer was despatched across the ,channel to use them4 ,messrs4 ,turton did not send to ,sheffield to have files made specially for the occasion1 but merely went to a ,london customer1 whom they supplied with files1 and took a few1 indiscriminately1 from his stock4 ,private ,dunlop was chosen to use the ,english file against the ,french engineer and the ,french files made for the occasion4 ,two pieces of steel being selected upon which to try the files1 they were fixed in two vices4 ,the ,frenchman was stripped to his work1 with sleeves turned up1 and all encumbrances likely to affect his strength and freedom of action1 were removed4 ,dunlop was very differently garbed2 his coat was buttoned up to the throat1 and he was1 in all respects1 going1 as it were1 to parade4 ,both now1 by a signal1 began to work simultaneously1 but ,dunlop1 a very powerful blacksmith1 had filed the steel down to the vice before the ,french engineer had got one-third through4 ,when the files were examined1 that of ,messrs4 ,turton was found to be as good as ever1 while the ,french one was nearly worn out4 ,the ,french juror then said no doubt he was beaten in that trial2 but ,messrs4 ,turton's file must have been made to cut steel only1 whereas the ,french file was better adapted for iron4 ,a new trial then took place upon the iron1 and the result was still more in favour of the ,english file4 ,footnote #he3 #8,fraser's ,magazine4' ,footnote #hf3 ,this gave offence to one ,london periodical--the #8,builder' 7,april #e1 #ahea1 p4 #bab74 ,its antagonism1 however1 is consistent1 for it has always advocated that the services of the sappers should be confined purely to military duties1 and that the national surveys1 c41 should be wholly controlled and regulated by civil energy and operation4 ,still1 with all its opposition1 it spoke of the sappers at the ,exhibition1 in a qualified sense1 as intelligent and efficient4 ,footnote #hg3 #8,first ,report1' p4 xxxvii4 ,footnote #hh3 #8,first ,report1' ,app41 vi41 p4 #di4 ,footnote #hi3 #8,first ,report1' p4 xxi4 ,it may be worth remarking1 that ,mr4 ,cobden1 the persevering enemy of naval and military establishments1 was so satisfied with the conduct and services of the corps1 that he was heard to say1 he would never in his advocacy for military retrenchment1 seek to reduce the numbers of the sappers4 ,footnote #ij3 #8,hampshire ,advocate1' ,may #aj1 #ahea4 ,footnote #ia3 #8,juries ,reports1' ,exhibition1 #ahea1 p4 #bbb4 ,footnote #ib3 ,ibid4 #ahea4 ,,shetland ,,islands4 ,observations--,road from ,lerwick to ,mossbank--,to the western districts--,and southwards--,between ,olnafirth and ,doura ,voe--,voe to ,hillswick2 corporal ,andrew ,ramsay--,island of ,yell2 sergeant ,john ,f4 ,read--,intrepid bearing of corporal ,ramsay--,conduct and usefulness of the party employed on the roads4 ,for nearly four years one sergeant and five men of the corps had been employed in ,zetland constructing some trunk lines of roads1 with the view of relieving the wants of the poor of the islands1 who1 from the failure of their fisheries and other dreadful visitations1 were threatened with starvation4 ,captain ,t4 ,webb1 ,r4,e41 directed the operations of the party for three years1 but throughout the fourth year1 sergeant ,robert ,forsyth was alone responsible for its discipline and conduct4 ,with respect1 however1 to the execution of the works he received instructions from ,captain ,craigie1 ,r4,n4 ,the roads constructed under the superintendence of the sappers were1 considering the character of the country1 its frequent storms1 heavy rains1 and bleak winds1 and the utter inexperience of the peasantry in land labour and the use of implements1 very extensive and difficult4 ,in #ahdi there was scarcely a practicable road in ,zetland1 except a few isolated portions in bad condition4 ,but on the removal of the party in ,january1 #aheb1 more than #ajj miles of excellent road1 including the island of ,yell1 had been made practicable both for pedestrians and wheel vehicles4 ,from ,lerwick to ,mossbank1 twenty-five and a half miles of good road were cut through a mountainous country intersected with large plots of deep bog4 ,it was fifteen feet wide clear of the water-tables4 ,all through the line it was properly drained and gravelled to a depth of between fourteen and eighteen inches4 ,the undulations of the country and the occurrence of streams called for considerable engineering skill4 ,at different parts of this road were built two stone bridges1 the first of fifteen feet span and twenty feet high1 and the second of ten feet span4 ,both were of the best rubble masonry4 ,in different parts of the line there were twenty-four large culverts built of dry masonry as substitutes for bridges4 ,a number of cross drains were also laid and properly paved4 ,about eight miles of the road ran along the side of a high hill1 and here an embankment and wall were raised on the lower side1 and a cutting made on the upper4 ,the road from ,lerwick to the western districts was constructed over the steep and rugged heights of ,wormiedale1 for one mile of which a cutting was made from the upper side1 which assisted in forming an embankment of five feet average on the lower4 ,from thence to the head of ,weesdale ,voe the road ran comparatively easy4 ,a large stone causeway1 however1 had to be built over the point of a sheet of water which communicated with the sea4 ,in this causeway were six openings of two and a half feet by four feet for the free passage of the tide4 ,from the head of ,weesdale ,voe to the ,scord of ,tresta1 one mile1 a cutting was made on the upper side1 and a retaining wall built on the lower side of the road4 ,to ,gruting ,voe1 six miles1 the road was easily prepared4 ,on this line two bridges were erected3 one at ,bixter with piers of rubble masonry and the superstructure of stout oak1 with a span of ten feet2 the other at ,tumlin of dry masonry with three openings4 ,at the head of ,gruting ,voe1 a causeway of stones1 six feet high by thirteen feet broad1 with seven openings of two and a half feet wide each1 was constructed1 crossing a part of the ,voe for #abj yards1 and thereby shortening the distance to ,walls by three quarters of a mile4 ,from ,lerwick1 southwards1 a road of twenty-three miles was formed to ,dunrossness1 and portions of the ,test road were also improved4 ,four stone bridges and a wooden one were constructed on this line over heavy and sometimes impassable streams4 ,from the bridge at ,fitch1 four miles from ,lerwick1 a road of one and a half mile long was made1 which joined the ,scalloway road and the trunk line together4 ,from the main line at the ,olnafirth branch another road was cut for three and a quarter miles1 connecting ,olnafirth and ,doura ,voe1 whence there is an easy access by boat to ,lerwick4 ,one stone bridge of twelve feet span and nine feet high was erected on this line4 ,from ,voe to ,hillswick fifteen miles of bridle road were made1 and two substantial stone bridges thrown over deep and rapid burns4 ,the ground was very difficult1 and in many places the red granite was so hard that blasting the rock was necessarily resorted to4 ,this road passed through part of the parish of ,delting1 connecting it with ,north ,mavine by a narrow isthmus about sixty yards wide from sea to sea4 ,on the south of this the hills rose to a height of about #gjj feet above the level of the sea1 and terminated on the shore in very high precipitous cliffs4 ,to surmount such a barrier with anything like tolerable gradients1 it would have been necessary to make a detour of at least one mile and three-quarters over uneven and rough ground4 ,to obviate this1 a road was cut along the base of the bold cliffs of ,cliva for #eij yards1 which1 considering the description of labour employed1 was an undertaking of no ordinary kind4 ,the method adopted was to blast the face of the cliff1 in which only #bej lbs4 of powder were expended1 and this removed more than #aj1jjj tons of rock4 ,with the dislodged fragments a retaining wall was built1 which formed a rampart of thirteen feet broad and twelve feet average height4 ,some of the stones used in the wall were two tons weight4#ic ,corporal ,andrew ,ramsay was intrusted with the execution of the work1 and the fact that #a1gjj blasts had been fired by him among a people unused to these operations1 and without a single accident occurring1 affords sufficient proof of his caution1 discretion1 and attention4#id ,in the island of ,yell a road of twenty miles1 nine feet wide1 was cut between the two principal harbours--,cullivoe and ,burravoe4 ,the line was through a rugged country1 with peat morasses1 rapid streams1 and mica and silicious rocks4 ,in some places deep excavations were made before gravel could be obtained to form the surface of the road2 and from the swampy nature of the ground much draining was required to render the foundation solid and the line durable4 ,the danger of sinking in boggy ground for gravel was often felt4 ,once in particular when the party had dug to the depth of fourteen feet in a broken morass1 the sergeant 7,read7 observed the whole mass of moss in motion4 ,instantly he ordered the workmen to leave the pit4 ,scarcely had they done so when the sides began to close in1 and1 as a rush of water at the same time came from beneath1 the bog was quickly dislocated1 and toppling over1 filled the pit4#ie ,owing to the inequalities of the surface it was difficult to carry on the line with easy gradients1 and from ,bastavoe and ,mid ,yell ,voe1 running far inland1 its course was therefore circuitous4 ,a bridge was constructed over the burn of ,dalsetter in ,north ,yell1 ten feet span and nine feet high1 with piers of strong masonry1 while the cross beams1 planking1 and handrail were of substantial oak4 ,a similar bridge was erected over ,laxo burn1 ,mid ,yell1 and five large culverts1 locally termed sivars1 with heavy embankments1 between that and ,burravoe in ,south ,yell4 ,to accommodate ,south ,yell1 and to remove a serious obstruction to the conveyance of the mail and the passage of travellers in the winter season1 bridges of ten feet span and seven feet high were erected over the dangerous streams of ,hamnavoe and ,arrisdale4 ,in building that over ,arrisdale a middle pier was erected1 the span of the arch being otherwise too great to make it a sound work4#if ,sergeant ,john ,f4 ,read was intrusted with the construction of this road4 ,his conduct throughout his service in ,shetland was correct and soldierlike4#ig ,his report on the character of his operations in ,yell1 detailing the difficulties he surmounted and the improvements effected in the industrial habits of the people1 is highly creditable to his ability4#ih ,on one occasion while assisting the making of the ,yell road1 the conduct of corporal ,ramsay1 under peculiar and trying circumstances1 elicited the praise of his officers4#ii ,an outbreak occurred in his party1 and being unarmed he was placed in a critical position4 ,he was1 however1 cool and determined1 and resisted in a manly but forbearing manner the demands of his labourers4 ,by persuasion and command the angry feelings of the labourers were eventually allayed1 and they were induced to resume with a more contented spirit the employment they so unsparingly abused4 ,in accordance with arrangements made by the ,secretary of ,state for the ,home ,department1 the connection of the party with the ,highland ,destitution ,board closed early this year1 and the men arrived at ,woolwich on the #bgth ,january4 ,in parting with the detachment ,captain ,craigie1 ,r4,n41 spoke highly of its efficient and creditable services and its excellent conduct4 ,privates ,alexander ,smith and ,david ,muir executed all the masonry work on the roads4 ,sergeant ,forsyth1 in his character of superintendent1 evinced considerable ability1 zeal1 and intelligence in the discharge of his duties1 and was unremitting in his efforts to render ,captain ,webb's absence as little felt as possible4#ajj ----- ,footnote #ic3 ,the particulars taken from sergeant ,forsyth's statements in #8,report of ,committee of ,manage4 ,high4 ,dest41 #aheb1' pp4 #ae-ah1 #ce-cg4 ,footnote #id3 #8,report of ,committee of ,manage4 ,high4 ,dest41 #aheb1' p4 #da4 ,footnote #ie3 ,ibid41 p4 #ai4 ,footnote #if3 ,ibid41 pp4 #ah-ba4 ,footnote #ig3 #8,report of ,committee of ,manage4 ,high4 ,dest41 #aheb1' p4 #da4 ,footnote #ih3 ,ibid4 ,footnote #ii3 ,ibid4 ,footnote #ajj3 ,ibid4 #aheb4 ,party attached to the ,commissioners for the ,great ,exhibition--,mount ,alexander--,corporal ,john ,mc,laren--,spike ,island--,brown ,down--,hurst ,castle--,holmfirth ,reservoir--,alderney--,cambridge ,asylum--,tidal observations1 river ,dee--,van ,diemen's ,land--,channel ,islands--,kaffir war--,passage of the ,kei--,patrols--,party benighted in the bush--,action at the ,konap pass--,patrol--,fort ,white--,patrols--,expedition against ,moshesh--,orange ,river--,passage of the ,caledon--,the ,lieuw--,battle of ,berea--,return of the expedition2 crossing the drift at the ,lieuw--,repassage of the ,caledon--,perils of the 8sick-waggon0 in crossing--,thanks of ,general ,cathcart--,conduct of the sappers during the campaign4 ,the detachment in ,london under ,captain ,owen was throughout the year1 attached to the ,commissioners for the ,exhibition of #ahea4 ,four of the party were generally in the office performing the duty of clerks and draughtsmen4 ,among the services executed by them was the organization and classification1 for historic and scientific purposes1 of the voluminous correspondence1 documents1 and tabulated forms and returns of the department1 previous to their deposit in the royal archives4 ,to this was added the duty of preparing the various certificates with the signature of ,prince ,albert1 and forwarding them1 with the exhibitors' and jurors' medals1 and juries' reports1 to the different local and foreign committees throughout the world4 ,to corporal ,gardner was intrusted the office of stamping the ,prince's signature4 ,before he commenced the task he made some experiments to ascertain the best mode of transferring the royal name from the block to the paper4 ,his object was to make the impression a perfect resemblance of the original1 to accomplish which the use of common ink was a desideratum4 ,observation and ingenuity soon led him to adopt an expedient that proved to be very successful4 ,about #bj1jjj of these certificates he prepared1 and many of the transfers were such faithful fac-similes of the original1 that the minutest examination of their details failed to discover the slightest deviation from the character of the royal autograph4 ,for two or three months when the men were not employed on more pressing services1 they were advantageously occupied in collecting and arranging specimens received from the exhibitors1 now composing the trade collection at ,kensington palace4 ,they also examined and took charge of the ,exhibition photographs1 executed in ,paris1 #ah1jjj in number1 after their return by ,messrs4 ,de la ,rue and ,co4 who mounted them4 ,in the evening after the day's labour had ended1 five of the party attended for four months the ,government school of design at ,somerset ,house1 and received instruction in free-hand drawing4 ,the privilege thus conceded was not only unprecedented but greatly enhanced by an instant departure from the rule of the institution1 which required candidates to avail themselves of its benefits in their turn4 ,by the end of the year the sappers with ,captain ,owen were reduced to four non-commissioned officers4 ,in ,january and ,february two non-commissioned officers with six civilians as labourers1 under ,mr4 ,john ,mc,laren1#aja the deputy surveyor-general of ,south ,australia1 were employed in establishing an overland route from ,adelaide to ,mount ,alexander4 ,they laid out a line of road between these points through the wilderness1 removed all striking obstructions1 and formed at every practicable locality convenient wells of water for the use of travellers4 ,the object of laying down this line of communication was principally to assist the transit of the 8gold diggers0 of the ,mount and the contiguous country into ,adelaide4 ,twelve rank and file were sent from ,woolwich in ,april to ,spike ,island1 to superintend the convict mechanical skill and labour placed at the disposal of the ,ordnance1 in carrying on the defences of the island and other posts in ,cork harbour4 ,this measure was strongly urged by ,colonel ,oldfield1 the commanding royal engineer in ,ireland1 on the score both of utility and economy2 and the services of the party in directing the convicts in the quarries1 the excavations1 and at their trades1 were followed by results1 indisputably advantageous to the public4 ,the seventh company1 employed first at ,portsmouth and then at ,gosport1 in conjunction with the second company1 in constructing the batteries at ,brown ,down1 was removed in ,june from ,fort ,monckton to ,hurst ,castle1 to repair its defences and construct new batteries4 ,the men1 not quartered in the castle1 were provided with accommodation in a detached shed1 which was converted into a barrack for the purpose4 ,early in the year1 under orders from the ,home ,government1 four men of the corps under lance-corporal ,james ,s4 ,taylor1 made surveys and plans of the ,holmfirth reservoir and the country in its neighbourhood1 to assist ,captain ,r4 ,c4 ,moody1 ,r4,e41 in his inquiries to ascertain the cause of the bursting of its embankment and the consequent destruction of life and property4 ,on the completion of the work the men were commended for the active and able manner in which it had been executed1 and received a liberal allowance for their services4 ,a new station was opened for the corps this year at ,alderney1 one of the ,channel ,islands1 whither the eleventh company1 under the command of ,captain ,w4 ,f4 ,d4 ,jervois1 ,r4,e41 repaired from ,woolwich1 and arrived at the island on the #cjth ,june4 ,some four weeks after the men commenced the construction of the permanent works considered necessary in those precarious days1 to enable the garrison to resist any attempt at invasion by the enemy4 ,there being but little accommodation in the island for troops1 unused as it had been to have soldiers quartered on it1 the company was necessarily divided into two portions1 and domiciled more than a mile apart1 at ,longy and ,corblets4 ,the 8,nunnery0 was constituted an hospital for the sick4 ,an appeal was made to the corps in ,june to subscribe towards the erection of an asylum for soldiers' widows in memory of the late ,duke of ,cambridge4 ,from most of the companies it was met by contributions1 which in the aggregate amounted to #ajal4 #ags41 and thus insured to the corps a permanent interest in the institution to the extent of nine votes at every election of a widow4 ,the gift from the non-commissioned officers and men of the sappers was the most liberal that had been received from any regiment in the service4 ,sergeant ,john ,berry and one private1 both surveyors1 were employed under ,captain ,vetch1 late ,r4,e41 from ,june to ,august1 in conducting a series of tidal observations in the ,river ,dee at ,chester1 for the harbour department of the ,admiralty1 and to carry out also the provisions of the 8,dee ,standard ,restoration ,act40 ,the observations were to extend over a period of twelve months1 but the service was concluded in a fourth of the time4 ,the duty was very carefully attended to1 and the registrations were always accurately made by the sergeant and his assistant4 ,one sergeant and fourteen rank and file embarked for ,van ,diemen's ,land on the #aith ,july on board the #8,lady ,montagu1' as a guard over convicts1 in conjunction with a detachment of the line under the command of ,captain ,j4 ,s4 ,hawkins1 ,r4,e41 and landed at ,hobart ,town on the #aath ,december4 ,the ,lieutenant-,governor of the colony applied for the assistance of the sappers to constitute1 in the first instance1 the nucleus of an efficient survey body1 and to carry on1 both in the city and the distant bush1 the trigonometrical and detail survey of the settlement4 ,the men1 eleven of whom were married and had families1 were selected from the survey companies1 and were all competent for the duty both as surveyors and draughtsmen4 ,a change in the designation of the settlement caused the party to be denominated the 8,tasmanian ,detachment40 ,very early after its arrival1 the legislative council of the colony showed much hostility to the employment of the sappers1 and at last gained the point for which it had pertinaciously worked4 ,after a service of nearly four years in the triangulation and survey of ,tasmania1 the detachment quitted ,hobart ,town on the #ith ,february1 #ahef1 and landed at ,sydney1 for similar duty1 on the #acth following4 ,a party of six men from ,chatham was employed under ,captain ,g4 ,bent1 ,r4,e41 from #bdth ,september to #acth ,december1 in surveying and levelling the ground in the neighbourhood of ,st4 ,helier's1 ,jersey1 to the extent of about ten square miles2 and afterwards the same party was removed to ,alderney1 where1 under ,lieutenant ,martin and ,captain ,jervois1 it completed for military purposes a special survey of the island1 in ,may1 #ahec4 ,hostilities at the ,cape were this year continued in the same desultory and unsatisfactory manner as in the previous year4 ,the attempts for a fair open fight were quite unsuccessful1 and the patrols undertaken to drive the enemy into action were equally as harassing and arduous as in any former war4 ,in these operations the sappers participated to the extent of their numerical means1 not without1 in one particular instance1 suffering greatly both in loss of life and property4 ,the following detail embraces the active services of the corps on the ,cape frontier this year4 ,a party of two sergeants and sixty-five rank and file1 under ,captain ,h4 ,c4 ,b4 ,moody1 ,r4,e41 returned to ,king ,william's ,town on the #ast ,january1 #aheb1 after three days' march in escorting supplies to ,forts ,white and ,cox4 ,one sergeant and thirty rank and file accompanied a patrol of nearly #ejj troops from ,king ,william's ,town1 under the command of ,lieutenant-,colonel ,skipwith1 #dcrd regiment1 on the #crd ,january4 ,captain ,moody with ,lieutenant ,fowler1 ,r4,e41 commanded the sappers4 ,the ,american pontoon was carried with the party4 ,the division crossed the ,kei on foot1 at a drift1 on the #gth and #hth4 ,on the #adth ,colonel ,eyre's division appeared in sight1 but as the ,kei had then risen considerably1 the pontoon was used with effect to cross the stream4 ,about one mile and a half above the drift1 at a point where the water was smooth though the current was strong1 the raft was employed4 ,the river was about #ajj yards wide1 with a muddy bottom2 the bank was easily accessible by infantry1 but not by cavalry or artillery4 ,to form the communication a strong hawser was passed over to the opposite bank1 and the pontoon1 attached to it by two short lines with running loops1 was passed from shore to shore1 carrying forty men at each trip4 ,on the first day1 seven companies of the #gcrd and #fjth regiments were in this manner ferried across1 as also about #ajj ,fingoe women and children4 ,during the day the tide again rapidly fell1 and the waggons1 c41 crossed the stream at the main drift4 ,captain ,moody1 in reporting upon the conduct of his detachment1 said1 8,nothing could exceed the energy and willingness with which they all worked40 ,from the #cast ,january to #bnd ,february one sergeant and forty rank and file1 under ,lieutenant ,fowler1 ,r4,e41 accompanied the patrol under the command of ,captain ,campbell1 ,cape mounted rifles1 and1 supplied with sickles1 assisted in devastating the crops of the enemy in the neighbourhood of ,perie and cutting off their supplies4 ,on the ,mangoka river a like razzia was effected1 and after a night's bivouac on the ,gwokkobi1 several huts were burnt and fifty acres of corn cut down4 ,further destruction was carried on up the ,gwokkobi and ,umnaza rivers to the ,perie station1 to the extent of eighty acres4 ,after a slight skirmish with about #bjj ,kaffirs in the ,perie bush1 the patrol returned to ,king ,william's ,town1 laying waste in its route the gardens in the vicinity of ,fort ,beresford and down the ,umtabini to the point of its junction with the ,buffalo river1 comprising another area of about eighty acres of thriving corn4 ,captain ,fenwick1 ,r4,e41 with twenty rank and file1 formed the ,european part of an escort of #ajj strong1 which conveyed supplies in five bullock waggons1 in addition to seventy head of cattle1 to ,major ,kyle's column in the ,tomacha--a distance of seventeen miles from ,king ,william's ,town1 to which place the detachment returned on the #eth ,february after two days' patrolling4 ,from #bgth ,january to #bhth ,february ten rank and file1 under second-corporal ,william ,roberts1 were attached to ,lieutenant-,colonel ,eyre's column1 and during the operations on the march to the ,keiskama1 and beyond it1 were employed in making drifts practicable for waggons1 throwing temporary bridges for the passage of the troops1 and assisting in the destruction of the enemy's crops4 ,a similar party during the same period1 under corporal ,george ,grubb1 accompanied ,major ,kyle's division to ,seyolo's country2 and1 in addition to the ordinary duties of the camp1 assisted in devastating the crops of the ,kaffirs1 and improved the drifts for the passage of the waggons and the fording of the troops4 ,this detachment also formed part of the waggon escort which conveyed provisions to the column from ,fort ,white4 ,on the #bbnd and #bcrd ,february one sergeant and sixty rank and file were on patrol to ,fort ,white1 with supplies for the columns of ,colonel ,mitchell and ,major ,kyle4 ,ten waggons were in charge of the party1 five of which were delivered to an escort from ,major ,kyle's patrol1 and the remainder were unloaded at the ,fort4 ,the party then returned to ,king ,william's ,town1 capturing on the road two ,kaffirs and six horses4 ,from #eth to #bgth ,march nine rank and file under ,captain ,robertson1 were present in the operations of the force under his ,excellency the ,commander-in-,chief1 in driving the enemy from the ,waterkloof and adjacent fastnesses1 and finally from the ,amatola mountains4 ,the sappers1 commanded by ,captain ,fenwick1 ,r4,e41 were most useful in rendering the drifts injured by heavy rains practicable for the passage of waggons4 ,on this service four men of each regiment accompanied the head-quarters as the ,commander-in-,chiefs escort4 ,the party of sappers also shared in the honour1 by being permitted to add five men to his ,excellency's body guard4 ,one corporal was also attached to the division under ,colonel ,eyre1 and was present in all its operations from #eth ,march to #bgth ,april4 ,to this patrol were added seven rank and file on the #bjth ,april1 who assisted in the concluding services of the division4 ,sixty sappers formed part of a patrol of #aej men1 under the command of ,captain ,moody1 ,r4,e41 sent out on the #bgth ,march to co-operate with ,colonel ,eyre's division1 and also to intercept fugitives1 cattle1 c41 flying from him in the direction of the ,isili range4 ,that day ,captain ,moody formed a junction with ,colonel ,eyre's force under ,murray's ,kraantz1 and in working up by ,kaffir tracks to the high ground burnt several of the enemy's huts4 ,the service required that the party should descend again3 this was done in a different direction over shelving rocks and through dense underwood4 ,it then crossed one of the sources of the ,buffalo1 scoured the country in its vicinage1 and returned again through the bush under the ,buffalo range towards ,colonel ,eyre's camp4 ,the paths were most intricate and rocky1 and the detachment consequently marched in ,indian file4 ,while in the heart of the bush night came on4 ,the darkness was so intense that the men were obliged to trail on by feeling and calling to each other4 ,it was with the greatest difficulty that the path was kept1 but at last it was lost altogether1 and halting near a stream the men lay down on the wet ground1 without fires1 and passed the night in a comfortless bivouac4 ,at grey light next morning the patrol was in motion1 and the sappers emerged from the bush after about four hours' exertion4 ,one man missed his way in the jungle1 and spent eighteen hours in endeavouring to gain the detachment4 ,he had nearly exhausted his energies in extricating himself from the steep and broken rocks that lay in his track1 when luckily he was rescued by some of his comrades who were sent in quest of him4 ,after renewed efforts to clear the bush of prowling ,kaffirs1 and driving them and their cattle in the direction of ,colonel ,eyre's division1 the detachment on the #bith ,march returned to ,king ,william's ,town1 laying waste on the route three ,kaffir gardens4 8,as usual10 wrote ,captain ,moody1 8the sappers behaved in an excellent manner40 ,their conduct also met with the approval of ,colonel ,eyre4 ,with a patrol of about #bdj troops1 commanded by ,captain ,robertson1 ,r4,e41 was sent a party of one sergeant and forty rank and file1 under ,lieutenant ,siborne1 ,r4,e4 ,the patrol left ,king ,william's ,town on the #cjth ,march4 ,the sappers1 broken up into small sections1 aided in scouring the ,isili ,berg4 ,on the #ast ,april the patrol quitted the bivouac at the source of the ,yellow ,wood river1 destroyed a few huts and several fields of corn1 and reached head-quarters on the #bnd ,april4 ,a patrol of #cjj men1 under ,captain ,moody1 ,r4,e41 conveyed supplies of cattle and provisions to ,fort ,cox for the divisions working in the ,amatolas1 and returned with the empty waggons without opposition from the enemy4 ,the escort was out three days1 from #eth to #gth ,april1 and #ajj sergeants and rank and file of the corps1 under ,lieutenant ,siborne1 ,r4,e41 formed a part of the force4 ,sergeant ,john ,mealey and ten rank and file accompanied1 on the #gth ,april1 a small escort under ,lieutenant ,broke1 #fjth rifles1 with provisions in waggons to the ,green river for ,colonel ,percival's division1 and returned the next day to ,king ,william's ,town4 ,soon after this1 a detachment of thirty-one men1 under ,lieutenant ,siborne1 ,r4,e41 built a defensible tower in the ,keiskama ,hoek1 for the purpose of making a demonstration of a fixed purpose permanently to eject the ,gaika tribe from that territory and to occupy the ,amatolas4 ,the head-quarters of the ninth company was removed from ,king ,william's ,town on the #bhth ,may by ,graham's ,town and ,fort ,brown to ,beaufort1 at which fort it arrived on the #aith ,june4 ,previously to its arrival it was overtaken in the ,konap pass on the #acth ,june by a body of #bjj rebel ,hottentots1 under ,ian ,cornelis and ,damon ,kuhn1 and at noon was suddenly brought into action4 ,the small force under ,captain ,h4 ,c4 ,b4 ,moody1 ,r4,e41 consisted of two sergeants1 thirty-one rank and file1 and one bugler1 in charge of five waggons containing baggage1 arms1 engineer stores1 and #cj1jjj rounds of musket-ball ammunition1 with four women and ten children4 ,the ,pass--a long and dangerous one--has a serpentine direction1 accommodating itself to the tortuous ravine through which it ascends4 ,on the left1 the whole way is a rocky precipice some forty feet high1 scarped either by manual labour to form a road or by descending torrents in bygone ages1 the summit of which is covered with bush4 ,on the right rises a steep hill1 inaccessible1 and thickly wooded to the brim2 a better position adapted to a lurking foe could not well be imagined1 affording the means of enfilade fire at every turn of the road4#ajb ,acquainted by spies with the movements of the convoy1 the rebel ,hottentots had before its approach concealed themselves in an impenetrable ambuscade1 and as the sappers ascended the hill1 the advanced guard was met with a volley which killed three of the mules in the leading waggon and stopped the progress of the train1 the road being too narrow to turn it4 ,so sudden and fierce a beginning did not appal the detachment1 for instantly1 without disorder1 they joined issue with the enemy though far superior in force and almost unassailable in position4 ,some of the party soon tried to push into the bush above them1 but the rebels already occupied it close to the edge of the road2 and as the thicket was too dense to work in1 the men were compelled to retire4 ,at this moment one of the leading drivers showed unmistakeable symptoms of treachery and fraternization with the rebels1 and he was instantly shot down by a sapper4#ajc ,in a few seconds the firing was general for more than #aej yards on both sides of the ,pass1 but the detachment1 careful of its ammunition1 only fired when the enemy could be seen and picked off4 ,at length the advance men fell back and took cover under the bank1 and between it and the leading waggon1 where they received a reinforcement of a few men from the rear4 ,each waggon was now defended with great determination and intrepidity1 and each man fought his way through fearful straits4 ,the firing was chiefly within five yards and less of their antagonists4 ,sometimes in venturing from their shelter to fire upon the rebels in the kloof1 they were opposed by a deadly fire from behind1 which always lessened the number that returned4 ,at the head of the road a force of the enemy occupied a position which enfiladed the detachment1 but the rebels there were held in check by the steady firing of a few men who kept a vigilant look out for them4 ,without diminishing his fire in the parts he already occupied1 the enemy rapidly increased the extent of his flanks and was trying to surround the little band1 but to prevent this1 and as the men had been driven to the last stand and were fast falling1 ,captain ,moody gave the reluctant order for the women and children to leave the waggons1 and all to commence a retreat4 ,not a move was made to the rear until the order was given2 and1 with as many of the wounded as could assist themselves1 and the women and children--the retreat towards the old ,konap post was conducted with steadiness and without precipitation under a spirited fire from the rebels4 ,on clearing the gorge1 a section of the men was extended into the bush to keep the advancing enemy in check1 and under its cover the detachment gained an abandoned inn1 which was soon converted into a post of defence by barricades and loopholes4 ,here a final stand was to be made1 but the ,hottentots1 although they were aware of the weakness of the party1 dared not renew the attack4 ,the action lasted an hour2 three-fourths of the time being spent in defending the waggons1 which were riddled with balls4 ,the casualties were---- ,killed #g-- ,lance-corporal ,john ,hitchings2 bugler ,david ,brotherston2 privates ,john ,crilly1 ,john ,gillies1 ,james ,marr1 ,edward ,phillips1 and ,william ,sanderson4 ,also the wife of private ,thomas ,hayward1 and three or four of the drivers1 including young ,webb1 a lad of eighteen years of age1 who was shot dead while receiving some caps from a sapper4#ajd ,died of wounds #b-- ,privates ,william ,forgie and ,john ,arthur4 ,wounded #f-- ,corporal ,edward ,wilmore2 second-corporal ,william severely ,marshall1 and privates ,henry ,scott1 ,john ,cloggie1 ,philip ,gould1 and ,james ,reynolds4 ,wounded #a-- ,private ,thomas ,seaman4 slightly ---- ,total #af ---- ,the enemy1 though ensconced in the thicket1 had many killed4#aje ,all the spare arms1 ,mini rifles1 ammunition1 oxen1 baggage1 and equipments were captured by the rebels1 but the waggons1 engineer stores1 and some minor articles were recovered4#ajf ,the ,mini rifles luckily had been 8rendered useless by the precaution of removing the nipples40#ajg ,captain ,moody's conduct throughout commanded the confidence of his men4 ,of their coolness and courage he reported in the highest terms4 ,colour-sergeant ,alexander ,spalding who commanded the rear-guard1 and sergeant ,william ,king1 who had charge of the advance1 were favourably noticed in the ,captain's despatch4 ,sergeant ,john ,davis of the #abth regiment1 was also highly spoken of1 as well for his coolness and courage1 as for his offer to proceed with four volunteer sappers to ,fort ,brown for assistance4 ,while ,captain ,moody was assisting the men in their charges1 one of the rebels took a steady aim at him by resting his gun on the branch of a tree1 but his piece snapped1 and before he could re-cap he was shot down by private ,john ,murphy4#ajh ,three times sergeant ,king collected his men1 and bravely headed them in their fruitless charges on the rebels4#aji ,private ,thomas ,hayward volunteered to go to ,fort ,brown alone1 in disguise1 after dusk for assistance1 but the firing having been heard at that fort1 a detachment of the #abth regiment soon appeared1 and rendered the hazardous enterprise of the private unnecessary4 ,the arrival of the reinforcement1 however1 put the men again on their mettle1 and ,captain ,moody and his sappers returned with the party to the scene of the disaster4 ,on both sides of the road they scoured the jungle1 but the rebels had decamped with as much booty as they could carry off4#aaj 8,the little band of sappers10 wrote a ,london journal1 8were noble fellows1 who often before1 under another of their officers1 had fought bravely in a fairer field40#aaa ,in the ,government notice of the ,commander-in-,chief1 dated ,june #afth1 #aheb1 the conduct of the men 8in defending the waggons to the last10 and their 8steady and good order in retreat after inflicting a severe loss on the enemy10 were much lauded4 ,the notice then added1 that 8the greatest credit is due to ,captain ,moody and his small party of sappers for their soldier-like and gallant bearing on the occasion40 ,even the rebel ,hottentots themselves in speaking of the massacre said1 that 8the sappers fought like men40#aab ,the remnant of the party1 taking with it the killed and wounded1 and the women and children1 reached ,fort ,brown at dusk on the #adth ,june4 ,there the brave men who lost their lives were interred4 ,a subscription was forthwith made among the officers1 non-commissioned officers1 and men of the royal artillery and #abth regiment to meet the urgent wants of the party1 and the necessities of the motherless children of private ,hayward4 ,a further sum of #ajjl4 was collected among the benevolent citizens of ,graham's ,town for the same purpose1 and the amount was distributed to the sufferers in proportion to their losses and wants4 ,a visit to the fatal spot a day or two after afforded unmistakeable evidence of the obstinate nature of the conflict4 ,dead horses1 oxen and mules1 shot in the fray1 blocked up the road4 ,two of the ,hottentots lay stanched in their blood1 and wells of gore were scattered about the path in sickening frequency4 ,two waggons1 speckled with shot-holes1 had been overturned2 and further on1 in the line of retreat1 were strewn quantities of torn uniform1 broken muskets1 blood-stained linen1 and commissariat supplies4#aac ,captain ,moody1 having under him thirteen rank and file1 was out on patrol with the force under ,general the ,honourable ,george ,cathcart1 from the #fth to #aeth ,july4 ,the sappers kept with the guns4 ,they carried with them a proportion of tools to improve the roads1 and assisted in some of the operations for driving the enemy from the ,kroome range and the ,waterkloof4 ,on the #beth ,july sergeant ,john ,mealey and nine men of the corps at ,fort ,white were present with about #ajj men of the #abth ,lancers1 #bnd ,queens1 and ,cape ,corps in repulsing an attack on the cattle guard4 ,the ,hottentots1 about #bjj in number1 under ,uithaalder were on the plain in front of the fort in good skirmishing order4 ,after crossing a drift they stood for a time1 and kept up a smart fire on the garrison4 ,they then retreated with the loss of six men to ,slambie ,kop1 to the foot of which they were pursued4 ,the ,british casualties only counted two slightly wounded4 ,the sappers turned out with great promptitude1 not waiting to cover themselves with their jackets1 and conducted themselves as good soldiers4 ,captain ,robertson1 ,r4,e41 was also present1 and two of the sappers were near to him in the hottest of the fire4 ,the rebels had a bugler among them who was proficient in his duty4 ,the bugle on which he sounded had been captured by the ,hottentots in the ,konap ,pass a month before from bugler ,brotherston1 who was killed in the action4 ,again ,captain ,moody1 in command of twenty-eight rank and file of the corps1 was attached to the troops under his ,excellency1 which operated from the #bith ,july to the #bith ,august across the ,kei1 by ,aland's ,post and ,whittlesea4 ,on the #fth ,august the party was increased by the arrival of nine men at ,brome ,neck1 with the patrol from ,king ,william's ,town under ,lieutenant-,colonel ,mitchell4 ,this party brought up the ,india-rubber pontoons1 but the low state of the tides rendered their use unnecessary4 ,the detachment more immediately with ,captain ,moody was employed on the journey in repairing the defective drifts1 and establishing a defensible kraal on the ,kei at the standing camp4 ,the conduct of the sappers was well spoken of by the ,captain1 and his ,excellency expressed his satisfaction with all that had been done by them4 ,a detachment of twenty-seven non-commissioned officers and men landed at the ,cape from ,england on the #aath ,september1 which increased the corps in the colony from #bfh to #bhe of all ranks4 ,eight rank and file left ,fort ,beaufort1 under ,captain ,moody1 on the #aath ,september1 and were attached to the division under his ,excellency1 to make a demonstration in the ,waterkloof4 ,at ,nelle's ,farm1 under the direction of ,captain ,jesse1 ,r4,e41 they constructed an intrenched camp1 assisted by the rifle brigade1 and formed a similar one in the valley of the ,waterkloof near ,brown's ,farm4 ,these services were rapidly and creditably executed4 ,four rank and file were present in the field services of the column under ,colonel ,eyre1 from #cjth ,september to #cjth ,october4 ,four also served in the various operations with ,major-,general ,york's division from the #abth to #bhth ,october4 ,to the expedition against ,moshesh commanded by his ,excellency ,lieutenant-,general the ,honourable ,george ,cathcart1 were attached1 on the #gth ,november1 serjeant ,joseph ,ireland and #ac privates of the corps under ,lieutenant ,siborne of the engineers4 ,in the column of route1 the sappers marched in front of the leading waggon1 which carried the intrenching tools2 and on several occasions preceded the force1 clearing away impediments in the drifts to prevent delay in the progress of the troops4 ,lieutenant ,siborne1 aided by ,lieutenant ,smith of the ,kat river levy1 directed the sappers in these hurried interstitial labours4 ,streams and rivers abounding in the country1 the ,india-rubber floats were necessarily resorted to1 to push on the army4 ,the first water of any magnitude on the line of march1 was the ,orange ,river1 which1 having sunk to an accessible depth1 the troops breasted it2 but to free them from hazard in crossing1 their arms1 appointments1 knapsacks1 and personal war equipment were ferried over on the raft by the party of sappers4 ,traversing an open country for about #cd miles the army reached the ,caledon1 which offered the first serious obstruction to the march4 ,the troops luckily had passed on foot1 but by the time the waggons arrived the river had risen fifteen feet4 ,now the current was fierce1 surging1 and full of eddies2 and the trunks of old trees1 which1 for years1 perhaps1 had floated with the changing tide1 up and down the stream1 materially interfered with the operations of the pontoon2 but it nevertheless was made to do its work1 and the waggons with the supplies were rapidly passed to the opposite bank4#aad ,captain ,tylden and ,lieutenants ,stanton and ,siborne--the last in charge of the raft--were thanked for their 8aid and exertions0 in effecting the passage4 ,a journey of more than seventy miles brought the expedition to the ,lieuw--a narrow fordable water1 with a dashing tide confined within steep banks4 ,before however the waggons could cross1 both shores had to be cut away to a convenient level by the whole force of sappers assisted by a fatigue party4 ,still1 so difficult was the passage1 that five hours were spent in taking over about one-half the train2 and then only by the sturdy exertions of a double team of oxen whipped into extra activity by rows of persevering men occupying positions in the river up to their waists in water4#aae ,continuing the march1 the ,caledon ,river--which swept round from the level in which it was first encountered--was a second time approached1 but as the stream was fordable1 the operation of crossing was unattended by the exercise of more than ordinary energy4 ,the troops then moved on to the ,berea mountain and fought a battle with the well-equipped horsemen of ,moshesh1 in which the ,british casualties were severe4 ,corporal ,edward ,a4 ,henderson was the only sapper present in the action1 he being at the time with the rocket section of artillery1 attached to ,dr4 ,fasson1 the ,ordnance surgeon1 in the capacity of medical orderly4 ,the pontoneers were left in camp at the ,caledon with the raft4 ,having made the chief aware of the political consequences of his defeat1 and obtained his subscription to a treaty1 the victorious troops retraced their steps to the colony4 ,the ,caledon was easily passed1 and after a march of about fifty miles1 the ,lieuw was gained4 ,recollecting the difficulty of the previous operation1 ,colonel ,eyre ordered that some efforts should be employed to discover a really practicable drift4 ,a few of the waggons crossed at the old ford1 but in the mean time sergeant ,ireland--a man who had received praise for his boat services and usefulness in the demolition of the wreck of the #8,royal ,george'--discovered a diagonal drift so convenient1 as to render the passage one of maximum facility4 ,the bottom was rocky the whole distance1 with a shallow flow trippling over the stones2 while the general stream escaped through fissures and cavities in the rock1 and merged into the river at the other side of the bar4 ,the trickling1 however1 at the drift1 caused it to be very slippery1 but to make the footing sure1 the defect was remedied by scattering along its surface a quantity of sand1 which brought the new ford into favour1 and the old one was abandoned4 ,crossing the ,caledon1 a second time1 without difficulty1 the march was sustained to the ,orange ,river4 ,its passage1 however1 was a tedious and protracted operation4 ,the rains had increased the height of the stream1 and expanded it to #bbe yards4 ,the current was resistless and the weather squally4 ,a heavy flat-bottomed punt and the ,india-rubber cylinders were the only means within reach to achieve the movement4 ,such an organization1 to throw over an army of some strength with guns and troops of horses1 attended by a cumbersome train of waggons of unusual magnitude for number was ridiculously small4 ,five sappers with ,lieutenant ,siborne manned the raft1 and a like number of the troops oared the punt1 each working its course1 from bank to bank1 on a separate hawser stretched across the stream4 ,thirty-five men1 armed and fully accoutred1 were taken over at each trip and landed every ten minutes4 ,indeed the passage across only occupied a third of the time1 owing to a skilful use of sheaves--instead of thimbles and eyes--running on the warps1 to which short lines were attached issuing from the raft4 ,the latter again was placed obliquely to the warp1 by which one of the angles or shoulders of the float was pressed forward to the hawser4 ,all this is probably too technical to be generally understood4 ,the current just suited the arrangement1 and lashing against the cylinders--which were broadside to it--drove the raft onward at a rapid rate4 ,not needing to help in its propulsion1 the men1 looking to their equilibrium1 simply balanced themselves on the deck4 ,until sergeant ,ireland hit upon this expedient1 the iron thimbles worked but idly on the rough hawsers1 and the raft was necessarily hauled across by the manual dexterity of the pontoneers4 ,horses1 mules1 oxen1 howitzers1 guns1 and all sorts of military equipment were passed over on the pontoons2 whilst the punt1 which could only bear one waggon at a time1 and one or two struggling horses1 was in constant requisition to take over the baggage and material of the army4 ,fortunately the evenings were moonlight1 which graced the operation with a charm that influenced the ardour and exertions of the men4 ,under this sombre aspect1 the rush of the stream1 the splash of the wave1 the dip of the paddles1 and the gliding of the raft1 gave the exploit a feature as romantic as martial4 ,on two or three occasions the hawsers stretched to their utmost tension1 by the increasing height of the river1 snapt at their weakest points4 ,to renew them was a labour of some eight hours' toil2 and then1 such was the strength of the flow1 they could not be safely used4 ,the pontoons too1 being light and inflated1 danced like corks on the troubled water1 and were nearly torn at times from under their superstructure4 ,still1 the men accustomed to such perils were only the more daring and energetic1 and the passage was prosecuted without accident4 ,under the altered circumstances of wind and current1 the punt would have lain idle for the want of a tow-line by which to work its way from side to side1 but ,lieutenant ,siborne1 enlarging his sphere of action1 had the boat pulled down on either bank to a good offing and made to do its share of hard duty4 ,it was however a wearying and exhausting process1 for each trip was not performed under three-quarters of an hour4 ,the conveyance of the 8sick waggon0 claimed especial care1 but untoward mishaps made its short career eventful4 ,when about half way across1 one of its sweeps or long oars broke1 and the boat with its living freight was at the mercy of the impetuous torrent4 ,drifting with the current it at length plunged among some willow trees below the landing-place1 where a rope1 passed from tree to tree1 being quickly fastened to the punt1 a party on shore hauled it to an opening in the bank4 ,the hawser1 however1 unable to bear the strain1 gave way1 and the boat whirled off furiously towards a rapid in the middle of the stream4 ,recovered again1 it was pulled up to the trees with so much force1 that the overhanging branches became entangled with the waggon and nearly capsized it into the river4 ,in this dilemma1 some four or five sappers1 under the direction of ,lieutenant ,stanton1 nimbly vaulted into the willows1 and with axes1 promptly cut down the impeding branches1 whilst others of the pontoneers1 8swimming about in the boiling flood10 assisted to clear them away4 ,all the obstacles being thus removed1 the punt was successfully pulled to the sand-drift1 and biding a prudent opportunity1 was safely passed to the other bank4#aaf ,no less than eight days were consumed in this exciting operation1 and the detachment1 which had been left behind its division1 to complete some necessary details1 were now in full route for head-quarters4 ,by forced marches1 in forty-eight hours it overtook the column under ,colonel ,eyre1 which had taken five days to travel the same distance4 ,the subsequent rivers in the journey1 being as shallow as rivulets1 were easily forded1 and no necessity occurred for employing the resources which the sappers had at command4 ,the detachment arrived at ,king ,william's ,town on the #bith ,january4 ,four other sappers despatched from ,bloom fontein and attached to the division under ,colonel ,napier1 were also engaged as pontoneers1 and completed the concluding operations for crossing the column4 ,on arriving at ,graham's ,town they joined a detachment of the corps there4#aag ,on the following muster parade1 a letter was read1 in which his ,excellency commended the zeal and activity of the sappers as displayed in the passage of the ,orange river by the divisions under ,colonels ,eyre and ,napier1 and justly attributed the success of the manuvre to the able manner in which it had been conducted by ,lieutenant ,siborne4 ,lieutenant-,colonel ,cole1 the commanding royal engineer1 in his final report1 dated #ast ,march1 #ahec1 to ,brigade-,major ,walpole1 communicating the termination of the war1 thus wrote of the services and conduct of the corps3--8,i cannot conclude what is probably my last report to you1 without conveying the gratification ,i have experienced throughout by the value which has been attached to the services of the non-commissioned officers and men of the royal sappers and miners1 not only in public dispatches1 but from the opinion expressed to me by the late commander of the forces especially1 and the officers under whose command they have served1 and who have in many instances shown their confidence practically4 8,i am enabled to add that from the reports ,i have received and my own observation1 the non-commissioned officers and men have in all instances throughout this arduous struggle shown a zeal and determination to further the service in which they were engaged1 and have displayed their usual gallantry and discipline whenever they have been in the presence of the enemy40 ----- ,footnote #aja3 ,was formerly in the sappers1 from which he was discharged a corporal in ,january1 #ahch1 on a pension of #as4 #g;d4 a-day1 after a service of twenty-three years4 ,most of his military career was spent on the survey of ,ireland1 in which he was found a zealous and correct surveyor4 ,soon after quitting the corps he emigrated to ,south ,australia1 and was hired by the ,commissioners for the colony as a draughtsman in the land office4 ,he was one of the first race of surveyors in the settlement1 and his duties1 carried on through an unexplored intricate wilderness1 were extremely toilsome and trying4 ,at one time the survey department was thrown into great difficulty by the resignation of the original survey staff1 which was the more embarrassing as emigrants were pouring into the colony by thousands1 and land was rapidly purchased4 ,in this extremity corporal ,mc,laren1 to meet the great and pressing wants of the colonists1 exerted himself with untiring energy4 ,the ,governor1 ,colonel ,gawler1 in writing of his services 7#8,times1' ,november #g1 #ahdf71 said1 8,corporal ,mc,laren was a fine fellow1 who would have answered all my purposes if ,i could have cut him up into ten or twenty living portions1 but who1 unhappily for me1 was not thus divisible40 ,he was afterwards attached to the department of the surveyor-general1 and ultimately1 by his commendable labours1 his experience1 and valuable co-operation1 received the appointment of deputy surveyor-general1 which he now fills4 ,his income is about #gjjl4 a-year4 ,a report by him 7#8,times1' ,september #bj1 #aheb71 on the overland route from ,adelaide to ,mount ,alexander1 is a fair specimen of his literary attainments and business-like habits4 ,footnote #ajb3 #8,naval and ,military ,gazette1' #bast ,august1 #aheb4 ,footnote #ajc3 ,ibid41 ,september #ah1 #aheb4 ,footnote #ajd3 #8,naval and ,military ,gazette1' ,september #ah1 #aheb4 ,footnote #aje3 ,king's #8,campaigning in ,kaffirland1' #bnd edit41 p4 #bcg4 ,footnote #ajf3 ,after this disaster1 arms or ammunition were forbidden to be conveyed from one post to another1 except by the express orders of the ,major-,generals or officers commanding divisions1 who were held responsible that sufficient escorts were provided to defend the convoys4 ,footnote #ajg3 ,king's #8,campaigning in ,kaffirland1' #bnd edit41 p4 #bcg4 ,footnote #ajh3 ,said to be young ,webb1 a driver 7in #8,naval and ,military ,gazette1' ,august #ba1 #aheb72 but ,captain ,moody has recorded1 that the service was performed by private ,murphy4 ,footnote #aji3 ,the praise due to him was unjustly given both in the colonial and metropolitan press to sergeant ,davis1 of the #abth regiment3 but it was claimed for sergeant ,king1 in a very soldier-like manner1 by corporal ,wilmore of the party1 who was present and wounded in the action4 ,without attempting to disparage the conduct of the sergeant of the #abth1 the corporal explained that at the period the charges took place1 sergeant ,davis was in the rear at the ,old ,post1 with four volunteer sappers1 awaiting orders to proceed to ,fort ,brown for a military reinforcement4--#8,graham's ,town ,journal1' ,october #bc1 #aheb4 ,footnote #aaj3 ,king's #8,campaigning in ,kaffirland1' #bnd edit41 p4 #bcg4 ,footnote #aaa3 #8,naval and ,military ,gazette1' ,august #ba1 #aheb4 ,footnote #aab3 #8,graham's ,town ,journal1' ,october #bb1 #ahec4 ,footnote #aac3 ,king's #8,campaigning in ,kaffirland1' #bnd edit41 p4 #bcf4 ,footnote #aad3 ,king's #8,campaigning in ,kaffirland1' #bnd edit41 p4 #cja4 ,footnote #aae3 ,king's #8,campaigning in ,kaffirland1' #bnd edit41 p4 #cji4 ,footnote #aaf3 ,king's #8,campaigning in ,kaffirland1' #bnd edit41 p4 #cbh4 ,footnote #aag3 ,much of the information afforded of the expedition is gleaned from an official report by ,lieutenant ,siborne1 and the 8,order ,book0 of the detachment4 #ahec4 ,expedition to ,central ,africa--,private ,e4 ,swenny--,journey to ,beni-,olid--,hospitality of the natives at ,sokna--,black ,mountains--,privations and exertions--,private ,john ,maguire--,gatrone--,sufferings of the slaves in their march across the desert--,evidences of the number that perish--,trials of the expedition2 halts at ,kouka--,party with the department of ,practical ,art--,sanitary survey of ,woolwich--,detachment for survey of ,van ,diemen's ,land--,additional commissions to the corps--,company at ,alderney--,corporal ,james ,s4 ,taylor at ,new ,york--,company recalled from the ,cape--,company to the ,mauritius--,party to ,melbourne--,inconvenience of its popularity--,epidemic at ,bermuda--,detachment for the ,mint at ,sydney--,greatcoats4 ,corporal ,james ,f4 ,church and private ,edward ,swenny1 energetic and intelligent men1 were appointed on the #aith ,february to join the expedition to ,central ,africa under ,dr4 ,barth4 ,the former was a carpenter1 and the latter a surveyor and draughtsman acquainted with the management of philosophical instruments1 and had1 previously to his enlistment1 travelled in ,belgium1 ,france1 ,algiers1 and ,milan4 ,from political considerations they quitted in the character of civilians1 but were armed each with a ,colt's revolver1 a rifle1 a double-barrel fowling-piece1 a bowie knife1 and an axe4 ,on the #bjth ,february they embarked at ,southampton1 under ,dr4 ,vogel1 a young ,german astronomer attached to the expedition1 and after a short stay on shore at ,malta1 proceeded to ,tripoli1 where they tarried for some months1 devoting their leisure to learning the ,arabic dialect1 and familiarizing themselves with the mode of riding on camel-back4 ,corporal ,church also mastered the use of the sextant1 mountain barometer1 azimuth compass1 c41 so as to make ready observations with them4 ,from a dangerous illness private ,swenny could not go on with the expedition1 and was sent to ,england with high testimonials for zeal and ability from ,dr4 ,vogel and ,colonel ,herman1 the ,tripoline consul4 ,the ill chance which deprived the enterprise of his valuable services was much regretted by ,lord ,clarendon1 who granted the invalid in addition to his salary a gratuity of #ael4 ,his place was supplied by private ,john ,maguire1 a fine soldier and skilful mechanic1 who was selected from among thirty-six volunteers of the company of the corps at ,malta4 ,the caravan under ,dr4 ,vogel was a large one of thirty-seven camels1 carrying upwards of four tons of baggage and presents for the sultan of ,bornou and other chiefs4 ,the organization of the force1 with the packing and distribution of the baggage1 was chiefly confided to corporal ,church1 who in consequence of the temporary indisposition of ,dr4 ,vogel set out in charge of the expedition on the #aith ,june1 in company with ,mr4 ,f4 ,warrington1 a gentleman well known in ,tripoli1 to ,beni-olid1 where he arrived on the #bfth4 ,there ,dr4 ,vogel joined on the #bnd ,july1 and a day or two afterwards the caravan was again in motion4 ,at ,sokna1 midway between ,tripoli and ,moorzuk1 a number of the natives approached them with greeting1 and conducted them to an ample residence already prepared for their accommodation4 ,a supply of provisions1 consisting of melons1 green figs1 dates1 two sheep1 two large dishes of bazeen1 and three dishes of some other compound1 owning a name more curious than intelligible1 was placed at their disposal4 ,in the evening a similar presentation was made to them1 and the like extravagant proofs of generosity were continued to the travellers for four days more4 ,presents were made in return to compensate for this hospitality2 but the natives would only accept a few specimens of ,english cutlery in the shape of knives and razors4 ,on quitting ,sokna the governor and the people accompanied the caravan a short distance on the road1 and took their leave of the adventurers with unequivocal demonstrations of sympathy and good will4 ,next day the expedition entered the pass of ,gible ,asswaa1 or ,black ,mountains1 a region of dreariness and desolation4 ,in every direction masses of basalt seemed to have been upheaved by some convulsion of nature1 whilst in some places the rock had all the semblance of iron suddenly cooled after leaving the furnace4 ,much of the road was of the worst character for travelling1 for it was not only hard and broken1 but ridged with knife-like edges1 which gashed the camels' feet and lamed them4 ,this sterile region extended for more than fifty miles without even a shrub or an insect to invite observation4 ,to add to their trials1 the travellers were four days and a-half without water save that carried by the camels1 which from being constantly acted upon by the sun was always more than tepid and lost much of its relish4 ,in these mountains the heat was excessive4 ,when exposed to the full blaze of the sun the mercury in the thermometer rushed up speedily to #aej2 and afterwards1 when corporal ,church withdrew the instrument from the sand in which he had buried it about six inches deep1 the indication was #acj4 ,after passing the ,black ,mountains1 the corporal counted in one day nine skeletons of camels which had fallen in the waste from exhaustion4 ,the expedition now traversed a far-spreading plain1 and being short of water1 pushed on night and day by long marches for the well called ,omhul-obid1 or the ,mother of ,slaves4 ,before gaining it1 they were wearied with sixty-six hours' exertion in the saddle out of eighty1 and the camel which ,church had ridden from ,tripoli1 fell dead at ,erfad from fatigue4 ,in a few days afterwards--#eth ,august1 #ahec--the expedition reached ,moorzuk1 where private ,maguire joined it on the #cast of the same month4 ,this soldier1 cool and confident1 journeyed from ,tripoli with three or four ,arabs who were unable to speak a word of ,english4 ,he was equally unable to exchange with them a word of ,arabic4 ,gesture and grimace1 therefore1 were the means employed by him to communicate his orders and to express his feelings of satisfaction or discontent2 but notwithstanding this impediment1 he gallantly drove on1 and in thirty-four days accomplished the journey under a fierce sun1 without casualty and with credit4 ,on the #afth ,october the adventurers left ,moorzuk1 and had a toilsome journey as far as ,gatrone1 where they arrived on the #bdth of the same month4 ,seven days ,dr4 ,vogel and his sappers remained at this place to await the arrival of the rest of the lagging camels and stores4 ,in that time they were joined by a caravan of merchants with about fourteen ,arabs from ,egypt1 going to ,bornou to purchase slaves4 ,while at ,gatrone a batch of more than #gjj slaves1 nearly all women and children1 passed through the place4 ,the grown-up men in the drove did not seem to exceed twenty in number4 ,all were in a miserably withered state1 and many were panting and dying from fatigue and want4 ,already they had been driven across a desert between #fjj and #gjj miles1 and had yet to go to ,tripoli1 nearly #gjj miles more4 ,every step of the journey was to be tramped1 and most of them had burdens to bear on their heads1 of from fifteen to twenty pounds or more in weight1 according to their strength4 ,the slave-masters were very cruel to the wretched creatures1 for1 if they showed signs of lassitude or fell exhausted on the sand1 the whip was applied with unmeasured severity to their naked bodies2 and if the horrid scourging failed to move them on1 they were abandoned to their fate1 perhaps three days from the next well1 to perish from raging thirst4 ,the expedition reached ,teghery on the #crd ,november1 and resting for a few days1 after collecting dates for the use of the camels1 moved on the #gth into the ,great ,desert4 ,in the first three days no less than #bej skeletons of slaves were passed1 and fragments of bones were scattered about in such vast numbers on the route1 that one could traverse the wilderness unguided1 without much chance of missing the track4 ,at the wells of ,meshroo1 about two days' journey from ,teghery1 the ground had the appearance of an excavated cemetery1 or the site of a well-contested battle2 and to be free from these sickening relics of mortality1 the doctor and his sappers pitched their tents for the night at a distance4 ,the travelling was carried on at the rate of twelve or thirteen hours a-day1 without halting1 which was equal to a journey of from twenty-five to thirty miles4 ,this was reckoned to be very fair work1 as camels usually only go over two miles and a half of ground in an hour4 ,the average heat of the sun ranged from #abe to #acj1 and beamed upon the wayfarers with so oppressive an intensity that their substance and their strength were wasted in excessive perspiration4 ,in the evening they halted1 spread canvas1 and lay down for the night4 ,the two sappers posted themselves in turn as sentries over the caravan1 to protect it from injury or surprise4 ,during the night1 owing to the state of the atmosphere falling from its fiery day heat to a temperature sometimes as low as #de1 the men suffered from a feeling of extreme cold4 ,in this way the expedition journeyed for sixteen days without seeing a single native4 ,for ten marches of the period they looked in vain for the slightest trace of herbage1 but at a ,waddy called ,ekaba1 a not very luxuriant oasis1 they found a little coarse grass that afforded an acceptable change to the camels after feeding for ten days upon dry dates4 ,on the #bgth ,november the expedition was at ,ashanumra1 in the country of the tribes of ,tibboo4 ,in due time the expedition reached ,kouka where it remained for a while1 as ,dr4 ,barth had gone on to ,timbuctoo4 ,the return of the chief being uncertain ,dr4 ,vogel explored the country in the vicinity of the lake1 taking with him corporal ,maguire4 ,corporal ,church was left to carry on the meteorological observations4 ,contrary to expectation1 ,dr4 ,barth1 who had been reported dead1 returned to ,kouka1 and soon after1 corporal ,church accompanied him home4 ,whatever services may since have been conducted by ,dr4 ,vogel--of which no account has been communicated to the corps1 it is proper1 nevertheless1 to record to the credit of the corporal the very kind terms in which1 under date the #dth ,december1 #ahee1 the doctor wrote of him to the ,consul-,general at ,tripoli3-- 8,i beg to recommend to your special notice my faithful companion ,john ,maguire1 royal sappers and miners1 who has1 notwithstanding a serious indisposition under which he suffered in the beginning of our journey1 used every exertion to promote the object of the expedition1 and behaved in the most praiseworthy manner40 ,for his services corporal ,church received a gift of #ael4 from the foreign minister and a silver watch from the ,royal ,geographical ,society4 ,the small party under ,captain ,owen1 ,r4,e41 at ,marlborough ,house1 was increased in ,february to five rank and file4 ,on the completion of the referential arrangement of the correspondence and documents connected with the ,great ,exhibition1 they were attached in ,may to the department of practical science and art1 under the superintendence of ,mr4 ,henry ,cole4 ,since the transfer they have been engaged in services of a very miscellaneous character1 embracing the distribution to national and public schools of examples and models for teaching elementary knowledge1 form1 and colour1 mounting and tinting examples and prints1 preparing models1 c41 and officiating as clerks and draughtsmen in the offices at ,marlborough ,house4 ,corporal ,mack1 in addition to his ordinary duties1 produced two or three plans of an interesting character4 ,in arranging some dietary tables ,dr4 ,lyon ,playfair engaged the assistance of the corporal4 ,the ingredients used as food1 extending to twenty-three substances1 having been subjected by the professor to analysis1 required to be classified into a simple and consistent arrangement4 ,this the corporal effected by means of an ingenious diagram in colours4 ,dr4 ,playfair was well pleased with the illustration1 and when at a meeting of the ,royal ,society1 to which the corporal had the honour of being invited1 the professor announced his intention of publishing it for the use of schools1 the promise was received with applause4 ,true to his intention1 ,professor ,playfair afterwards produced the plan in colours on a very large scale1 and gave it a distribution as wide as the ,united ,kingdom4 ,on the #hth ,june1 #ahec1 the diagram was exhibited at the ,mansion-house1 and attracted much attention4 ,a reduced plan of the illustration was also made for the ,dean of ,hereford1 which forms the frontispiece to the sixth edition of his work on #8,secular ,education4' ,corporal ,mack constructed another elementary diagram1 commencing with the diet of an agricultural labourer and ascending to that of a convict4 ,singular to add1 by this scale it appears that good diet is increased in the same ratio as crime2 and the industrious husbandman fares worse than the felon6 ,corporal ,gardner1 with an assistant sapper1 had charge of the decorative furniture of cabinetry1 silk tapestry1 and drawings1 exhibited at ,gore ,house4 ,he received the various specimens1 assisted to arrange them1 and was intrusted with the responsible duty of securing their safety4 ,on his removal to the royal mint1 to receive instructions in the process of coining1 he was succeeded by second-corporal ,john ,pendered1 who retained the charge of the cabinetry until the close of the exhibition in ,september1 #ahec4 ,he also had the care of ,gore ,house estate and the adjoining grounds1 purchased by the ,royal ,commissioners4 ,second-corporal ,frederick ,key1 the foreman of carpenters at ,marlborough and ,gore ,houses1 superintended the construction of the fitments for the exhibition of cabinetry1 and the necessary repairs to the interior of ,gore ,house4 ,the working pay of the party1 in addition to their regimental allowances1 was #bs4 each a-day1 but corporal ,pendered was allowed #cs4 a-day1 in consideration of the extra charge confided to him in the care of ,gore ,house estate4 ,on the #aeth ,february was commenced the sanitary survey of ,woolwich for the ,local ,board of ,health by corporal ,james ,macdonald1 having under him a small variable party of sappers and civil assistants4 ,the survey comprised that part of ,woolwich lying south of the river ,thames1 and was finished in ,october1 the work having been delayed for a few months by the withdrawal of the party for the military survey of ,chobham4 ,corporal ,macdonald was provided with outline tracings from the #e-;feet initial plan of the metropolitan survey1 enlarged to ten feet to a mile4 ,these he carefully corrected1 and filled in the details1 embodying such other minuti as were necessary to assist the local authorities in effecting improvements in the drainage1 c4 ,the whole work1 so creditable to corporal ,macdonald1 mapped on about twenty full sheets1 was done at the expense of the ,woolwich ,board of ,health for #dejl4 ,under the authority of a royal warrant dated #bdth ,february1 a detachment of one sergeant1 two corporals1 and twelve privates was raised for the survey of ,van ,diemen's ,land1 which brought the establishment of the corps to a force of #b1bjj officers and men4 ,in anticipation of this sanction1 the party had been organized and sent to ,hobart ,town in #aheb4 ,on the #ast ,april two ,quartermasters were added to the corps by the ,master-,general--,lord ,raglan4 ,one was attached to the royal engineer establishment at ,chatham1 and the other to the companies employed on the ordnance survey4 ,major ,walpole originated the former1 ,lieutenant-,colonel ,hall the latter1 and ,sir ,john ,burgoyne1 the inspector-general of fortifications1 ably supported the suggestions by his recommendation4 ,these commissions were bestowed to reward merit1 and to place the corps on an equal footing of advantage with the royal artillery1 which regiment1 taking its published force at the time as a datum1 gave one commission from the ranks for every #gjj men4 ,the eleventh company was removed from ,alderney to ,woolwich on the #bnd ,june1 owing to the diminished strength of the corps there and at ,chatham1 rendering the withdrawal expedient4 ,for twelve months it had been stationed on the island1 and during that period its services were confined principally to the construction of the ,longy lines and to scarping the rock in front of them1 with the view of making the place less accessible to invasion4 ,the masons always had full employment1 but the greater part of the company1 failing work at their own trades1 took service in the quarries1 and furnished the stones for the fortifications4 ,private ,simon ,williams was noticed as the best and most successful cutter and builder4 ,on the removal of the company1 a small party was left for special duties as foremen and clerks4 ,an incident occurred in ,july which from its novelty is deserving of record4 ,private ,william ,calder committed forgery and theft1 and deserted from the corps4 ,his movements being traced and his assumed name discovered1 second-corporal ,james ,s4 ,taylor1 fully acquainted with his delinquencies1 was sent to the ,united ,states1 provided with a warrant from the ,foreign ,secretary1 to demand1 under the ,convention1 the apprehension and extradition of the culprit4 ,he had embarked at a ,scottish port on board the #8,dirigo1' and as she was sailing up to ,new ,york1 corporal ,taylor1 who had arrived in a steamer before her1 boarded the trader1 captured the thief1 and found in his possession all the property he had stolen from his comrades and the ,ordnance4 ,the case was taken before ,judge ,edmonds--notable for his eccentric decisions--and1 contrary to the clearest evidence1 he discharged the offender1 and insinuated1 from some extraordinary reasoning he employed1 that the corporal himself had committed the forgery4 ,protesting against the inference1 with soldier-like forbearance and respect1 he induced the judge to make a promise to cancel his unjust remarks1 but his ,honour1 regardless of his word1 afterwards published them without modification4 ,the unmerited accusation1 however1 did not discourage the corporal from following up his duty2 and he made two other attempts to secure the person of the deserter1 by asking a remand until direct evidence could be adduced from ,england1 but the partisan judge1 proof against proof1 ordered the unconditional dismissal of the thief1 and thus afforded an asylum to a fugitive1 whose character is a reflection on the verdict that shielded him from justice4 ,the exemplary conduct of second-corporal ,taylor1 eulogized by ,sir ,john ,burgoyne and ,lord ,raglan1 gained for him promotion to the rank of corporal4 #8,the ,albion1' a ,new ,york ,paper1 of #crd ,september1 #ahec1 gave a spirited leader in vindication of the 8soldierly honour0 of the corporal2 and added1 that he 8gave his testimony with an air and tone manly1 direct1 and irreproachable40 ,on the other hand1 the forensic turpitude of ,judge ,edmonds was strongly condemned1 for treating the prisoner as the victim of government persecution instead of a renegade charged with heinous and multiplied crime4 ,the prompt measures taken in the case were intended not merely to punish the offender but to deter others of the corps intrusted with responsibility1 money1 and property1 from the commission of similar offences2 and though it failed to secure the delinquent1 it opened up for future guidance a sure line of proceeding1 which it is hoped there may never be occasion to resort to4 ,soon after the close of the ,kaffir war the ninth company was withdrawn from the ,cape1 and landed at ,woolwich the #aith ,september4 ,during its service in the colony1 its casualties in action were ten men killed and eleven wounded4 ,on the representation of ,lieutenant-,colonel ,waters1 commanding royal engineer at the ,mauritius1 a company was detached from head-quarters in ,may1 which disembarked there on the #beth ,september4 ,on landing1 the fine appearance of the men1 their size and soldierlike bearing1 attracted the attention of the staff officers and officers of the garrison4 ,in the afternoon they were entertained with a substantial repast1 furnished by the spontaneous generosity of the company of royal artillery there4 ,on the following day they were inspected by ,major-,general ,sutherland1 who complimented ,colonel ,waters by observing1 8that they were the finest company of soldiers he had for a long time seen40 ,a testimony like this from the ,major-,general1 who is known not to be satisfied with even mediocrity1 was certainly flattering4 ,a party of three men embarked under ,captain ,a4 ,p4 ,g4 ,ross1 ,r4,e41 for the colony of ,victoria1 landed at ,melbourne on the #adth ,october4 ,selected as they were with reference to their qualifications as mechanics and general intelligence1 they had been appointed to oversee the skill and labour employed in the construction of works for the defence of the harbour1 and the rapidly-increasing towns in its vicinity4 ,the defence of the bay by the contemplated fortifications was reported by the ,captain to be impracticable1 and the party awaited for a time the decision of the provisional government on the point4 ,meanwhile the sappers were efficiently employed in carrying out some subordinate details connected with the ,melbourne ,exhibition4 ,it was also proposed by the ,harbour commission that works should at once be commenced for the extension of the wharfage on the river ,yarra1 to give importance and vitality to the shipping and commercial aspects of the colony4 ,tenders were even called for to carry out the work1 but1 difficult to satisfy the antagonistic views of a capricious legislature1 the suggestion was indefinitely postponed4 ,thereupon the ,captain and his three sappers returned to ,england1 arriving at ,woolwich in the summer of #ahee4aah ,the yellow fever1 so frequently the scourge of the ,bermuda islands was prevalent at ,st4 ,george's from ,august to ,november1 and carried off its victims in greater numbers than in the fatal epidemics of #ahai and #ahdc4 ,it commenced among the convicts in the #8,thames' hulk1 and spread with frightful rapidity1 first to the military and civil establishments1 and then to the residences of the native population4 ,the first soldier who died was a sapper1 and before the sickness had ceased1 no less than twenty-five men of the corps1 out of a detachment of forty-seven of all ranks1 became its victims4 ,three women and one child of the party also died4 ,colonel ,phillpotts1 the commanding royal engineer1 and ,lieutenant ,greatorex1 ,r4,e41 were among the dead1 as also the wife of ,lieutenant ,whitmore1 ,r4,e4 ,all the men of the detachment except three were attacked with the fever1 and many suffered relapses4 ,to relieve them as much as possible from the influence of infection1 they were early removed from their quarters to an encampment on the north side of the island1 near the naval tanks1 and finally to ,prospect ,hill and ,port's ,island4 8,those who were able10 reports ,captain ,white1 ,r4,e41 8showed themselves to great advantage by the cheerful way in which they attended to the sick4 ,their exertions were above all praise40 ,several opinions have been ventured relative to the exciting cause of the epidemic1 but the general belief was1 that from some disturbance in the position of the hulk by the pressure of strong winds and agitated tides1 the atmosphere became impregnated with mephitic gases emitted from the accumulation of impurities around her bottom4 ,ireland ,island1 where a half company of sappers was stationed1 was not visited by the calamity4 ,a warrant dated #aeth of ,august1 sanctioned the formation of a detachment of one sergeant1 one corporal1 three second-corporals and eleven privates1 for service in the mint at ,new ,south ,wales1 which increased the corps to a total of #b1bah of all ranks4 ,to fit them for the duty1 they were quartered for several months within the royal mint1 near the ,tower1 where the departments of the establishment were thrown open for their instruction4 ,from a desire to monopolize the craft of the mintage to themselves and their families1 the moneyers viewed the employment of the sappers in this confidential work with jealousy and opposition1 and just imparted to their military pupils as much knowledge of the art as they cared to divulge4 ,the party1 however1 made up by attention and observation for what was withheld from them1 and promptly acquired full information with respect to the working of the machinery1 and the various processes used in coining4 ,two or three of the smiths were also initiated in the method of adjusting weights and scales1 and in the construction of balances and patent locks and safes4 ,instruction in these mechanical expedients was given them by ,mr4 ,hobbs1 celebrated for his exploits in picking locks before considered invulnerable4 ,the first instalment of the detachment1 consisting of sergeant ,archibald ,gardner and nine rank and file1 embarked at the ,london ,docks on board the #8,maid of ,judah1' on the #crd of ,december1 #ahec1 and landed at ,sydney in ,march1 #ahed4 ,the grey greatcoat1 which for nearly half a century had been worn by the corps without improvement1 was in ,november of this year superseded by a blue cloth greatcoat of the same cut and fashion as its predecessor1 except that the cuffs for all ranks were abolished1 the capes diminished1 and the sergeants' collars were of scarlet1 instead of blue cloth4 ----- ,footnote #aah3 ,the sappers were very popular with the good people of ,melbourne4 ,wherever their red-coats were seen1 all sorts of inconvenient invitations followed4 ,he must have been more than ,bacchus to have accepted a tithe of their overflowing attentions4 ,luckily the men were impregnably temperate4 ,to escape from the extravagant compliments of the citizens1 ,captain ,ross1 on the representation of corporal ,goodear1 permitted his sappers to appear in plain clothes4 ,they were thus lost among the people1 and saved from the friendly annoyances to which their bright uniform had honourably exposed them4 #ahec4 ,,chobham ,,camp4 ,nature of the ground--,position of the sappers--,their strength--,quarters and cantonments--,equipment--,duties and services--,the survey--,marking out the encampment--,forming tanks--,wells--,lakes--,construction of stables--,camp-kitchen--,oven--,incident al employments2 ,royal pavilion2 ,queen's road--,sentry-boxes--,post-office and postal statistics--,intrenchments--,submarine mining--,passage of ,virginia ,water--,her ,majesty's gracious acknowledgments of the conduct of the sappers in the operation--,the second passage of the lake--,also of the ,thames at ,runnymead--,field-days--,inspections by the ,queen--,breaking up the camp--,satisfaction of ,colonel ,vicars and ,lord ,seaton4 ,in common with the army1 the royal sappers and miners furnished detachments for the camp at ,chobham about four miles from ,chertsey4 ,the common where the encampment was formed was an extensive tract of waste1 varied with hill and dale4 ,the amplitude of the district1 its freedom from enclosures1 from wood or bush1 or from barriers or hedges to mark the boundaries of individual or corporate properties1 and its succession of swelling heights1 well adapted it for the purposes of an instructional encampment1 and for the campaigning evolutions of a concentrated force1 assembled less for military parade and display than to realize in degree some of the chequered difficulties and vicissitudes which fill up the hard and comfortless career of an army engaged in the active operations of war4 ,the camp was established on the concave edge of the ridge4 ,each end was advanced1 while the centre with a sweep receded1 giving to the position a curved line approaching the segment of a circle4 ,the detachment of sappers was tented south of the #8,magnet1' the name given to the hill where the head-quarters were established1 and next to the left of the ,coldstream guards1 close to the road leading across the common to ,bagshot4 ,the line regiments which succeeded1 fell back from the detachment4 ,to be regimentally correct1 the sappers should have been on the right of the ,grenadier guards1 but the position was chosen for the corps because it was central1 prominent1 and easily accessible to the troops requiring the use of entrenching tools and field implements4 ,the division1 consisting of a due proportion of cavalry1 artillery and infantry1 was under the orders of ,lieutenant-,general ,lord ,seaton1 ,g4,c4,b4 ,the sappers were among the first troops on the ground4 ,as soon as it was determined to form the camp1 the party at ,sandhurst--one sergeant and twelve rank and file--was directed to suspend its services at the college1 and remove to the encamping district4 ,it commenced work on the #bast of ,april and ceased on the #gth of ,may1 when it returned to the royal military college to carry out the concluding operations of the term4 ,lieut4 ,drake1 ,r4,e41 commanded this party4 ,to make a hurried survey of the ground one sergeant and eighteen rank and file were detached from ,southampton between the #bgth of ,april and the first of ,may1 who1 as the service permitted1 returned in sections to the ordnance survey4 ,a small party detained at ,windlesham for special purposes1 in connexion with the military survey1 did not quit the district till late in ,july4 ,lieutenant ,stotherd1 ,r4,e41 directed the detachment4 ,colour-sergeant ,henry ,brown and twenty rank and file from ,chatham1 reached the encamping ground on the #ith of ,may4 ,on the #acth following1 this detachment was increased to a company 7numbered the #bnd7 of three sergeants and eighty-seven rank and file from the royal engineer establishment1 under the command of ,captain ,lovell1 ,r4,e4 ,lieutenant and ,adjutant ,somerset from ,woolwich1 joined the company on the #adth of ,june4 ,the whole were under the orders of ,lieutenant-,colonel ,vicars1 ,r4,e4 ,to diversify the operations1 a pontoon train was ordered to be attached to the division2 and on the #bjth of ,june1 the sappers appointed for this duty commenced to move in detachments4 ,the force consisted of drafts from the first1 fifth1 and eleventh companies detached from ,chatham1 and reached a total of #a quartermaster--,george ,allan1 #a sergeant-major--,william ,read1 #ab sergeants1 #af corporals1 #c buglers1 and #aef privates4 --- #ahi ,total under the command of ,colonel ,harry ,d4 ,jones1 assisted by ,captains ,h4 ,st4 ,george ,ord1 ,g4 ,ross1 and ,w4 ,m4 ,inglis1 and ten subalterns of the royal engineers4 ,the great bulk of the men arrived at ,wellington camp on the #bbnd of ,june1 on which date the totals of the combined force of sappers counted #big of all ranks4 ,a day or two after the pontoon operations at ,virginia ,water were concluded1 the first company1 with a detachment of the eleventh1 quitted ,wellington camp1 and returned to ,chatham the same day4 ,the second company at ,chobham camp was relieved on the #bbnd of ,july by the fifth company1 with the greater part of the eleventh from the ,wellington camp1 and repaired that day to ,chatham4 ,the company was played from the ground by the band of the #gith ,highlanders1 who1 from good feeling1 volunteered to confer the honour2 and as it passed the tents of the #gith three cheers from the assembled regiment testified its esteem and friendship for the departing company4#aai ,the total force then left for the field duties of the camp1 exclusive of the surveyors1 numbered #ajj men of all ranks4 ,as some further pontoon operations were ordered to be executed1 and the force at the camp was considered to be numerically inadequate for the duty1 sixty-five non-commissioned officers and men were sent to the field from ,chatham on the #beth of ,july1 and after the completion of the work1 they returned on the #bhth to their destination4 ,the party from ,sandhurst and colour-sergeant ,brown's detachment were billeted at ,sunning-hill and ,sunning-dale4 ,on ,captain ,lovell arriving with his company at ,shrub's-hill1 finding no billets or tents he stayed for three days in a barn at ,bagshot ,park ,house4 ,on the #afth of ,may the company was for the first time tented on the skirts of ,colonel ,challoner's wood1 then on ,sheep's-hill1 and lastly on the ,oystershell-hill near the 8,magnet40 ,the division under ,lord ,seaton reached the encampment on the #adth of ,june1 when in allusion to the appearance and exertions of the troops as they took up their ground1 a leading journal of the day observed1 8that the sappers and miners1 probably the most intelligent and best-educated men in our army1 make the least external show40#abj ,the pontoon train was encamped about one and a half miles from ,virginia ,water1 near the ,wellington ,bridge1 from which the camp took its name4 ,the detachment of sixty-five men furnished to assist in the formation of the bridge across the ,thames at ,runnymede1 was billeted during its short stay at ,egham4 ,the camp equipment for the ,chobham company embraced five marquees1 fourteen circular tents1 one hospital tent for officers' mess1 one for orderly room1 one guard tent1 and one store and ammunition tent1 besides fourteen ,flanders' kettles4 ,for the pontoon train there were four marquees1 thirty-four circular tents1 two hospital tents for workshops and stores1 one laboratory tent1 and twenty-five camp kettles4 ,each man was supplied with a wooden canteen1 haversack and blanket1 but no bedding4 ,straw was afforded in abundance to sleep on4 ,the men were distributed in parties of nine and ten to each tent1 which permitted the senior non-commissioned officers to be provided with ample canvas accommodation1 and some spare tents to be used for various incidental military purposes4 ,a detail of the duties and services performed by the sappers and miners in connexion with the encampment follows4 ,in some of them they were assisted by small levies from the guards and the line4 ,the senior non-commissioned officers were colour-sergeants ,henry ,brown1 ,noah ,deary1 and ,timothy ,sillifant1 who throughout the service were indefatigable in their exertions1 and their skill and contrivances were on many occasions found very useful4#aba ,in the early stage of the preparations1 ,viscount ,hardinge inspected the camp on ,sheep's-hill1 and expressed in a few pointed sentences his satisfaction of the appearance of the field1 and the steps taken to render the accommodation of the troops as comfortable as the resources of the district would admit4 ,it was deemed indispensable that a map should be provided of the country for several miles round the encampment1 to guide the ,generals in the choice of positions1 manuvres1 marches1 c4 ,the district had been surveyed sixty years before1 in common with the general survey of the south of ,england1 and was drawn on a scale of two inches to a mile4 ,the better to meet the present requirement1 the plans were enlarged and drawn to a scale of four inches to a mile4 ,all the improvements which had arisen within the last half century were also supplied1 and the original work corrected where necessary4 ,this was done by taking magnetic bearings with a prismatic compass and pacing the ground4 ,the distance examined and corrected1 included an area of about #bbj square miles1 the cardinal angles of which were ,chertsey1 ,wokingham1 ,farnham1 and ,guildford4 ,all was carried out and completed between the #ast ,may and #adth ,june4 ,the principal part of the hills were sketched by ,lieutenant ,stotherd1 assisted by four non-commissioned officers of the corps1 who1 although heretofore wholly employed in the operations of a civil survey1 were1 without any previous practice in the art1 made to turn their talents to account in military sketching4 ,the survey--comprised on four large sheets--was compiled1 lithographed1 and coloured under the direction of ,captain ,w4 ,d4 ,gosset1 ,r4,e4 ,corporal ,sinnett drew the #ab-;inch plan of the encampment furnished for the use of ,colonel ,vicars4 ,a special survey of the ground at ,aldershot ,heath was also made and plotted on a scale of six inches to a mile1 by sergeant ,spencer and corporal ,macdonald4 ,the soldiers most conspicuous for their usefulness in the ,chobham survey were-- ,sergeant ,benjamin ,keen ,spencer2 for surveying1 levelling1 and hill sketching4 ,corporal ,william ,jenkins2 trigonometrical observations1 levelling1 and traversing4 ,second-corporal ,james ,macdonald2 traversing and surveying4 ,lance-corporals ,john ,erskine ,daveran and ,valentine ,sinnett2 hill sketching1 surveying1 c4 ,marking out the encampment was done by the sappers under ,colonel ,torrens1 assistant quartermaster-general1 by driving pickets into the ground in the places selected to mark the salient points of the boundaries1 to be occupied by the several regiments4 ,the springs and watercourses were sought for and collected into small reservoirs or basins1 at sites as convenient for access as practicable4 ,in some places small trenches were excavated1 to afford easy channels for conveying the water to the terraces4 ,these tanks were for domestic uses4 ,attached to them were larger ones for washing purposes1 which were filled by the surplus water from the drinking reservoirs through the agency of small troughs1 fixed near the top of the partitional embankments4 ,from the dipping and trawling of so many utensils of different kinds into the tanks1 and the constant washing of the water against the sides of the embankments1 it became very dirty and disagreeable4 ,to obviate this1 pumps were fixed in the tanks1 large wooden troughs being added to them to convey the water to the recipients1 and sentries being posted over the reservoirs to compel all parties to take the water from the approved contrivances instead of resorting to the objectionable mode which had been attended with so much discomfort4 ,where springs could not be found in sufficient number1 wells were sunk to afford water for the troops4 ,some of these answered excellently1 and yielded a good supply4 ,in several instances the men were interrupted in the service by the presence of moving quicksand1 which prevented them digging to the depth they otherwise would have done4 ,these wells1 nevertheless1 were ultimately made available for use4 ,to keep the ground from being undermined by the sand1 rough sap rollers were at first constructed and sunk1 but as these were found inadequate to meet the difficulty1 on account of the sand oozing through the interstices of the brushwood1 some barrels were securely fixed at the bottom1 which at once offered an effectual resistance to any encroachment1 and secured a serviceable quantity of good clean water4 ,into several of the wells two or three bushels of pebbles and shells were thrown to purify the water in its infiltration4 ,wells cased or lined with fir poles--an expedient first resorted to--were found not to answer1 as the water collected in them tasted disagreeably of an impregnation of turpentine4 ,many failures in seeking for water occurred4 ,three or four in elevated parts of the field were sunk through a stratum of sand and clay to the depth of thirty-five feet without success4 ,two artesian wells were also bored late in ,july1 one to a depth of sixty feet and the other to thirty-five feet1 without any beneficial result4 ,tradition or experience was of little avail in selecting places to sink the wells with anything like certainty of finding water4 ,nor were any men present who possessed the occult and mysterious faculty of using the divining rod to discover it4 ,several ingenious suggestions were made and acted on with no better result4 ,all depended upon chance2 and to make up for the deficiency from this source1 greater attention was paid to gathering the nests of springs1 and opening up courses and channels for their unfettered issue into reservoirs4 ,commonly1 depths beyond thirty feet were obtained without the use of the windlass1 or the application of materials to support the sides4 ,many of the sappers in these experiments turned out expert well-diggers1 and executed the heavy duty with energy and coolness4 ,the formation of lakes was effected by damming up some small brooks and rivulets1 in the valleys which emptied themselves into ,virginia ,water4 ,the dams were raised on piles formed from the ends of fir poles1 which1 to make a firm foundation1 were driven into the ground about ten or fifteen feet wider at the base than the road was at the top4 ,the sides were built with good sods1 and filled in with the best soil that could be gathered on the spot4 ,where the bog was unstable1 it was replaced by stiff clay1 which was puddled4 ,in this way two or three fine expansive sheets of water were formed1 which were extremely useful for the cavalry horses2 and a safe and ready passage was also afforded for the troops across some valleys and morasses over the roadway of the dam4 ,one sheet was behind the cavalry stabling on ,egham ,common1 and the others1 named 8,the ,great ,arm0 and 8,the ,little ,arm10 were at the base of ,black-hill and of ,sheep's-hill4 ,the stables were constructed of a uniform width1 but the length varied according to circumstances4 ,for a stable of six horses1 the dimensions were twenty-seven feet by thirteen feet six inches4 ,the uprights or stanchions were nine feet long1 three feet of which were driven into the ground and well rammed4 ,a wall-plate was then fixed to the stanchions at the height of six feet from the ground4 ,the rafters were made of rough poles1 secured by a collar-beam four feet from the top1 and then nailed firmly down on the wall-plates1 every alternate one being strapped with hoop-iron4 ,the centre was supported by a king-post rammed three feet into the ground1 and besides being nailed to the collar-beam1 was tied for steadiness and stability at the top with rope-yarn4 ,poles were also fixed and secured on either side and at the ends1 which1 with the doors1 were thatched or wickered with fir branches1 compactly intertwined4 ,the whole was roofed with canvas1 and stayed by guy-ropes4 ,the canvas was made under contract1 in pieces to cover a stable for six horses1 but after a few days' rain the pieces shrunk about sixteen inches1 and caused throughout the period of the camp much inconvenience to the horses4 ,the stabling was made to accommodate #a1hjj horses at an expense of nearly #a1jjjl4 ,an experimental stable of the above form was run up in two hours and a quarter by twelve men1 under sergeant ,george ,pringle1 directed by ,lieutenant ,drake1 in the presence of the ,commander-in-,chief--,viscount ,hardinge--who expressed his satisfaction both with the exertions of the men and the suitability of the construction4 ,the camp-kitchen for the sappers was built six feet wide and ten feet long1 and was approached by a ramp4 ,the flues were ten feet long and one foot wide1 with a space intervening through the entire length of twenty inches1 which was six inches deep in front and lessened to nothing as it neared the neck of the chimney1 for the purpose of facilitating the action of the air and producing a rapid draught4 ,its sides were built up with sods to the height of fourteen inches1 and the top was covered over with the blades of broken shovels4 ,intervals of nine inches were left to receive the camp-kettles4 ,a trench was dug round the kitchen from which at one end rose1 to the height of above six feet1 a mud stack containing two distinct chimneys shaped into ornamental pots4 ,at the other end1 the two fires were lighted4 ,the flues were kept independently of each other1 and1 with the chimney-stack1 were plastered both inside and out with clay4 ,this expedient gave to the kitchen a neat appearance1 and sufficient durability to stand the wear and tear of constant use4 ,sometimes it was converted into an oven by removing the kettles1 and temporarily closing the open spaces with sods4 ,the kitchen cooked for #ajj men4 ,though somewhat troublesome to inexperienced men to construct1 compared with the old ,peninsular range adopted by some regiments in camp1 it was a decided improvement both in form and utility1 inasmuch as it economised fuel1 received with readiness the few appliances used in military cooking1 and enabled the culinary art to be carried on with more alacrity and on a larger scale4 ,an oven was also constructed after the model of the kitchen with one flue and chimney only4 ,it was built with bricks made on the spot1 from clay in the vicinity of the camp4 ,amid so much rusticity and so many rude campaigning inventions1 this oven1 from its neatness and success1 was much admired4 ,sergeant ,timothy ,sillifant1 an ingenious mechanic1 designed both the kitchen and the oven1 and superintended their construction4 ,some incidental services executed by the sappers were of a character which it may not be considered inappropriate to notice4 ,so various were their duties and so frequent the calls for their assistance1 that the encomiums passed upon them after a full test of their usefulness were not extravagant when it was said 8that in all their capacities1 from the driving of a nail to the marking out of a fortification1 they seemed to be equally as au fait as if each service was their special and sole vocation40#abb ,they repaired and adapted the poor-house at ,burrow ,hill for a general hospital2 erected a flag-staff for displaying the royal standard2 enclosed a large area of ground with a canvas wall seven feet high1 within which were pitched marquees and different tented conveniences for the use of the ,queen and ,her ,majesty's ,consort and guests2 and watched and managed the tent-ropes of the royal pavilion1 c41 within the compound4 ,here likewise they erected a cookhouse of brick1 after the form of their own kitchen1 and cut a road about two miles long1 from ,colonel ,challoner's plantation to the 8,magnet10 as a carriage drive for ,her ,majesty4 ,the road led across one of the artificial sheets of water1 and at either side of this causeway was fixed a temporary railing1 which gave it an appearance of strength and completeness4 ,contrivances were also adopted for permitting the water to run freely through the embankment so as to insure the stream rising to the same level at both sides of the bridge4 ,the road was1 moreover1 a useful one1 for in manuvring the troops it was sometimes employed to accelerate their movements1 and the passage across it formed a grand feature in the reviews4 ,it was called the 8,queen's ,road10 and the dam across the sheet of water was dignified with the name of the 8,queen's ,bridge40 ,the sappers also attended to the pitching and adjusting of the marquees of some of the staff officers2 drained the camp ground2 taught soldiers of the line the readiest methods of effecting these duties1 and built several sentry-boxes4 ,one was erected under the superintendence of a ,french captain1 of rough poles driven into the ground in a circle1 after the manner of the initial gabion4 ,in front1 one stake was omitted for the entrance4 ,the box was built to the usual height1 was covered in with a conical top1 and the whole was thatched with1 straw in courses1 which gave it in the distance1 when the sun was shining upon it1 the semblance of a richly-flounced dress4 ,another box of this kind revolved on a pivot at pleasure1 to screen the sentry from wind or rain2 and after the camp was broken up1 it was given a place in the grounds of ,colonel ,challoner4 ,a third was run up by private ,james ,queen1#abc which1 from its mechanical pretensions1 was applauded as a work of taste1 but could never be successfully imitated unless by talented workmen accustomed to build with neatness and exactness4 ,the structure was of a mural character and defensible1 having loopholes in its sides and rear4 ,an heroic bust1 made of clay by the private1 who had shown some aptitude as a sculptor1 was to have surmounted the box1 but it was unfortunately destroyed by some of his comrades1 during an excited criticism upon its merits4 8,much as we admired10 wrote a ,london daily journal1 8the universal utility of the corps1 we thought we had seen the extent of their capacities1 but when looking a little more into the variety of their employment we found them in a new sphere1 and discovered that corporal ,richard ,j4 ,letton had been1 under ,mr4 ,smith1 discharging the details connected with the ,post-office with the usual off-hand success which seems to pertain to the corps40#abd ,the receiving-office at the 8,magnet10 was a sub one to the post at ,chertsey4 ,the number of letters sent to and from the camp1 as detailed below1 from the first day of opening the office to the day of closing it on the removal of the troops1 shows that it transacted a fair amount of business4 ,first division--from #acth ,june to #acth ,july4 ,inwards #cc1ghc ,outwards #bi1fad ------ #fc1cig ,second division--from #adth ,july to #bjth ,august4 ,inwards #db1aje ,outwards #cg1ejj ------ #gi1fje ------ ,total #adc1jjb ------ ,of these the number of registered letters were #beg1 and the postage-stamps sold realized the sum of #abcl4 #ags4 #c;d4 ,the number of letters to the camp showed but little variation through the course of the month1 but those despatched from it were much affected by the field days1 and on one occasion they fell from #a1ebf to #fja4 ,the management of the postal arrangements was highly satisfactory1 and reflected great credit upon ,mr4 ,smith and the corporal4#abe ,the latter1 in a testimonial from his chief1 was eulogized for having performed his duty with the greatest zeal1 integrity1 and attention4 ,to give an additional warlike feature to the evolutions of the division1 some temporary field-works were thrown up4 ,these consisted of three redoubts1 two irregular1 with faces of very unequal length1 on ,oystershell and ,catton hills1 and one regular1 on ,sheep's-hill4 ,the one on ,oystershell-hill was revetted on one of its faces with brushwood and fir-branches woven upon pickets1 while its remaining sides were cased with sods4 ,the other redoubts were revetted wholly with sods4 ,sheep's-hill redoubt was a square work1 with two platforms for one field-piece each1 and its sides in the interior were each sixty feet long4 ,four shafts of six feet deep were sunk under its right face1 and the charges1 in boxes containing each #ajj lbs4 of gunpowder1 were laid and tamped ready for explosion on the #fth ,august4 ,the ,queen was present on that day and witnessed the manuvres1 which were closed by blowing up the redoubt4 ,at the appointed time1 the wires were applied to the voltaic battery1 but from some mismanagement1 supposed from the communication becoming disconnected1 the mines did not go off4 ,two sappers immediately repaired to the spot where the charges were chambered1 and after removing the earth which covered them1 and affixing in the ordinary way the powder-hose to form the train1 ,captain ,inglis fired it with portfire1 and a successful explosion was the result4 ,the whole face was blown up4 ,the field-works were completed early in ,august1 and were only on three or four occasions used in the general operations4 ,contingents of men from the guards and the line threw them up4 ,some of the sappers acted as overseers1 and others took part in the trenches4 ,the shafts for the mines were dug and the powder placed in them in the night-time4 ,a series of seven or eight sub-aqueous mines1 fired by voltaic electricity1 were made in ,virginia ,water1 to show the effect of such expedients if the service rendered recourse to them desirable4 ,the largest charge fired contained #ce lbs4 of powder4 ,the charges were fixed in tin cans of sizes to suit the bulk of the powder1 and fired from the shore4 ,sergeant ,entwistle and one private had the preparation of the charges1 c41 and ,captain ,inglis1 ,r4,e41 invariably fired them4 ,one on the #abth ,july was exploded in the presence of the ,prince of ,wales1 and was successful1 a column of water being thrown into the air to a considerable height4 ,as soon as the pontoon train and equipment arrived1 the corps commenced and continued for several days to carry out such instructional practice as was considered essential to render the contemplated bridging perfect4 ,the train consisted of-- #cj cylindrical pontoons1 #d india-rubber ditto1 #a demi india-rubber ditto1 #f carriages1 and the requisite stores1 forge1 c41 and all were packed on the margin of ,virginia ,water on the #beth ,june1 #ahec4 ,in accordance with appointed arrangements1 a military display took place on the #eth ,july1 in the presence of ,prince ,albert and ,her ,majesty4 ,early in the morning about #h1jjj troops were marched to the ,water1 on the north side of which an enemy was supposed to have established himself1 represented by the second company of sappers and detachments of the ,grenadier guards and #bcrd fusiliers4 ,while a sharp and prolonged attack was being made upon the brigade of ,sir ,de ,lacy ,evans at ,blacknest ,bridge1 a body of sappers #abe strong1 directed by a captain and five subalterns of royal engineers1 began to form the pontoon bridge1 and to carry out other subsidiary means for effecting the passage of the lake4 ,the six carriages of the train1 packed with twelve pontoons and their superstructure1 were horsed by the royal artillery1 and moved down to the water's edge1 where they were unloaded4 ,the remaining pontoons1 eighteen in number1 had already been stored on the margin of the lake in readiness for the service4 ,the moment the order was given1 the sappers in fatigue-dress launched the pontoons1 and with the greatest silence1 precision1 and diligence1 formed in forty-five minutes a bridge of thirty cylinders with two bays across an arm of the lake #cbd feet broad4 ,the pontoons were lashed in intermediate intervals of eight feet apart1 which is considered to be the proper adjustment of buoyancy for the transport of the varied weights of artillery4 ,while the bridge was booming out1 ,her ,majesty and ,his ,royal ,highness ,prince ,albert1 with their illustrious guests1 embarked in a royally-decorated barge1 drew near the bridge and watched with evident interest the movements and exertions of the men4 ,during the operation a party of twenty-one non-commissioned officers and men1 under three subalterns of the royal engineers1 formed two rafts and one demi-raft of the ,india-rubber pontoons1 and rapidly ferried across the lake four companies of the rifle brigade1 who took shelter in the woods close to the edge of the water4 ,this service was executed in exactly the same time that was occupied in forming the bridge4 ,about noon1 the cannonade on the left at ,blacknest ,bridge ceased1 and the supposed enemy1 having discovered ,lord ,seaton's real intention1 advanced to dispute his passage over the pontoons4 ,not a moment was now lost on either side4 ,one wing of the rifles was thrown across1 and forming line on the opposite bank1 opened a spirited fire on their opponents4 ,the batteries also boomed from the south side of the water1 and under cover of the cannonade--for the whole woodland for some minutes was shrouded in the smoke it occasioned--a battalion of the ,grenadier guards defiled over the bridge4 ,scarcely had they concealed themselves in the embowering woods when the sappers1 who had left the pontoons for an interstitial duty1 suddenly returned with bundles of fern and brake1 which they strewed over the superstructure to render the passage as secure as practicable for the batteries and the cavalry4 ,now followed two #f-pounder batteries and a #i-pounder battery of #f guns each1 the #fth ,dragoon guards1 and a battalion of the ,coldstream guards and of the #dbnd ,highlanders1 with all the staff4 ,the remainder of ,major-,general ,fane's brigade of cavalry proceeded by the iron gate to the high ground on the north side of the lake1 whilst the brigade of ,sir ,de ,lacy ,evans1 now unopposed by the enemy1 marched by ,blacknest ,bridge to ,smith's lawn1 where the troops were reviewed by ,her ,majesty4 ,the second company only of the corps was present at the review2 the other companies being necessarily detained with the pontoons4 ,to provide as much as possible for the safety of the horses in crossing1 the sappers1 with an oar extended from man to man1 lined the bridge at each side1 by which a kind of railing or balustrade was formed from one end of the bridge to the other4 ,the plan had unquestionable advantages in encouraging the horses and retaining them in their places1 but it was somewhat dangerous to the men4 ,as the second battery approached the middle of the stream1 the floating motion of the bridge caused some of the horses to become restive1 and in the efforts made to control their progress1 five of the sappers were thrown into the lake4 ,no casualty1 however1 happened1 and the men1 after a little swimming1 resumed their stations on the bridge4 ,in testimony of the services of the corps on this occasion1 ,lord ,seaton published the following order from ,her ,majesty3-- 8,horse ,guards1 #eth ,july1 #ahec4 8,,general ,,viscount ,,hardinge has received the ,queen's commands to express ,her ,majesty's satisfaction in having witnessed this day the laying down of the cylindrical pontoon bridge1 which was completed in less than one hour1 for the passage of the artillery1 cavalry1 and infantry4 8,her ,majesty did not fail to remark the order1 the silence1 and the perfect acquaintance with every detail1 which prevailed throughout all ranks of the sappers and miners4 8,her ,majesty highly appreciates the service of this portion of her army4 8,from the date of its original formation this corps has been remarkable in the annals of the ,british army for the scientific attainments of its officers and the practical knowledge of its men1 and has justly acquired the confidence and esteem of the army by its skilful arrangements1 and by being at all times foremost in the perilous duties of war4 ,in peace upholding its high reputation by the useful labours which it so cheerfully performs4 8,viscount ,hardinge requests ,lord ,seaton will convey to ,colonel ,jones1 of the ,royal ,engineers1 who directed the pontoon train1 and to ,colonel ,vicars1 in charge of the engineer duties in the camp1 and to the officers and men of all ranks of the ,royal ,sappers and ,miners1 the ,queen's approbation of their state of discipline and conduct4 8,by command of ,general ,viscount ,hardinge4 87,signed7 ,g4 ,,brown1 ,a4 ,g40 ,the #aath ,july was another day of field manuvring appointed expressly to experimentalize with the pontoons4 ,before the arrival of the troops at the lake1 a bridge was quickly formed with twenty-four pontoons1 on the same site as that occupied on the #eth instant1 and by the same detachment4 ,at eleven o'clock a part of the division under ,major-,general ,his ,royal ,highness the ,duke of ,cambridge passed over it in the order of movement detailed below3-- #d companies of the #icrd ,highlanders1 #acth ,light ,dragoons1 #f companies of the #icrd1 #chth regiment1 #agth ,lancers1 #ast ,life ,guards1 #a troop of ,royal ,horse ,artillery--six guns1 #b nine-pounder guns2 and #d small ammunition waggons4 ,the time occupied in the passage of the troops was fifty minutes1 and on its completion1 the bridge was speedily broken up into rafts4 ,these1 with the assistance of the ,india-rubber rafts1 manned by the same detachment as on the #eth ,july1 were afterwards employed in ferrying back the #chth and #icrd regiments at a spot #aej yards wide1 below where the bridge had been constructed4 ,this duty was also completed in fifty minutes4 ,in all the operations1 there appears to have been a remarkable coincidence of duration1 which1 had the facts not been carefully ascertained and recorded1 would seem to be the errors of carelessness or inexperience4 ,in crossing the bridge1 many of the horses of the ,life ,guards became unmanageable4 ,not a few of them got into a gallop and started off1 sometimes as many as three abreast4 ,several of the artillery horses also were restive4 ,among so much violence and disorder1 the sappers1 who lined the bridge as before1 had to bear their full share of accident and danger1 and before the passage was effected1 as many as twenty-five sergeants and rank and file were thrust overboard4 ,all fortunately could swim1 and soon made good their places on their respective rafts4 ,this day's bridging closed the operations on ,virginia ,water4 ,with the exception of seven rafts and the six carriages1 the remainder of the pontoons and stores were packed up and removed to their original stations at ,woolwich and ,chatham4 ,the seven rafts1 c41 were soon afterwards conveyed to ,staines1 in readiness for ulterior service over the ,thames4 ,on the #bgth ,july another pontoon bridge was thrown1 this time across the ,thames1 at ,runnymede1 celebrated alike for its historic claims and attractions1 and for the beauty of the surrounding landscape4 ,the point chosen was an angle of the river about a mile from the town of ,egham1 opposite ,ankerwycke ,house4 ,the operation bore some resemblance to that which took place on ,virginia ,lake on the #eth ,july4 ,the sappers commenced their march at eight o'clock in the morning1 and1 proceeding with the pontoons along the ,windsor and ,staines roads1 halted on the banks of the river at ,runnymede at a quarter to eleven4 ,at once the men set to work1 and under the more natural circumstances of steep banks and a strong tidal current1 unfelt at ,virginia ,water1 threw in thirty-five minutes a bridge consisting of six rafts of twelve cylindrical pontoons in open order1 twelve feet apart1 and two half bays4 ,to allow the operation to be conducted without interruption1 a mimic battle was fiercely carried on some distance higher up the river1 and to afford protection to the bridge as it approached the ,ankerwycke shore1 parties of the #gith ,highlanders were rapidly rowed across in punts1 which at the time were lying unemployed and captured for the occasion4 ,soon the combat was removed to the pontoons1 and a heavy fusillade was for a long time kept up4 ,under cover of the guns of the horse artillery1 fired from a commanding position1 the troops poured over the bridge in a continuous stream1 and followed the retreating enemy1 with all the impetuosity of enthusiastic pursuit into ,magna ,charta ,island4 ,there the fight was hotly maintained1 and ultimately won by the little band of mixed troops under the command of ,lieutenant-,colonel ,vicars4 ,the troops that crossed the bridge were a battalion of the ,guards1 #dth ,light ,dragoons1 the other battalion of ,guards1 #gith ,highlanders1 the ,horse ,guards ,blue1 and some batteries of horse and foot artillery4 ,an accident took place just as the last battery was crossing the bridge4 ,the vertical motion of the rafts was such as to startle the horses1 and some1 from the dull reverberating noise produced by their tramp1 coupled with the booming roll of the heavy wheels on the superstructure1 became ungovernable1 and six horses tumbled into the stream dragging with them a gun with its carriage and limber4 ,as usual1 the sappers lined the bridge with extended oars1 and in the struggling of the horses1 four of the men were swept into the current4 ,three of them were injured--two severely4 ,these were privates ,john ,piper and ,william ,swann1#abf who were also nearly drowned4 ,the latter was entangled with the horses in the water1 and it was with great difficulty he succeeded in getting on the back of one of them1 when he was picked up by the crew of a boat quickly manned for the purpose4 ,four of the horses were cleverly rescued by colour-sergeant ,william ,jamieson and private ,henry ,collins1 who dexterously cut the traces2 but the two wheel-horses1 borne down by the carriage1 could not be saved4 ,privates ,daniel ,port1 ,henry ,collins1#abg and ,elias ,garratt conducted themselves with intrepidity on the occasion by plunging from the bridge into the river to rescue the men and save the horses4 ,after the operation the sappers bivouacked on the ground1 and dined on the day's ration taken with them from the camp4 ,the bridge was afterwards dismantled1 packed on the waggons1 and then accompanied the troops to ,staines4 ,the company belonging to the ,chobham force did not reach its tents till eight o'clock in the evening4 ,on field days the sappers1 together with a company of the ,guards1 on several occasions under ,captain the ,prince ,edward of ,saxe ,weimar1 and a company of the #bcrd fusiliers1 represented the enemy under the command of ,colonel ,vicars1 ,r4,e4 ,all acted as skirmishers2 and when pressed by charges of the troops1 formed squares1 or resorted to such other simple manuvres as were best adapted to their position and circumstances4 ,on these days the expenditure of ammunition by the company was enormous2 #ajj rounds per man at least were consumed4 ,on the first day of the pontooning at ,virginia ,water1 the sappers1 who were posted to prevent the passage of the troops by ,blacknest ,bridge1 fired in an hour and a-quarter about #abj rounds a man4 ,the firing of the main body of the division was always comparatively trifling4 ,from the hard nature of the duties that devolved upon the enemy1 the men composing it gained in camp the familiar designation of 8,the ,kaffirs40 ,the last field day at ,chobham was one of labour and fatigue to the men4 ,they fired more than an average quantity of ammunition1 and at its close the sappers marched at the head of the line in review1 before the ,duke of ,cambridge and ,lord ,seaton4 ,their blackened faces1 dingy accoutrements1 and well-worn apparel afforded a striking contrast to the clean appearance1 unsoiled appointments1 and bright uniform of the passing squadrons and battalions2 and it was no inappropriate commendation to say on this1 their last camp inspection1 that in their endurance1 their hardihood1 their wearied but dauntless aspect1 they looked like 8,polish patriots--few1 but undismayed40 ,on the #bast ,june and #eth ,july the ,queen inspected the second company in common with the rest of the troops at the camp4 ,the ,prince ,albert and ,lord ,hardinge accompanied ,her ,majesty4 ,the ,king and ,queen of ,hanover were present on the first day4 ,the fifth company and a detachment of the eleventh were also reviewed by the ,queen and the ,prince ,consort on the #dth and #fth ,august4 ,on the latter date ,her ,majesty did not personally inspect the troops4 ,on all occasions of the royal presence at the camp1 the sappers were in full notice of ,her ,majesty1 for they possessed the advantage of occupying a position close to the ,bagshot road1 and next to one of the special entrances1 which led the ,queen and the royal cortege immediately past their tents to the 8,magnet40 ,after the breaking up of the camp1 the sappers remained for four days to dismantle the stables and collect the stores4 ,all the canvas was stripped off the stables1 and packed in two days and a half1 throughout which time the men were exposed to a ceaseless rain1 which fell in torrents4 ,the pontoons and carriages were conveyed to ,chertsey1 and embarked for ,chatham4 ,after completing these duties1 the fifth company and the detachment of the eleventh1 under ,captain ,w4 ,m4 ,inglis and ,lieutenant ,w4 ,c4 ,anderson1 ,r4,e41 arrived respectively at ,chatham and ,woolwich on the #bdth ,august4 ,on that day ,lord ,seaton finally gave up his command4 ,a party of one sergeant and eight privates--the last troops at the camp--detained for the closing duties of clearing the ground1 and collecting and packing the ,ordnance and ,commissariat stores1 joined at head-quarters on the #bgth ,august4 ,novel and memorable was the reappearance of these companies with the corps1 for both officers and men had doffed their plumes1 and substituted for them bunches of blooming heather1 gathered from the ridges and valleys of the now famous ,chobham4 ,on their route to ,chertsey they were met by ,colonel ,vicars1 who complimented them for their excellent conduct and exertions during the period of their encampment1 and expressed to them the satisfaction of ,lord ,seaton for their alacrity and readiness at all times to meet the wants of the service4 ,this testimony was afterwards corroborated in a letter dated ,hyam's1 #beth ,august1 #ahec1 to ,lieutenant-,general ,sir ,john ,burgoyne1 in which his lordship1 after alluding to the active assistance of the officers of royal engineers1 and the detachment of the corps of sappers under the command of ,colonel ,vicars1 added 8that their conduct and exertions on all occasions have been most satisfactory40 ----- ,footnote #aai3 #8,morning ,chronicle1' ,june #bg1 #ahec4 ,footnote #abj3 #8,the ,times1' ,june #ae1 #ahec4 ,footnote #aba3 ,sergeant ,brown has served twice in ,gibraltar and also a campaign in ,syria4 ,he was present at the capture of ,tyre1 ,sidon1 and ,beirout1 and the defensive occupation of ,d',junie and ,jaffa4 ,has since gained credit for his services at the capture and destruction of ,bomarsund and the siege of ,sebastopol4 ,removed in a dangerous state of illness from the trenches1 he was sent to the hospital at ,smyrna1 from which1 being invalided1 he arrived at ,woolwich in ,july1 #ahee1 and is now quartermaster-sergeant at ,chatham4 ,sergeant ,sillifant distinguished himself at ,gibraltar as a first-class artificer and foreman of works4 ,has since served at ,bermuda1 and returned to ,england on the recall of his company4 ,footnote #abb3 #8,morning ,herald1' ,july #ai1 #ahec4 ,footnote #abc3 ,killed in the trenches before ,sebastopol by a rifle-bullet1 ,april #ah1 #ahee4 ,footnote #abd3 #8,morning ,herald1' ,july #ai1 #ahec4 ,footnote #abe3 #8,morning ,herald1' ,july #ai1 #ahec4 ,it is not a little strange that among the unclaimed letters was one addressed to 8,his ,eminence ,cardinal ,antonelli1 ,secretary to ,his ,holiness the ,pope40 ,the correct epithets of distinction in the superscription1 made it evident that the missive was written by a well-informed person4 ,as however the ,cardinal had not pitched his tent among our troops1 the letter which was directed 8to be left till called for10 formed one of the spoils of the camp4 ,footnote #abf3 ,served in ,turkey1 ,bulgaria1 ,wallachia1 and the ,crimea4 ,was promoted for his gallantry at the battle of ,giurgevo1 and died of wounds received in the trenches before ,sebastopol1 in ,may1 #ahee4 ,footnote #abg3 ,an accident occurred to this soldier at ,virginia ,lake1 which but for his presence of mind was likely to have terminated fatally4 ,the waggons were parked on the slopes of the water1 and it being desired to pack the stores on them1 private ,collins with three other privates rushed to the spot1 and put a waggon in motion4 ,collins laid hold of the shafts1--the others pushed in the rear4 ,by some mistake the men in rear quitted their hold1 and the waggon thus left to itself rolled with great velocity down the slope1 forcing ,collins on with it4 ,his situation was now very critical2 but seeing at once the danger and the way to escape1 he plunged from between the shafts1 in an oblique direction into the lake1 and saved himself by swimming1 while the waggon with its own impetus dashed onwards1 until its speed was spent by the resistance of the water4 ,had he not thus extricated himself1 he would have been tumbled over by the waggon1 and most likely drowned under its body4 ,served afterwards in ,turkey1 ,circassia1 ,bulgaria1 and the ,crimea4 ,was present at the bombardment of ,odessa1 capture of ,redoubt ,kaleh1 and at the siege of ,sebastopol1 and bore the character of being a good sapper and a first-rate man in bridge-making and boat services4 ,by his comrades he was respected for his wit and spirit4 ,his constitution giving way in the trenches1 he died at ,kululee on the #bnd ,april1 #ahee4 #ahed-ahef4 ,staff appointments--,party to ,melbourne--,mint detachment to ,sydney--,survey of ,aldershot heath--,department of ,practical ,science and ,art--,staff ranks to the survey companies--,dress--,party detached to ,heligoland--,also to ,paris for the ,exhibition--,corporal ,mack's services in testing woods--,a foreigner's surprise at the varied employments of the sappers--,sergeant ,jenkins' interview with the ,emperor--,fire at the ,manutention du ,commerce--,radical change in the dress--,arms and accoutrements--,costume of the quartermasters--,supernumerary sergeants--,additional staff appointments--,exhibition at the ,mauritius--,arrival of company from ,bermuda1 and removal to ,aldershot--,chatham becomes the head-quarters--,rejection of the services of ,van ,diemen's ,land detachment by the ,legislative ,council1 which are accepted by the ,governor of ,new ,south ,wales--,organization and pay of driver troop--,additions to the corps and various incidental alterations--,detail of establishment of corps--,the band--,its costume--,dress of the bandmaster--,party recalled from ,purfleet--,detachment to ,hythe for rifle practice1 c42 the system pursued there becomes a leading feature in the instruction at ,chatham4 ,major ,walpole1 on his promotion to be lieutenant-colonel1 was removed from the appointment of brigade-major to the corps1 and succeeded by ,captain ,frederick ,a4 ,yorke1 ,r4,e41 on the #agth ,february4 ,lieutenant-,colonel ,walpole had been commissioned to the office from the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 where he had served for many years in command of the tenth company1 and been twice dangerously wounded in action with the ,kaffirs at ,fort ,peddie4 ,during the six years he had held the appointment he carried out in all respects its requirements with a diligence1 consideration1 and success1 that were of great advantage to the corps1 and enhanced in public estimation its services and merits4 ,in ,major ,yorke1 now ,lieutenant-,colonel1 the corps has the good fortune to have for its chief executive an officer who1 for the greater part of his military career1 has been much employed with it both at home and abroad4 ,under ,major-,general ,matson1 when brigade-major1 he was the acting-adjutant at head-quarters1 and thus early became acquainted with the organization1 character1 services1 and resources of the royal sappers and miners4 ,on the #crd ,march one sergeant and five rank and file sailed from ,southampton for ,melbourne to reinforce the civil staff employed in the survey of the waste districts of the ,crown1 and landed on the #bdth ,july4 ,this addition was made to the colonial establishment1 as applications for land by the emigrants were increasing and urgent1 and could not be met by any resources to be engaged in the colony4 ,in ,april a party1 hutted on the bleak heath of ,aldershot1 commenced a series of surveys1 having reference to the use of the moor as a military camp for periodical evolution and exercise4 ,the detachment mustered at one time as many as twenty-four non-commissioned officers and men1 and dwindled down to an initial party of a few choice hands to finish the operation4 ,captain ,cameron1 ,r4,e41 had the direction of the service2 and corporal ,james ,macdonald1 now sergeant1 a non-commissioned officer of tried ability and indefatigable activity1 was its local superintendent4 ,in ten months the detachment1 after being instructed by the corporal1 completed a survey of a selected district of about #hjj acres for the ,commander-in-,chief2 another of some #a1ejj acres for the professional use of ,major-,general ,sir ,frederic ,smith2 and a general one for the ,ordnance1 including the ground specially surveyed1 extending over an area of #ac1jjj acres4 ,each survey provided its contours to suit particular requirements2 and the whole range of duties for providing data for the plans1 usually performed by different parties1 with qualifications adapted to each particular service1 were wholly carried out by corporal ,macdonald#abh and his party4 ,the work has since been engraved on the #f-;inch scale4 ,six rank and file to complete the mint detachment at ,sydney1 embarked in two parties on the #hth ,april and #aith ,june1 taking with them the portable houses1 shops1 machinery1 and stores necessary for the formation of the establishment4 ,the men had all been instructed prior to leaving the royal mint in ,london in the art of coining1 and were taught by ,messrs4 ,walker1 of ,millwall1 the method of fitting together the iron roofing1 cisterns1 girders1 c41 to form the mint buildings4 ,one man had also been instructed by ,messrs4 ,whitworth and ,co4 at ,manchester1 in the manipulation and action of the several lathes to be used in the coining processes4 ,they respectively reached ,sydney on the #ajth ,july and #bdth ,october4 ,three men were withdrawn from the department of science and art in the summer for service in the ,east1 viz41 two for employment as photographers1 and one--corporal ,dickson--as conductor of the pontoon equipment and stores4 ,one of the photographers--corporal ,pendered--had1 while in that department the care of the students' drawings sent from the various local schools of art1 in competition for prizes offered by the commissioners4 ,corporal ,dickson1 who until his removal had acted as a clerk at ,marlborough ,house1 received from the ,board of ,trade a gratuity of #el4 in recognition of his usefulness4 ,the non-commissioned officers who remained under ,captain ,owen1 ,r4,e41 were corporals ,frederic ,key and ,james ,mack2 the former1 stated to be full of invention and intelligence1 continued throughout the year to act as overseer of the civil carpenters employed at ,gore and ,marlborough ,houses2 and the latter1 remarkable for his good information and acquirements1 was found a most useful clerk and draughtsman4 ,it should also be noted that one or other of these non-commissioned officers travelled during the autumn to several provincial towns in ,england and ,scotland1 such as ,nottingham1 ,coventry1 ,sheffield1 ,warrington1 ,york1 c41 and exhibited to local institutions in connection with the central school of design at ,somerset ,house1 a collection of students' drawings for which prizes had been awarded at the spring examination at ,gore ,house4 ,the exhibition was so arranged as to be packed and conveyed from town to town with readiness and facility1 and wherever they itinerated with their charge1 were treated with attention and courtesy4 ,as a reward for undoubted merit two staff ranks--sergeant-major and quartermaster-sergeant--were given to the survey companies on the #bhth ,july by ,sir ,hew ,ross1 ,lieutenant-,general of the ,ordnance4 ,similar appointments had been held by the companies for many years with only modified advantages1 but now they were constituted permanent ranks and carried with them all the benefits prescribed by the rules of the service4 ,this year the moustache1 under certain restrictions1 was permitted to be worn2 and the ,kilmarnock bonnet1 discarded in #ahcg1 was revived4 ,its dimensions1 however1 were of a more reasonable measurement than in olden times1 and suitable for campaigning4 ,a yellow band was added1 also a plain yellow ornament on the crown1 and the scanty peak worn for nearly forty years1 was replaced by one familiarly termed the war peak1 sufficiently large to offer an efficient shade to the face from the sun4 ,leaving the great events which occurred about this period1 to be treated without interruption in subsequent chapters1 the more ordinary incidents of the corps will first be disposed of4 ,unable to obtain ,british troops to furnish contingents of sufficient magnitude for the ,east1 parliament voted the formation of regiments of foreigners to meet the pressure4 ,depts for their enrolment were fixed at different places1 but the principal station was at ,heligoland1 a small rocky island in the ,north ,sea4 ,as however the embodiment could not take place without the means of sheltering the force1 the island itself having only accommodation for the native population1 ,lieutenant ,a4 ,r4 ,lempriere of the engineers1 with three sapper carpenters1 were sent there in ,march1 in the steamer #8,hamburg4' ,towards the end of the month the party landed1 and with the assistance of some broad-backed women--the men being too indolent to work--the huts brought out were carried up the stairs--a stupendous flight exceeding #bjj steps formed in the face of the steep cliff--to the position where the cantonment was to be established4 ,hopeless to complete them within the time required1 twelve other sappers1 mostly carpenters1 under sergeant ,goodear1 sailed from ,woolwich on the #bhth ,july4 ,in a few days they were deep in the work4 ,rows of huts covered with ,croggan's asphalted felt1 built in streets1 were always ready by the time the troops arrived to occupy them4 ,it took one hundred and four of these portable houses to accommodate the legion4 ,tanks were also built to supply water in case of fire1 and an apparatus was erected for distilling sea-water so that it might be used for domestic purposes by the troops4 ,when all these services were completed1 the sappers no longer needed in ,heligoland were shipped for ,england1 landing at ,folkestone on the #bith ,december4 ,lieutenant ,lempriere remained1 as did also sergeant ,goodear1 to oversee the native workmen in the formation of roads and in executing repairs to the huts4 ,at the conclusion of the war they returned home4 ,the efficiency and usefulness of the party were warmly acknowledged by ,colonel ,steinbach1 commanding the legion4 ,at the instance of the ,royal ,society1 a sergeant and three rank and file were sent to ,paris in ,april to exhibit1 at the ,palais de l',industrie1 several specimen maps and some of the chief instruments used in the trigonometrical surveys of the ,united ,kingdom4 ,the two non-commissioned officers employed under the ,board of ,trade at the department of ,practical ,science and ,art also accompanied ,captain ,fowke and ,mr4 ,henry ,cole1 to assist in the ,british section of the ,exhibition4 ,the sappers were-- ,sergeant--,william ,jenkins4 ,corporals--,frederick ,key and ,james ,mack4 ,second-corporal--,nicholas ,clabby4 ,privates--,ludovico ,hart and ,james ,kelly4 ,besides arranging spaces for the exhibitors1 opening the cases as they arrived1 and arranging the articles for exhibition1 the sappers turned their hands to a hundred different duties1 making themselves generally useful and sustaining the character which the corps had received for its services at the ,great ,exhibition of #ahea4 ,the ,british department was surveyed by them and corporals ,mack#abi and ,clabby drew the plans4 ,key was the overseer of skilled labour and likewise superintended the hanging of the paintings at the ,palace des ,beaux ,arts4 ,the remainder had the care of the professional instruments4 ,of these ,hart was instructed at ,paris in the process of photography by ,mr4 ,thurston ,thompson1 and the proficiency he attained there in the art1 has introduced him to a similar duty at ,southampton1 in which the progress he has made promises to be a great saving to the public by reducing plans photographically1 and thus superseding the hand-labour of draughtsmen4#acj ,the ,emperor in one of his visits to the ,palace examined the maps and instruments1 and sergeant ,jenkins had the singular distinction of explaining their nature to ,his ,imperial ,majesty4#aca ,this was the first party of ,english soldiers that had been in ,paris since the army of occupation quitted the suburbs of the ,french metropolis in #ahae4 ,appearing invariably in the uniform of the corps they were regarded with peculiar interest1 and from all quarters were received with a friendliness more than ordinarily debonair and cordial4 ,for their assistance in extinguishing a fire at the ,manutention du ,commerce1 the press of ,paris handsomely acknowledged their services4#acb ,individuals left for ,england at different times1 and on the return of the last two in ,january1 #ahef1 the ,board of ,trade honoured the whole party with presents4 ,sergeant ,jenkins received a silver watch with the most approved compensation arrangements for use in connexion with astronomical observation2 ,key a gold one2 ,mack an expensive photographic apparatus2 and the other three each a case of beautifully finished mathematical instruments4 ,the gifts bore an inscription to the effect that they were given 8for services at the ,paris ,exhibition1 #ahee40 ,the ,french ,commissioners also gave them bronze medals4 ,an agitation which for more than a quarter of a century had exposed the inappropriateness of the old costume1 at last succeeded in effecting its abandonment4 ,involved in the change the royal sappers and miners adopted an uniform under royal sanction1 which has the credit of being the neatest in the service4 ,late in the summer the coatee with its double breast1 short body1 garish trimmings1 and narrow skirts gave place to a scarlet single-breasted tunic with facings and edgings of dark blue plush4 ,falling back with a curve1 the collar is bound all round with yellow cord while the pointed cuffs are embellished with an ,austrian knot of yellow cord which1 stretching over the plush rises with a flowing involution more than seven inches up the sleeve4 ,plain skirts measuring about twelve inches long1 lined with white shalloon1 are broken in their plainness by two upright pocket slashes with plush edgings having three points and as many buttons4 ,double cords take the place of the huge epaulettes of former days1 and the buttons unaltered in shape and device1 are sewn two inches asunder down the breast as low as the waist1 and two smaller ones add to the ornamentation of the cuff4 ,all ranks wear the same description of tunic4 ,that for the drivers is shorter in the skirts for riding4 ,corresponding with their grades the sergeants and staff-sergeants have finer cloth and wear royal gold cord on those parts where the rank and file display yellow worsted cord only4 ,rank is shown by chevrons of gold lace worn above the elbow1 but the badges to denote the staff-sergeants occur just above the sleeve knot with the points upward4 ,lance-corporals have one stripe on the right arm2 other ranks have the marks on both arms4 ,second corporals one on each arm2 corporals two2 sergeants three and an embroidered crown2 colour-sergeants an equal number of chevrons surmounted by an open banner and based by a couple of crossed swords2 and the staff-sergeants four badges of broader lace and an embroidered crown4 ,the last1 in addition1 have facings of garter blue silk velvet1 shoulder knots of treble twisted gold cord with blue eyes bearing silver embroidered grenades2 sleeve knots traced in and out with ,russia gold braid and the skirts lined with white kerseymere4 ,the bugle-major's rank1 in addition to the chevrons and crown1 is indicated by a musical device with banners1 which must have puzzled the professors of embroidery to make it sufficiently characteristic1 elaborated with cross trumpets1 rams' horns1 tambourines1 and other insignia1 around a lyre and grenade4 ,the artificers of the driver troop--farriers1 shoeing smiths1 wheelers1 and collar-makers--are distinguished by the usual devices1 worn above the elbow4 ,the buglers wear worsted embroidered cross trumpets on both arms1 and the good conduct men are distinguished by badges of narrow gold lace on the right arm just above the knot4 ,no better colour for trowsers than dark ,oxford mixture cloth could be introduced4 ,they have therefore been retained1 as also the red stripes down the outer seams4 ,the working trowsers are of the same colour1 and similarly striped1 but a few shades coarser in texture4 ,the driver troop wear strapped trowsers of the regimental quality1 of which each man receives two pairs annually4 ,in the midst of a variety of conflicting ideas as to what constitutes the best head-dress1 the uncomfortable chaco still holds its unsightly place as a component of sapper uniform4 ,top-heavy for the drivers in riding1 the chaco forms no part of their uniform1 and so the forage-cap is made to do double duty4 ,the fatigue jacket is of red cloth4 ,loose and suitable for working it descends as low as the hips1 but is militarized by blue cloth pointed cuffs1 single twisted shoulder-cords of yellow worsted1 and a blue cloth rounded collar4 ,as before1 the buttons are small and convex1 bearing the garter device1 and worn about an inch apart1 evincing less coxcombry than in the defunct days of close buttons4 ,all the non-commissioned officers wear gold chevrons and gold single twisted shoulder-cords4 ,scarlet jackets1 after the fashion of the fatigue ones1 are worn by all ranks on drill parades and in walking4 ,in addition to their chevrons the sergeants and colour-sergeants wear embroidered crowns1 the latter rank being distinguished from the former by a fourth chevron4 ,besides the plain single-breasted blue surtout1 modernized with a rounded collar1 the staff-sergeants appear1 on parade occasions1 in scarlet jackets with the badge of their rank1 gold studs down the front1 and dark blue silk velvet cuffs and collar1 both trimmed with ,russia gold braid1 and finished with what the tailors1 in the poetry of their trade1 term crowsfeet4 ,there are no buttons on the jacket1 except two on each cuff and two to sustain the double shoulder-cord4 ,the fronts are closed by hooks and eyes4 ,the cloth forage-cap--a delicate institution of peaceable times--was set aside by the adoption of a small ,kilmarnock bonnet and chin-strap1 well suited for the rough usages of war4 ,worn with a dragoonish air in the day1 it offers itself as a substitute for a pillow at night without the fear of spoiling its shape4 ,it is of dark blue wool banded with a yellow stripe manufactured in the web and decorated with a brass boss in the centre of the crown4 ,the buglers wear the distinction of a pair of crossed trumpets on the front of the cap1 while the sergeants and staff-sergeants have small dark-blue cloth caps with large projecting peaks1 trimmed with scarlet piping and gold lace bands4 ,the crown of the cap1 la cavalry1 is formed of eight pieces--a curious fancy--radiating from the centre and covered at the point of union with a gold netted convex boss4 ,the band of the staff-sergeants is wider and richer than that of the sergeants4 ,that important article of dress1 8the ammunition boot10 has been much improved in these late days4 ,before railways were invented the laced-up boot was a favourite among soldiers1 particularly those who could boast of having performed long marches in the ,peninsula and ,france2 but when travelling by rail began to be the fashion of the service1 it was discovered that the laced-up boot was not only odious in regimentals and uncomfortable1 but not water-tight4 ,so by degrees the ,blucher boot was introduced in the army1 and the sappers1 the last troops1 perhaps1 to adopt it1 received ,bluchers this year for the first time4 ,the troop of drivers wear half ,wellingtons4 ,the carbine introduced in #ahdc being discarded1 the ,lancaster percussion-musket was given to the corps late in the year4 ,bored elliptically without groove1 and carrying an elongated bullet1 its range exceeds #a1jjj yards3 that of the carbine1 even in extravagant instances of flight1 scarcely ever struck a mark at #cjj yards and was uncertain at #bjj4 ,after a few rounds had been fired it was inefficient1 and impromptu expedients had to be resorted to1 when the bore fouled with the powder1 to ram the cartridge home4 ,many a man broke the ranks to find a brickbat or other rude assistance to hammer the ramrod into the barrel4 ,these primitive severities are now at an end4 ,the bayonet can be used in the double capacity of a sword or bayonet4 ,with a hilt partly of black skin cross-pressed1 and partly brass1 with a transverse brass bar guard1 it is fixed to the musket by a suture and spring4 ,the blade1 about two feet long1 has a rounded back and runs on with a spine to the point1 from whence a return stretches with a slight swell up its back1 and then loses itself in the spine about ten inches from the tip4 ,thus the sword for a certain distance is two-edged1 and when fixed1 the length of the musket1 prepared for a charge1 is shorter by one inch than the abandoned carbine and sword bayonet4 ,the accoutrements remain as formerly2 but the appointments of the staff-sergeants1 now of white patent buff1 consist of a waist-belt with slings and gilt waist-plate bearing the royal arms1 and a pouch-belt1 both plain and two inches broad4 ,to the latter is attached a black leather pouch carried by gilt rings and mountings1 having on the flap the device of the royal arms and supporters with the corps motto4 ,swords hilted like those of the quartermasters1 but of a peculiar metal1 sheathed in steel scabbards and tasselled with gold acorns1 complete the improvements of this period4 ,the drivers have no rifles or muskets1 but are armed with light ,prussian swords having half basket-hilts and buff leather tassels4 ,the gripe is partly of black japanned wood1 ridged2 all else1 with the scabbard1 are steel4 ,the narrow buff waist-belt1 with slings which suspend the sword1 have a plain brass waist-plate4 ,in addition1 the non-commissioned officers have a buff pouch-belt carrying a small plain black leather pouch4 ,the former bears a brass slide at the breast as a substitute for a buckle4 ,all ranks wear swan-necked spurs with spiked rowels4 ,of the dress of the quartermasters nothing has yet been recorded in these pages4 ,their costume is similar to that of the subalterns of engineers1 with the exception of the appointments4 ,the tunic harmonizes with that of the staff-sergeants1 except that the sleeves bear no device beyond the ,austrian knot1 and the gold cord is larger4 ,the jacket is also similar to the staff-sergeants1 deviating only by the addition of gold ,russian braid down the fronts and round the girth1 finished at the centre of the waist and collar seam with crowsfeet4 ,a waistcoat is also worn of scarlet cloth1 single-breasted1 with gilt studs crowded down the front4 ,hooks and eyes serve the place of buttons4 ,collar1 pockets1 and edges are trimmed with gold braid and graced with crowsfeet at the centre of the collar1 and at each end and centre of the pockets4 ,a surtout is permitted as a lounging appendage to the costume1 but it would require the professional assistance of a ,buckmaster to describe without fault the man-millinery of this military frock4 ,it is of dark-blue cloth1 single-breasted1 opening five inches down the breast to show the waistcoat1 up to which from the waist the fronts are closed by hooks and eyes4 ,eight loops of braid nearly two inches broad1 with two rows of netted barrels or olives on each side--two on each loop--descend from the shoulders in lessening lines to the waist4 ,the ends of the loops inwards have flys three inches long which fall down like tags1 covering the inner row of barrels4 ,the front edges1 rolling collar1 and pointed cuffs1 hind arm and back seams are trimmed with braid seven-eighths of an inch broad traced in and out and finished on the cuffs and centre of collar with crowsfeet4 ,from the back seams flow two streamers eight inches long on each skirt of the same width of braid as that which covers the seams2 and the tracing on both edges terminates in two crowsfeet4 ,all the trimming and traceries are of mohair braid4 ,the trowsers are the same as the uniform of the corps1 but with gold lace stripes one inch and three-quarters wide for dress occasions4 ,the cloak is of blue cloth1 riding length1 with sleeves4 ,lined with scarlet shalloon1 and amassed with a cape1 make it waterproof in a storm4 ,an upright collar of scarlet cloth with gilt fuming grenades1 chains1 hooks1 and buttons1 make up the sum of its ornaments4 ,every non-commissioned officer1 as he ascends the weary ladder of preferment1 keeps his eye steadily on the cocked-hat4 ,it would therefore be unpardonable to omit the description of a badge which has given rise to more ambition in the ordnance corps than can possibly be satisfied4 ,it is the only commission open to them1 and the struggle to gain it is far more difficult than for born gentlemen to attain the rank of ,general4 ,if life be spared this comes as a matter of course1 but only one in thousands can hope to be invested with the latter4 ,the cocked-hat then is a small one compared with the ,kelvenhuller1 and though as confined in its dimensions as the ,ramilies1 is very unlike it4 ,it seems to be a sort of compromise between the two4 ,the right leaf stands six inches and three-quarters high1 while the fan1 its fellow leaf1 tops it by nearly an inch4 ,the former bears a cockade of black watered ribbon and a gold-laced loop two inches broad1 which is stayed by a regimental button4 ,the corners or shoots are nearly five inches long and two and a half broad1 bearing tassels of small gold and crimson bullion affixed to gold netted pads which lie snugly in the recesses formed by the overlapping of the fan4 ,the ribbon worn on the sides of the left leaf is of plain black silk4 ,surmounting all is the plume1 five inches and a half long1 made of cock-tail feathers1 which fall over the crown of the hat in the shape of a mushroom4 ,the forage-cap is assimilated to that worn by the staff-sergeants2 the gold-laced band being broader and richer4 ,coming to the appointments1 they consist of waist and pouch belts of white patent leather1 respectively one inch and a half and two inches wide1 the former having narrow slings1 gilt buckles1 rings1 and waist-plate with the corps' device in silver1 and the latter a gilt engraved buckle and mountings to correspond with the hilt of the sword4 ,these ornaments are worn on a fly of the belt just above the pouch1 which is small1 of black patent leather1 bearing the regimental badge of the royal arms and supporters with the corps' motto1 and attached to the belt by rings issuing from gilt leaves4 ,the sword is thirty-two inches and a half long by one inch and a half wide4 ,its gripe1 of black fish-skin1 is ribbed with treble gold wire1 sustained by a plain gilt back1 the lower half grated to assist the grasp4 ,the hilt is of the half-basket kind1 formed of rolled gilt metal1 scrolled1 pierced1 and engine-turned1 embellished with a gold acorn attached to a length of royal gold cord1 which after ramifying the perforations1 evolves in a tassel4 ,to complete the details1 let it be added1 that the scabbard which sheathes the blade--proof against any amount of hard work and figured with military insignia--is of burnished steel4 ,some important augmentations had been made to the corps1 which will be found among the services out of which they in great part arose4 ,other desirable additions followed1 which1 belonging more to the incidents of home1 will follow in this chapter4 ,a number of sergeants usually employed as clerks1 drill-masters1 and instructors in the schools1 always kept the companies to which they belonged more or less impoverished2 so to end a system that could not be avoided1 but which operated injuriously1 ,lord ,panmure gave authority1 on the #ith ,october1 for the removal of fourteen specially employed sergeants from the companies1 bearing them on the rolls of the corps as supernumeraries4 ,two of the number were appointed staff-sergeants4 ,widening daily into unwieldy dimensions1 with a meagre controlling staff1 gave rise to other essential appointments in the corps4 ,on the #agth ,december1 an ,adjutant 7,captain ,f4 ,e4 ,cox1 ,r4,e47 and a ,quartermaster 7,michael ,bradford1 from the rank of sergeant-major7 were commissioned4#acc ,the appointment of ,brigade-,major1 long felt to be an inadequate staff rank1 was changed to that of ,assistant ,adjutant-,general4 ,heretofore the chief executive of the royal sappers and miners held no higher regimental rank than that of ,captain1 with the staff commission of ,brigade-,major4 ,under the same authority a sergeant-major and a quartermaster-sergeant were added to the corps4 ,there was an ,exhibition at ,fort ,george1 ,mauritius1 in ,december1 #ahee1 of a collection of productions indigenous to the island1 and subjects of a constructive nature1 to represent the industrial habits of the community in that distant region4 ,indebted for the idea to its great prototype in ,london1 the ,exhibition originated with the #bbnd company of the corps stationed there1 and most of the articles--such as models of inventions and objects of mechanical interest in the island--were contributed by non-commissioned officers and privates of the company1 of whom sergeant ,frederick ,hibling was the chief exhibitor4 ,the exposition was open for a week4 ,each day had its appointed charge varying from #c;d4 to #bs41 and the surplus receipts were applied to charitable purposes4 ,from ,bermuda the #bast company arrived on the #bbnd ,december1 leaving a small detachment of invalids to carry on the works4 ,its removal was accompanied by a representation which told of the loss the colony would sustain by the step2 but the urgency of affairs in the ,east admitted of no consideration interfering with the resolve of sending the company to the ,crimea1 constituted as it was of climatized men and competent artificers4 ,at the time of their landing1 however1 there were strong indications of diplomatic negociations putting an end to existing differences2 but to prepare the company for the worst1 it was forwarded to ,aldershot on the #hth ,january1 #ahef1 under the command of ,lieutenant ,j4 ,h4 ,wilson1 to be trained in camp to the discipline and usages of war4 ,another of the changes which resulted from the incorporation of the ordnance service with the army was the removal of the head-quarters from ,woolwich to ,chatham4 ,successive ,directors of the establishment at ,chatham had shown the benefits probably to accrue to the corps by the measure1 but forty years' representation were insufficient to dispose of the counter-advantages which were considered to be the effect of instruction carried out at two stations--one for forming the soldier1 the other for working up the soldier into a sapper4 ,at a time when the country was expecting changes1 and those changes promised a return to the ,state more beneficial than an adherence to old systems was likely to yield1 nothing was permitted to stand in the way of making the trial4 ,accordingly the fiat was issued by ,lord ,panmure2 and ,chatham from the #ajth ,january became the head-quarters of the corps4 ,on that day1 ,lieutenant-,colonel ,yorke1 ,assistant ,adjutant-,general1 marched into ,brompton ,barracks at the head of the sappers1 leaving for the works at ,woolwich a strong company quartered in temporary huts erected in ,mill ,hill road4 ,a detachment had been sent to ,van ,diemen's ,land in #aheb at the request of the ,colonial ,legislature to carry on the surveys of the settlement1 but it had barely entered on its duties when a feeling of hostility was shown to its employment4 ,whenever a chance offered of presenting it in an unfavourable aspect1 the ,legislative ,council greedily accepted it1 and gave the imperial party the full weight of its opposition4 ,in ,august1 #ahee1 the ,governor-,general sent a message to the ,council recommending ,captain ,hawkins who commanded the surveyors1 for the appointment of ,surveyor-,general1 but between a select committee nominated to inquire into its necessity and the ,legislative ,council1 the office was never conferred4 ,matters went on coldly enough2 the ,council had grown stubborn in its sentiments2 and to show that the colony had a will of its own1 notwithstanding a royal warrant had been issued to form the detachment in accordance with the warm wishes of those who had authority to represent the wants of the province1 the colonial secretary coolly intimated to ,captain ,hawkins1 on the #afth ,october following1 that himself and detachment were at the disposal of the ,governor of ,new ,south ,wales6 ,the men composing the party were volunteers1 had made sacrifices to emigrate1 had purchased land in the vicinity of their labours1 and were collecting about them members of their families1 who1 by ones and twos1 had struggled to leave their ,english homes and were on their way to distant ,tasmania4 ,in revoking the service1 the conduct of the rulers was as heartless and supercilious as absolute2 and in beguiling men1 by fair promises1 to volunteer to serve them2 then discountenancing their efficient exertions1 and finally1 without consulting their wishes1 arranging for their transfer to any colony which might be in need of such a detachment1 was a feature in colonial management strongly savouring of exceptional faith4 ,the end of all was1 that a few of the party1 sooner than break up their new homes1 took their discharges1 and the remainder leaving ,hobart ,town on the #ith ,february1 arrived in five days after at ,sydney1 to renew in that colony1 under the auspices of ,sir ,william ,denison1 those services so little appreciated by the censors of ,van ,diemen's ,land4 ,captain ,hawkins1 still in command of the detachment1 fixed his head-quarters at ,paramatta4 ,under the authority of ,lord ,hardinge1 the ,commander-in-,chief1 dated #bnd ,april1 several increases and alterations took place in the corps4 ,the #bcrd company being composed of drivers was thrown out of the numeral roll of the companies and designated the ,a troop of the royal engineer field equipment4 ,its constitution and pay was fixed as under3-- s4 d4 #a troop sergeant-major #c #i a-day4 #a troop quartermaster-sergeant #c #i 0 #d sergeants each #b #aj 0 #f corporals 0 #b #d 0 #f second-corporals 0 #b #b 0 #a farrier #c #d 0 #d shoeing smiths each #b #j 0 #b collar-makers 0 #b #j 0 #b wheelers 0 #b #j 0 #ajj drivers 0 #a #i 0 #b buglers 0 #a #i 0 ,to fill up the gap occasioned by its withdrawal1 another company1 numbered the #bcrd1 was formed in ,april4 ,the ,corfu company which held a distinct organization1 had its establishment risen from #hb to #abj1 so that it might take its place among the general service companies4 ,a ,band was also formed1 consisting of one sergeant1 one corporal1 one second corporal1 and thirty private musicians4 ,the detachments raised by special royal warrants for service in ,van ,diemen's ,land and ,sydney were absorbed in the #bjth company4 ,the result of all was that the corps gained a clear augmentation of #afi non-commissioned officers and men1 and its organization was established according to the following detail3-- ,colour ,ser- ,ser- ,cor- #bnd ,pri- ,general geant4 geants4 porals4 ,corp4 ,bugl4 vates4 ,total4 ,total4 #bb general service companies1 #a #e #f #f #b #ajj #abj #bfdj each #a survey company #a #e #f #f #b #ajj #abj #abj #c survey companies1 each #a #g #h #h #b #ii #abe #cge #cace ,the band #a #a #a #cc #cc ---- ,sergt4 ,q4-mast4- #bnd ,artif- ,major4 ,sergt4 ,sergts4 ,corpls4 ,corpls4 icers4 ,bugl4 ,drivers4 ,total4 ,driver troop #a #a #d #f #f #i #b #ajj #abi #abi ,staff--,supernumerary sergeants with the rank of colour-sergeant #ab #d sergeant-majors2 #d quartermaster-sergeants2 #a bugle-major1 and #b #aa staff-sergeants #a assistant adjutant-general2 #b adjutants to corps1 #a adjutant of field #h equipment1 and #d quartermasters ---- ,general ,total #ccbh ,this establishment was far greater than had been allowed even during the oppressive years of the ,peninsular war1 and the number of companies1 long in its teens1 had swept on by successive augmentations to #bg--one being a driver troop4 ,without any increase of pay from state sources1 the band is supported by an annual subscription from the officers of engineers managed by a committee1 of which the assistant adjutant-general is president4 ,though never recognised1 a brass band had been in existence for many years1 but when the new order of things was sanctioned1 a reed band was established as more in keeping with the refinements of a distinguished corps4 ,the accomplished features of an operatic orchestra were also introduced combined with the sacred musical accessories of the church2 and the bald services of a garrison chapel which1 until the arrival of the head-quarters at ,chatham1 was conducted without singing1 has recently been varied and made additionally grateful by the use of chants1 glorias1 psalms1 c4#acd ,the costume of the band1 approved by ,prince ,albert1 is perhaps the handsomest in the service though the contrasts are extreme4 ,a black bear-skin head-dress1 scarlet cloth trousers1 and white cloth tunic constitute the uniform4 ,the first is free of embellishment and without feather or plume1 but has a gilt curb chain for the chin4 ,the trousers have a stripe of gold lace five-eighths of an inch broad down the outer seams1 a distinction never before1 it is believed1 conferred on any band in the service4 ,after the ,hungarian fashion1 but less picturesque1 the tunic is tastefully trimmed with gold lace1 gold traceries1 and gold square untwisted cords for the shoulders4 ,all the lacing is half an inch wide and the tracing is worked with ,russian braid4 ,cut on the model of the corps' tunic1 except that the skirts have no slashes and the fronts are curved1 its facings and edgings1 of silk plush1 are of a bright blue1 and agreeably harmonize with the white cloth1 giving it an appearance of ultra delicacy4 ,let but a storm soak it1 and its elegance departs4 ,the collar is laced all round and traced on the inner edges1 enlivened by eyes in the angles1 and a crowsfoot at the centre4 ,the cuffs are similarly laced1 and traced on both edges with a series of eyes and finished with crowsfeet4 ,down the front edges and back seams to the bottoms of the skirts both in front and rear1 the lace again occurs traced in and out and figured at the terminations with a play of artistic fancy developed into highly florid crowsfeet4 ,simpler configurations crown the lacing of the back seams1 which is relieved at the waist by ornithological devices resembling1 with greater truth1 a sprig of shamrock than the object to which the tailors have so strangely likened them4 ,down each breast are five bars compressed in length as they reach the waist1 traced on both edges1 having eyes at the corners and terminating at the points1 with the ever-present crowsfeet4 ,except the two shoulder buttons1 the tunic possesses no adornment of this kind1 the fronts being closed by hooks and eyes4 ,the waist-belt is of white patent leather2 the plate the same as that worn by the staff sergeants1 the sword has for its hilt an ornamental ,maltese cross bearing the device of a buglehorn1 and sheathed in a black leather scabbard with brasses ornamentally shaped4 ,it is shorter than the one worn by the buglers4 ,the forage cap is similar to the sergeants2 but the jacket and trousers are like the drill dress of the privates with an addition to the jacket of twisted gold shoulder cords1 blue cloth edgings1 and blue cloth piping down the hind arms and back seams terminating with blue cloth cushions as substitutes for buttons4 ,a very pleasing uniform has been adopted for the bandmaster1 of scarlet cloth without breast bars4 ,in all other essential particulars it is laced1 traced1 and figured like the tunics of the musicians4 ,the facings and edgings are of garter blue silk velvet4 ,the collar is traced with a series of eyes on the inner edges of the lace2 and the shoulder-cords trebly twisted are ornamented with embroidered grenades4 ,the trousers1 for bandmaster and bugle-major1 are of dark ,oxford mixture with a stripe of rich gold lace1 one inch and three quarters wide1 down each outer seam4 ,in undress is worn a dark-blue cloth surtout1 single-breasted1 hooked up to the neck1 with upright rounded collar1 and five loops two inches wide of mohair braid down the front1 which are further ornamented by the addition of a row of netted barrels1 and flys4 ,all the rest of the trimming is similar to that on the surtout of the quartermasters4 ,the forage cap and trousers are also similar1 but the accoutrements of the bandmaster with one exception correspond with those of the staff sergeants4 ,instead of a sword he wears an elegant scimitar1 short and light1 in a brass scabbard1 the hilt being composed of masks and foliage of the 8cinque-cento0 period4 ,the curve of the gripe issues in a lion's head1 with ring attached1 bearing a flowing treble twisted fretwork chain united to a ring at the guard4 ,considered advisable to add to the system of instruction at ,chatham the art of photography1 four non-commissioned officers were sent to ,kensington ,palace on the #fth ,march to learn the process2 and after being taught at ,gore ,house by ,mr4 ,thurston ,thompson1 returned to ,chatham on the #eth ,may2 since which date photography has formed an interesting item in the instructional proceedings of the establishment4 ,akin with this is the system introduced by ,captain ,du ,cane on his return from the ,crimea for teaching non-commissioned officers and men the method of using the electric telegraph for military purposes4 ,so successfully had the schooling of the men in this department of field usefulness been conducted1 that in ,june a small force of sapper telegraphists was sent to ,aldershot to establish the field telegraph4 ,three stations were soon in action1 one at each of the camps1 and one at ,farnborough close to the electric telegraph company's office4 ,double needle instruments were used at each of the stations and double wires connected with them stretched over the roofs of the huts and borne over the open spaces by poles rising between twenty and thirty feet high4 ,a non-commissioned officer or more acted at each station and two always at ,farnborough4 ,line orderlies attended the sappers to carry the messages4 ,purfleet1 attached from time immemorial to the ,woolwich district1 was1 under the new order of things1 combined with the created district of ,waltham1 and the small party of six sappers1 which for many years had been employed in the ,ordnance repairs at the station1 was removed to ,woolwich in ,may4 ,to add to the military efficiency of the corps1 one sergeant and eight rank and file1 commanded by ,lieutenant ,g4 ,r4 ,lempriere1 were sent to ,hythe in ,may to learn under ,colonel ,hay the approved method of rifle practice and judging distances4 ,their success was looked upon as very satisfactory4 ,though less time at drill than other detachments they stood well in the comparison1 and one of their number1 lance-corporal ,john ,yelland1 bore away the prize pen and certificate awarded by ,colonel ,hay4 ,he was the best shot out of #afd men of different regiments who had for some months been contending for the honour4 ,the sappers returned to ,chatham on the #eth ,august1 and the information obtained at ,hythe has become one of the leading features of instruction at the royal engineer establishment4 ,lieutenant ,lempriere is the instructor2 and some of the men who have passed through his hands have proved themselves better shots and better in judging distances than the ,hythe prizeman4 ----- ,footnote #abh3 ,under an officer1 he has charge of the preparation of the #ajef feet plans of ,plymouth1 ,stonehouse1 and ,devonport1 and of the office for the examination of plans and documents antecedent to the engraving of the work4 ,footnote #abi3 ,he also assisted ,captain ,fowke1 ,r4,e41 in testing the comparative qualities of various woods1 products of ,new ,south ,wales1 ,british ,guiana1 and ,jamaica1 which had been exhibited at the ,palais de l',industrie4 8,in conducting and registering these experiments10 wrote ,captain ,fowke1 8,i was assisted by corporal ,james ,mack1 of the royal sappers and miners1 who displayed the greatest zeal1 intelligence1 and ability throughout40--#8,reports on the ,paris ,universal ,exhibition4' ,part i4 #ahef1 p4 #djg4 ,footnote #acj3 ,of the connection of the sappers with a service so interesting1 the following anecdote is an illustration4 ,a 8foreigner of distinction0 paid a visit to the ,palais de l',industrie4 ,with ,captain ,fowke he rambled over the courts1 and while the ,captain was explaining to him1 among other matters1 his experiments on the strength of woods1 they reached the spot where corporal ,mack1 in the ,captain's temporary absence1 was carrying them on with all the intelligence of a scientific man4 ,a little further on was another sapper4 ,this was sergeant ,jenkins1 who1 for the visitor's information1 cleverly expatiated on some philosophical apparatus in his charge4 ,a red-coat in the building was an object of decided attraction1 and the foreigner looked with no little satisfaction at corporal ,clabby1 who was then making a minute and accurate survey of the position of the cases and objects in the ,exhibition4 ,he had scarcely withdrawn his attention from the draughtsman1 when a fourth sapper in the person of corporal ,key1 the indefatigable overseer1 came in for a share of the foreigner's approbation1 and he expressed to ,captain ,fowke his amazement that so many difficult and important duties could1 with such efficient results1 be intrusted to them4 ,but the measure of his astonishment was not yet full4 ,there was a magnificent organ1 built by ,bevington and ,son1 of ,greek-street1 ,soho1 in the ,palais1 which had gained the first-class prize1 on which1 while the distinguished foreigner was taking his tour1 an amateur with a small body and a young and pleasing countenance was performing4 ,drawn by the power and grandeur of its tones1 the ,captain and his friend repaired to the compartment where it had a locle1 but on turning the corner1 instead of finding1 as was expected1 a 8,maestro10 or 8un professeur anglais10 seated before the instrument disporting himself with the hauteur of a musical genius1 the foreigner was struck by seeing another sapper1 complacently playing with the proficiency and grace of a modest professional4 8,mon ,dieu60 he cried1 as if the varied employments of the ,british sappers were too exuberant to merit a less startling exclamation1 8,encore un sapeur du genie60 ,and the foreigner went away with a most excited opinion of the talents and attainments of the corps1 of which the men above named were the creditable representatives4 ,the military ,mozart on this occasion1 who strangely enough was named after that 8divine composer10 was ,ludovico ,amedius ,woolfgang ,hart6--a name due less to his ,english than his ,german extraction4 ,as young ,hart had opportunity1 he applied himself to the great organ with its three rows of keys1 pedals1 and accessory movements1 containing also eighteen hundred and eleven pipes and forty-two stops4 ,his performances comprised selections from ,handel's ,messiah1 ,haydn's ,creation1 and other oratorios4 ,once when ,her ,majesty was passing through the ,english department he took his place at the instrument1 and made the ,palais swell with 8,god save the ,queen20 and on another eventful day1 when the ,emperor of the ,french was visiting the ,exposition1 he struck up the national anthem of ,france--8,partant pour le ,syrie40 ,footnote #aca3 ,the first time the ,emperor visited the portion of the gallery allotted to ,great ,britain1 he condescended to scan the survey contributions4 ,as he approached the compartment1 sergeant ,jenkins saluted him4 ,in return the ,emperor took off his hat and bowed2 and1 as if to make the sergeant feel perfectly at home in his presence1 smiled and seemed in delightful humour4 ,after glancing at the six-inch map of ,edinburgh1 over which was written in conspicuous letters1 8,ordnance survey of ,scotland10 ,his ,majesty exclaimed1 8,ordnance survey of ,scotland6 but where is the map of ,england80 ,jenkins explained that he had several specimens of the one-inch map of ,england1 and invited the illustrious ,monarch to inspect them4 8,o6 certainly20 and ,his ,majesty graciously accompanied the sergeant to the interior of the little court taken up by the survey specimens1 where1 in a measure1 ,his ,majesty was isolated from the crowd1 which1 with straining curiosity and awe1 followed the imperial footsteps4 ,when examining the one-inch map of ,north ,wales1 the ,emperor traced his finger over the neighbourhood of ,snowdon1 and observed1 8the shading of the hills is beautifully executed40 ,the sergeant then directed the ,emperor's attention to the plan of ,st4 ,andrews on the five-feet scale--a map very much commended for its finish by all the eminent engineers who had examined it4 ,his ,majesty appeared highly pleased with it1 and then succeeded a string of questions which the sergeant--a stranger to the parasitical language of the courtier--answered with the honest pertinence and refinement of a man of good common sense4 ,among the interrogatories was one in which the ,emperor enquired1--8,has the whole of ,england been surveyed on the six-inch scale80 ,in looking at the great theodolite1 the ,emperor evinced unequivocal interest2 more so1 when the sergeant informed him it had been in use above sixty years1 and had operated on the summits of the highest mountains and most of the important trigonometrical stations in ,england1 ,scotland1 and ,ireland4 ,of its action1 adjustment1 and peculiarities the ,emperor asked several questions1 and called a scientific attendant1 to whom ,his ,majesty explained1 in ,french1 what the sergeant had communicated to him4 ,the ,emperor then examined the models of ,arthur's seat and the ,merrick hills1 and also that of the zenith sector1 with all of which ,his ,majesty was well satisfied4 ,surrounded by a vast assembly1 with heads uncovered and in breathless admiration of the magnanimity of the incident1 thus was passed an interview of about a quarter of an hour1 between the ,emperor of the ,french and a ,british soldier6 ,footnote #acb3 ,of the party1 ,clabby1 ,hart1 and ,kelly only were at the fire4 ,they attached themselves to the engine nearest the building2 so close was it1 that ,kelly was struck on the shoulder with a piece of burning timber4 ,at one time the pipe burst1 spirting the water over the workmen4 ,one of the ,zouaves was up to his knees in water trying to mend the fracture1 when corporal ,clabby went to his assistance1 and taking the handkerchief from his neck bound it round the pipe1 and partially removed the annoyance4 ,this little act1 so gracefully and promptly performed1 met with a shout of applause from the multitude1 and before the ringing of the acclamations had subsided1 an officer from the ,marshal of the 8,garde de ,paris0 made a note of their names2 with what object1 perhaps1 the future may tell4 ,footnote #acc3 ,the ancestry of the ,bradfords can be traced1 traditionally1 to a very remote period4 ,it commenced1 as far as the family information extends1 with ,ranulph de ,broade ,forde--since contracted into ,bradford--who in #aaia served under ,richard ,i4 in the ,holy ,war1 and fought at the siege of ,ascalon in the third crusade4 ,apparently1 the patronymic of the ,broade ,fordes was derived from a fortress held by ,ranulph as the heir of his race1 which defended a ford at the confluence of two streams important in border warfare on the marches of ,wales4 ,without attempting to renew the links in the broken chain of genealogical succession1 it seems that in the direct line from ,ranulph sprang ,john ,bradford1 who was born at ,manchester about #aebb4 ,at an early age1 under ,sir ,john ,harington1 ,knight of ,exton in ,rutland1 8treasurer of the ,king's camps and buildings10 and chief engineer at ,boulogne1 he served as paymaster at the siege of ,montreuil in #aedd4 ,three years later he was a student of common law at the ,inner ,temple1 where he became a convert to ,protestantism2 and relinquishing1 in #aedh1 his secular intentions1 became a student at ,cambridge1 and soon after a ,fellow of ,pembroke ,college4 ,ridley1 ,bishop of ,london1 ordained him deacon in #aeej1 and next year he was installed as a prebendary of ,st4 ,paul's1 and appointed one of the six chaplains of ,edward ,,vi4 to preach in the distant parts of the kingdom4 ,in #aeec1 a month after the king's death1 and the accession of ,queen ,mary1 ,bradford was a ,state prisoner4 ,the truthfulness of his preaching1 his great popularity as a minister1 and ,christian firmness in promoting the reformed doctrines1 did not suit the religious rgime which1 under the bigoted intolerance of the ,queen1 had commenced to disturb the fabric of the reformation4 ,on a trumped-up charge of sedition and heresy he suffered two years incarceration in the ,tower and ,king's ,bench1 and1 at length1 refusing to retract his pious convictions1 was martyred1 by burning1 at ,smithfield1 #ast ,july1 #aeee4 ,from a brother of this 8champion of the faith0 lineally descended the ,rev4 ,edward ,bradford1 rector of ,buckland ,filleigh4 ,john1 a son of the rector1 married ,gertrude ,coham1 of ,coham4 ,considerable landed property was held by the family from the ,earl of ,oxford and his successors1 the ,lords ,clinton2 but the estates having been placed in chancery1 leases without the possibility of renewing them1 and an extensive fire having consumed a great part of the market-town of ,sheepwash1 laid the foundation of a series of calamities from which the family have never recovered4 ,among the offspring of ,john1 were ,john1 ,william1 and ,michael4 ,the two first were surgeons in the royal navy1 ,william perished in the foundering of the 8,royal ,george0 at ,spithead1 ,june1 #aghb4 ,michael was likely to have retrieved the fortunes of the family by his success as a surgeon1 but he died young1 leaving1 among other children-- ,michael1 an orphan of four years of age4 ,there was enough for the son when he arrived at man's estate to pass comfortably through life1 and he married well4 ,his wife was ,mary ,tamlyn1 daughter of ,bamfylde ,tamlyn1 by ,mary1 second daughter of ,richard ,somers1 ,esq41 of ,northtawton1 ,devon1 and sister of the wife of ,robert ,harrington1 ,esq41 of ,worden4 ,the father of ,bamfylde ,tamlyn1 was the ,rev4 ,gregory ,tamlyn1 rector of ,bradford4 ,in the ,will of ,john ,bamfylde of ,arlington1 the relationship of ,rector ,tamlyn with the family is acknowledged in a passage which affectionately styles him 8my beloved cousin40 ,the pedigree of the ,bamfyldes is of undoubted antiquity1 and this branch of it is a shoot from the stem to which cling the ,baronets and ,lords of ,poltimore4 ,young ,michael1 who had increased by his marriage1 his pecuniary competence and standing in society1 was not remarkable for the economy of his pursuits4 ,he was fond of sporting in all its phases1 and indulged in other expensive habits1 which ended in his ruin4 ,from this marriage sprang five sons and a daughter4 ,michael the quartermaster is the second son4 ,he is thus a collateral descendant of ,bradford the martyr1 and a 8poor relation0 of a few families of repute and distinction at the present day4 ,footnote #acd3 ,mr4 ,william ,g4 ,collins was appointed master #ast ,august1 #ahef4 ,he joined the royal artillery band at ten years of age4 ,when he had established his name as a performer1 he turned his attention to composition1 and was instructed as a theoretical musician by ,james ,harris1 ,esq4 ,mus4 ,bac4 of ,oxon4 ,when quite a young man he was promoted to be master of the band on the recommendation of ,sir ,henry ,bishop and the ,president of the ,royal ,academy of ,music--,cipriani ,potter4 ,subsequently he held a similar situation in the ,royal ,bucks ,militia ,band1 which1 from his peculiar fitness and attainments1 became one of the best bands among the regular troops or militia in the kingdom4 ,on the disembodiment of the regiment1 his engagement with ,lord ,carington having ceased1 his well-known reputation led to his instant appointment as master of the ,royal ,engineer ,band4 #ahed4 ,,bomarsund--,,turkey--,,bulgaria--,,wal lachia4 ,war with ,russia--,detachment attached to ,baltic fleet--,second company to the ,aland ,islands--,landing--,brigadier--,general ,jones--,preliminary services--,operations--,fort ,nottich attacked--,adventure at ,fort ,tzee and escape from it--,bomarsund captured--,destruction of the forts--,conduct of the company--,sickness2 it returns to ,england--,detachment to ,turkey--,augmentation to the corps--,seventh company withdrawn from ,hurst ,castle--,eleventh and seventh companies to ,turkey--,odessa--,services of the first detachment in ,turkey--,corporal ,cray--,gallipoli2 ,boulair2 ,ibridgi--,commendation by ,sir ,george ,brown--,tenth and eighth companies to ,scutari--,redoubt ,kaleh--,works there--,circassia--,working-pay--,compan ies attached to divisions of the army--,buyuk ,tchekmedjie--,first detachment to ,varna--,followed by the tenth company--,also by the eleventh--,complimentary order for services of the latter--,contrast between the ,french and ,english sappers--,works at ,varna--,also at ,devno--,encampments at ,aladyn and ,varna--,works at ,gallipoli and ,boulair--,eighth company to ,varna--,gallantry of corporal ,swann and private ,anderson--,sappers join at ,varna from the fleet--,coast of ,circassia--,photographers--,detachment to ,rustchuk--,trestle bridge at ,slobedzie--,bridge of boats over the ,danube--,return to ,varna of a portion of the sappers from ,rustchuk--,misconduct of the detachment2 also of the seventh company--,spirited conduct of corporal ,cray--,major ,bent and party of sappers to ,bucharest--,private ,anderson and the ,austrian ,dragoons--,fourth company to ,varna--,the ,somerset ,fund--,the ,central ,association4 ,to obtain a religious protectorate in ,turkey1 ,russia menaced the independence of the ,sultan1 which led to a long diplomatic negotiation between the ,western powers and the ,czar2 but as the ,emperor ,nicholas persisted in interfering with the rule of the ,sultan1 and attempted to enforce his pretensions by occupying with a belligerent army the ,danubian principalities1 ,great ,britain and ,france declared war against ,russia4 ,measures were instantly taken to give effect to the declaration by despatching powerful expeditions to the ,east and the ,baltic4 ,to the ,baltic fleet were attached1 on the #ith ,march1 one sergeant and nineteen rank and file of the second company1 under the command of ,lieutenant ,nugent of the engineers1 which embarked at ,portsmouth on board the #8,duke of ,wellington1' flag-ship of ,vice-,admiral ,sir ,charles ,napier1 and accompanied it in its reconnaissance of the ,baltic ,sea and the ,gulf of ,finland as far up as ,cronstadt4 ,the object of sending the party with the fleet was1 that it might take the lead of the seamen and marines in any escalading operations ashore2 but the nature of the service was such that no occasion offered for resorting to the expedient4 ,during the time that the cholera was rife in the fleet1 several of the detachment were seized with the malady1 and three died4 ,when it was resolved to make a descent upon the ,aland ,islands1 a division of the ,french army was despatched from ,calais to carry out the enterprise4 ,the second company1 of eighty strong1 under ,captain ,f4 ,w4 ,king1 royal engineers1 was added to the force1 and sailing from ,deptford in the #8,julia' transport on the #aeth ,july1 with every conceivable engineering requirement1 arrived at ,calais on the #agth1 and took on board #bbe officers1 non-commissioned officers1 and rank and file of the #east infantry of the line4 ,the sappers were the only troops that accompanied the ,french contingent4 ,before daylight on the #hth ,august1 the second company1 #fjj of the royal marines1 and #bjjj ,french troops landed at a small cove a few miles ,n4,e4 of ,bomarsund1 and taking a winding route by the village of ,monkstetta1 encamped about #a1bjj yards from ,fort ,tzee1 sheltered by a hill on which the breaching battery was afterwards constructed4 ,the advance of the van was formed by the sappers from the flag-ship1 carrying besides their carbines an assortment of bill-hooks1 hand-saws1 axes1 and hatchets1 and the column was closed in rear by the second company under ,captain ,king4 ,the ,british operations were wholly carried out under the direction of ,brigadier-,general ,jones1 ,r4,e41 an officer of matured judgment and experience1 gained by hard service in the ,peninsular ,war1 and by some forty years of after study and experiment4 ,he was assisted by ,captain ,h4 ,st4 ,george ,ord1 and four other officers of the corps4 ,nearly five days were employed in collecting the tools and stores1 cutting roads1 effecting preliminary reconnaissances1 preparing an hospital1 and in providing domiciles for the temporary accommodation of the company1 by making huts of the branches of fir trees2 while a strong party1 about #djj yards from the hill1 worked with unflagging industry in making fascines and filling sand-bags1 which1 when finished1 were carried by the seamen and marines to the dept near the site of the intended battery4 ,meanwhile two or three attempts had been made by some officers of the corps1 attended by a few intrepid sappers1 to trace the battery2 but the enemy opened so heavy a fire upon the parties1 that a suspension of their exertions necessarily followed4 ,determination and tact1 however1 got over the difficulty4 ,no trace was used1 but a simple alignment struck1 from which1 on the #acth ,august1 under shade of the evening1 sergeant ,john ,jones and twenty-four rank and file1 began to construct the battery1 under the orders of ,captain ,ord4 ,without the chance of digging a shovel-full of earth to give solidity and strength to the cover1 the battery was built on the bare rock entirely of fascines and sand-bags4 ,the sappers reared it unassisted1 except that the royal marines carried the material from the engineer's park to the hill4 ,sergeant ,john ,jones had the honour of laying the first sand-bag4 ,in ten hours1 the detachment1 unrelieved1 nearly completed the battery1 which would soon have opened upon ,fort ,tzee2 but the ,french having forestalled the arrangement by obtaining the surrender of its commandant1 the battery was free for other employment1 and its direction was consequently changed against ,fort ,nottich4 ,speedily the epaulement which flanked the battery was prolonged1 the platforms promptly laid1 and three #cb-pounders having been placed in position1 the embrasures were unmasked by some daring sappers1 and the firing1 which lasted about nine hours1 ended at the fall of the day in the capture of the garrison4 ,it was surrendered to ,captain ,ord1 ,r4,e41 who had with him to receive the formal capitulation1 a force of #ajj of the royal marines and five rank and file of the sappers4 ,the added work was partly constructed in the day1 under fire1 as was also the laying of the platforms4 ,corporal ,peter ,leitch1#ace a first-class carpenter with some handy men of the company1 attended to this service4 ,the working party was relieved every four hours day and night1 until the battery was completed1 and also during the siege1 to throw fatigue and danger equally upon all4 ,the guns fired by the seamen and marine artillery were first drawn by them to the battery on sledges of a novel construction1 over steep and rugged ascents4 ,when they reached the camp1 however1 their labours were considerably diminished1 as a road to assist them had been cut by the sappers1 up the hill to the breaching battery1 under the orders of ,captain ,king4 ,corporal ,george ,luke acted as overseer in this duty4 ,two of the men were allotted to each of the guns to keep the embrasures in good order4 ,this they usually attended to while the gun was loading1 and not a few displayed a stoical coolness and intrepidity in repairing the damaged merlons1 and clearing away the debris occasioned by the enemy's cannonade4 ,though the fire upon the battery was warm at times1 the casualties only embraced two killed1 of whom one was the ,hon4 ,lieutenant ,cameron ,wrottesley1 ,r4,e41 and one wounded4 ,none of the sappers were even touched2 and this good fortune1 as well for them as the seamen and marines1 was attributed to the prudence of ,brigadier-,general ,jones1 who had men appointed to look out and warn the battery when the enemy's guns were fired4 ,these 8look-out0 men were sappers--alert spirits with quick eyes and stout hearts--who gave the alarm the instant a flash was seen at the fort4 ,the better to enable them to give the intimation they took ground in advance of the battery in some chasms of the rock1 where1 although partially screened by the natural cover of their hiding places1 it was a wonder that they escaped unhurt4 ,privates ,james ,moncur#acf and ,thomas ,ross#acg were most conspicuous in this hazardous duty4 ,when the ,french had captured ,fort ,tzee the ,brigadier-,general gave an order for sergeant ,john ,jones to make a plan of it4 ,he had a note to the officer commanding the garrison requesting the service to be permitted4 ,taking with him privates ,john ,s4 ,rowley and ,george ,peters to assist1 he started on the morning of the #aeth1 but contrary to expectation found the ,french had abandoned the work and taken shelter in an advanced trench4 ,presenting the request to the ,french ,commandant1 the sergeant awaited authority to proceed4 ,the fort was on fire1 having been shelled by the ,russians the previous evening4 ,the ,commandant and several ,french officers advised ,jones not to venture into the place1 but with soldier-like firmness he persevered in urging the performance of the duty2 and permission being granted1 he and his assistants went on4 ,going through one of the embrasures1 which was on fire1 and the gun-carriage burning1 they pushed into the tower4 ,loose powder1 broken cartridges1 and five shells were lying about2 the flames had nearly spread to the principal magazine1 the remainder of the building had more or less fire in every casemate1 and the smoke in thick columns was streaming from the crackling apertures4 ,with difficulty they gained the first floor1 and then1 finding the stairs1 penetrated to the roof1 not without being almost suffocated1 and losing1 for a time1 private ,rowley in the smoke4 ,from floor to floor and embrasure to embrasure they moved1 in hopes of stealing the barest chance of taking even a few measurements1 but their efforts were unavailing2 and so1 compelled to quit the tower1 they had scarcely reached their own camp1 about #a1bjj yards away1 when the flames having communicated with the magazine1 it exploded1 and the fort blew up4 ,without attempting to chronicle the different incidents of the campaign1 in which the fleet and the ,french troops so gallantly participated1 it will be sufficient to note that ,bomarsund1 the principal fort of the ,aland ,islands1 capitulated without material opposition1 and the ,russians were marched out prisoners of war4 ,the sappers and miners and royal marines formed in line1 faced by a force of the ,french infantry2 and through their divided ranks1 the ,russians moved pensively away to the point arranged for their departure4 ,no sooner were the forts in possession of the allies than measures were taken to disable the guns and dismantle the works4 ,the sappers only were employed in carrying out the mining operations under the direction of their officers4 ,in this duty they worked with so much energy1 that their exertions were scarcely checked by the fatigues to which they were necessarily subjected4 ,forts ,prasto1 ,nottich1 and ,bomarsund all fell in turn--blown up by mines skilfully laid and fired4 ,the magazines also were exploded1 the shot and shell removed1 and stores of timber1 prepared for use in the contemplated fortifications1 were burnt4 ,the work of destruction extended even to the garrison chapel2 it was sacked and then destroyed1 and all the unfinished forts and buildings1 rising from foundations which marked the extent of a stupendous engineering design1 were torn up by mines and thrown down4 ,the stone landing-pier was likewise demolished1 and not a slab of granite which promised to be of service in future works was left unbroken4 ,but a few weeks1 and what a change6 ,this proud maritime position--this formidable outport of the yet impregnable ,cronstadt1 studded with forts and bristling with ordnance1 was one widespread area of ruin and desolation6 ,brigadier-,general ,jones and the officers of the corps were well pleased with the military bearing and exertions of the company1 and commended the 8cheerful and willing manner in which they performed the laborious duties0 assigned to them4 ,besides the non-commissioned officers and men named above1 there were others noted for their services4 ,privates ,john ,williams1#ach ,john ,veitch1#aci and ,francis ,enright1 for their boldness1 resolution1 and zeal4 ,corporal ,george ,luke1#adj for his ability and usefulness as a miner in the demolition of ,bomarsund4 ,sergeant ,john ,jones1#ada for his assistance as a draughtsman2 and sergeant ,richard ,p4 ,jones1#adb for his general diligence and intelligence1 as well in the general operations as in the special one of diving4 ,the #8,penelope' having run ashore on an unknown rock off ,bomarsund1 was compelled to throw fifteen of her guns overboard to float and save her4 ,several naval divers attached to the fleet were afterwards employed to bring them up2 but as some submarine difficulties prevented as speedy an accomplishment of the undertaking as was desired1 the co-operation of sergeant ,richard ,jones was found to be an acquisition1 inasmuch as he recovered five #h-;inch guns and one #aj-;inch4 ,there was much sickness among the sappers during the brief campaign1 and on one day no less than forty-seven men out of a company not a hundred strong1 were on the sick-list with choleraic symptoms2 but owing to the attention of the naval surgeons1 only two died4 ,quitting the ,baltic ,sea in the #8,cumberland1' the company rejoined the corps at ,woolwich on the #afth ,october1 and before two months had intervened1 was despatched in all haste to ,turkey4 ,it is now time to turn to the ,east1 to trace the movements and services of the corps in that interesting quarter4 ,the van of the army sent thither under the command of ,lord ,raglan1 was a small party of six rank and file of the sappers and miners under ,captain ,chapman of the engineers4 ,they belonged to the fourth company1 at ,malta1 whence they sailed in the #8,banshee' on the #beth ,january1 and having arrived four days after in ,beicos ,bay1 were the first ,british soldiers landed on the ,ottoman shores4 ,to meet the calls for its services in the coming struggle1 the corps1 by order of ,lord ,raglan under date the #bcrd ,february1 was augmented from an establishment of #b1bah of all ranks to #b1feh officers and men1 by enlarging the organization of each of the twenty-two companies with one sergeant1 one corporal1 one second-corporal1 and seventeen privates4 ,the corps was now fixed according to the following details3-- ,colour ,ser- ,cor- #bnd ,pri- ,general ,sergeant4 geants4 porals4 ,corp4 ,bugl4 vates4 ,total4 ,total4 #ag general service #a #e #f #f #b #ajj #abj #bjdj companies1 each #a company for ,corfu #a #c #d #d #b #fh #hb #hb #c survey companies1 #a #g #h #h #b #ii #abe #cge each #a survey company #a #e #f #f #b #ajj #abj #abj ,sydney mint 4 #a #a #c 4 #aa #af #af detachment ,van ,diemen's ,land 4 #a #b 4 4 #ab #ae #ae detachment ----- #bfdh ,staff--#a brigade-major1 #a adjutant1 #c quartermasters1 #b sergeant-majors1 #b #aj quartermaster-sergeants1 and #a bugle-major ---- ,total #bfeh ,to concentrate the available force for active duty1 the seventh company1 employed in services of a secondary character only1 was withdrawn from ,hurst ,castle1 and removed to ,woolwich4 ,while at the castle the company had assisted in strengthening the place by constructing two batteries for ten and twelve guns respectively1 and also three loopholed caponniers1 built of brick and cement in the moat of the castle4 ,quartered as it was upon an exposed shore1 in a spot that was isolated and dreary1 the conduct of the company was anything but satisfactory1 and in the short space of eighteen months1 out of a strength that scarcely exceeded ninety non-commissioned officers and men1 no fewer than twenty-three privates deserted4 ,on the #bdth ,february the eleventh company1 under ,captain ,hassard1 embarked at ,southampton for ,turkey on board the #8,himalaya' steamer1 in which was shipped a store of intrenching tools for field operations4 ,at ,malta they landed on the #hth ,march1 and were temporarily quartered at ,floriana4 ,the seventh company--,captain ,gibb's--joined them on the #bgth ,march1 and brought with them a further supply of tools and implements4 ,two days later both companies embarked in the #8,golden ,fleece1' and steamed off with the rifle brigade to ,gallipoli1 where they landed with ,lieutenant-,general ,sir ,george ,brown on the #hth ,april4 ,about forty non-commissioned officers and men of the corps were left at ,gallipoli1 and the remainder1 marching nearly nine miles1 took up a position not far from the village of ,boulair1 from which the camp derived its name4 ,on the #agth ,april twelve rank and file of the eleventh company1 detached to ,constantinople1 joined the #8,fury' steamer for service in the ,black ,sea1 and were present at the bombardment of ,odessa4 ,the squadron was hotly engaged when the #8,fury' arrived1 and after firing a few rounds1 was signalled from the action by the ,admiral4 ,on the #bcrd ,april she was again in the fight for two hours1 but her presence in the action is not noticed in the official despatches4 ,meanwhile the six men with ,captain ,chapman1 ,r4,e41 who in the course of a few months had been in six different vessels1 were1 during the intervals1 employed under their officers1 surveying ,fort ,st4 ,nicholas1 on the ,asiatic side of the ,dardanelles1 and the country from thence as far as the gulf of ,saros4 ,a few weeks later they assisted in a similar service at ,boulair and ,gallipoli1 and then sailing again up the ,bosphorus to ,beicos ,bay1 landed at ,therapia1 from whence seven days after they removed to ,constantinople1 pushing out a party of four men under ,lieutenant ,de ,vere to survey ,buyuk ,tchekmedjie1 a district some twenty miles from the port4 ,when ,sir ,john ,burgoyne was in the country prior to the arrival of the troops1 private ,james ,cray was his orderly1 and accompanied him to ,varna and ,shumla4 ,majors ,dickson and ,wellesley1 with ,lieutenants ,burke and the ,honourable ,george ,wrottesley and lady1 were of the party4 ,from rough roads and inclement weather the journey was not without its trials2 and at night the little expedition rested by the road-side in any nook or hovel where they could find shelter4 ,subsequently private ,cray was orderly to the heroic ,lieutenant ,burke1 ,r4,e4 ,with him he passed a few days at ,silistria1 and then took horse to a small town on the banks of the ,danube nine miles from ,rustchuk4 ,major ,wellesley had given him a sword1 but this was not considered sufficient for his defence1 and he was provided from the ,turkish armoury with a ,mini rifle and revolver4 ,thus armed1 he joined the ,ottoman forces in an action against the ,russians1 who under cover of a fusillade from a strong body of riflemen1 were endeavouring to cross the river4 ,met by a fire it was impossible to stand against1 they faced about and retreated in their boats to land4 ,cray was thus the first soldier of the ,british army engaged in the common cause1 and for his conduct on the occasion was presented by ,lieutenant ,burke to ,omar ,pacha4 ,his next ride was to ,sistova4 ,at the time the party entered the town an engagement was going on1 and the ,turks were again victorious4 ,journeying onwards they crossed to an island1 where ,lieutenant ,burke and his orderly at imminent risk laid out new works1 and traced batteries to complete the defences of the place4 ,on that occasion private ,cray exchanged between twenty and thirty shots with the enemy1 who kept up a sharp fire upon the party from the opposite bank4 ,in all his tours of inspection and survey1 from the ,danube1 across the ,balkan chain to ,adrianople1 and back again by another route to ,constantinople1 private ,cray accompanied ,lieutenant ,burke1 and for his usefulness and spirited conduct was made lance-corporal and afterwards attached as orderly to the ,brigade-,major4 ,the detachment at ,gallipoli erected piers at the port1 for landing stores1 guns1 c41 and prepared hospitals for the sick4 ,the companies at ,boulair assisted to form the lines on the left of the position allotted to the ,british troops to execute4 ,about #a1ejj men of the infantry were daily distributed for some months to the trenches and roads1 and performed their tasks with ardour and cheerfulness4 ,one man detached to ,ibridgi1 about fifty miles distant on the north side of the gulf of ,saros1 superintended the ,greeks in felling and collecting brushwood and timber1 for the construction of magazines1 platforms1 log-huts1 c4 ,a fluctuating party1 numbering at one time nine men under a corporal1 was afterwards detached on this duty4 ,when ,sir ,george ,brown1 who commanded the division1 took his departure for the frontier1 he communicated in orders of the #fth ,may 8his entire approbation of the general conduct1 zeal1 and industry of the royal sappers and miners on the works1 both at ,gallipoli and the camp at ,boulair40 ,two other companies were quickly reorganised to reinforce the corps in the ,east4 ,these were the tenth under ,captain ,bent1 to form the pontoon train1 and the eighth from ,gibraltar1 under ,captain ,bourchier4 ,the former embarked at ,woolwich in the #8,city of ,london' steamer1 on board of which was ,lieutenant-,general ,sir ,de ,lacy ,evans and staff1 and the staff of the ,duke of ,cambridge4 ,sir ,de ,lacy ,evans was well pleased with the conduct and services of the company on board1 for they had much to attend to in strengthening the horse-boxes4 ,landing at ,constantinople on the #bdth ,april1 the company was quartered in ,scutari barracks1 as was also the eighth on debarking from the #8,albatross1' on the #ith ,may4 ,the pontoons sent out in the #8,melbourne' in charge of corporal ,william ,dickson1 an able and intelligent non-commissioned officer1 reached ,constantinople on the #acth ,may4 ,the sappers attached to ,her ,majesty's ship #8,fury' being transshipped to the #8,agamemnon1' bearing the flag of ,rear-,admiral ,lyons1 served with the squadron in a obsolete' on the coasts of ,circassia1 ,georgia1 and ,anatolia1 and were present on the #aith ,may in the reduction of ,redout ,kaleh4 ,next morning the party landed1 and were employed for two days as overseers in the defensive occupation of the place1 under the orders of ,lieutenant ,h4 ,cox and ,h4 ,b4 ,roberts1 of the royal marine artillery4 ,parties from all the ships were ashore at the works4 ,the ,turks1 utterly unacquainted with the mode of protecting themselves by intrenchments1 were instructed by the sappers4 ,a ,russian barrack was speedily loopholed1 a stone building in a commanding situation was converted by massive planks into a block-house as an outwork1 and a parapet was formed1 flanked by a deep marsh4 ,houses1 too1 that could not aid in the defence were thrown down1 whilst others1 well sited1 were turned into points of security and resistance4 ,the old fort on the land side was also strengthened with additional works4 ,when these services were sufficiently advanced1 the ,turks with two sappers were left to complete the defences1 and the ,anglo-,french working parties1 with the remainder of the sappers1 returned to their ships4 ,renewing its cruise1 the squadron anchored off ,bardan4 ,landing ,captain ,brock1 ,r4,n41 ,captain ,stanton1 ,r4,e41 a doctor1 and four sappers1 they started1 guided by an escort of ,circassians commanded by ,ismail ,bey1 over the mountains1 to communicate with the prophet-warrior ,schamyl4 ,late in ,may1 ,lord ,raglan ordered the sappers1 when employed as artificers 8in repairing tools1 constructing wharves1 and the like10 to receive working pay2 the non-commissioned officers at the rate of #as4 a-day1 and the privates #f;d4 to #as4 a-day each1 according to conduct and ability4 ,the non-commissioned officers appointed conductors of stores1 photographers1 electricians1 c41 were granted #bs4 a-day each4 ,to form a connexion between the sappers and miners and the army1 the four companies with the expedition were attached to the divisions as follows3-- #ast division4 #aath company ,captain ,hassard4 #bnd 0 #hth 0 ,captain ,bourchier4 #crd 0 #gth 0 ,captain ,gibb4 ,light 0 #ajth 0 ,captain ,bent4 ,four men employed for a few weeks with ,captain ,chapman1 ,r4,e41 in the survey of ,buyuk ,tchekmedjie1 were recalled to ,constantinople late in ,may1 as the intention of forming that district into an encampment had been abandoned1 owing to the altered character of events4 ,while the carpenters of the companies at ,scutari were fitting up horse-boxes for the cavalry on board the transports1 a forward movement was commenced by a detachment of one sergeant--,john ,f4 ,read--and twenty-seven rank and file of the tenth company1 commanded by ,lieutenants ,e4 ,c4 ,a4 ,gordon and ,pratt1 which landed at ,varna from the #8,caradoc' on the #bbnd of ,may4 ,precedence was given to this party for the purpose of erecting jetties to land the troops1 horses1 and ordnance1 on the arrival of the army4 ,on the #bfth of ,may1 the remainder of the company under ,captain ,bent1 disembarked at ,varna with the pontoons1 from the #8,cyclops' steamer4 ,the removal of the company was an expeditious operation1 for in less than ten hours from the time of receiving orders1 the pontoons1 stores1 horses1 and all the miscellaneous gear attending a war company of sappers1 were stowed into one vessel1 and then transshipped into another when subsequent orders rendered such an arrangement imperative4 ,in allusion to the company's departure1 the corps was spoken of in the #8,times1' as a 8most indefatigable and invaluable body of men40#adc ,simultaneously with this movement1 ,captain ,hassard's company sailed from ,gallipoli1 when their exertions elicited the following complimentary order from the officer of ,royal ,engineers in command4 8,on board the #8,emu1' #beth ,may1 #ahed4 8,captain ,gordon thanks the eleventh company for the zealous and willing manner with which they worked during the whole of last night1 and till six o'clock this morning1 embarking intrenching tools and stores1 immediately after their march in from the camp at ,boulahar4 ,this exertion1 so cheerfully performed1 as to enable the company to proceed without loss of time on active service1 will be brought to the notice of the ,brigadier-,general40 ,it was so and received his hearty acknowledgments4 ,the company disembarked at ,varna on the #bgth1 and the scene at the quay was strikingly interesting and animated4 ,about #bej ,french sappers had also landed from the #8,cacique1' and working as they did some twenty yards from the ,british sappers1 a good opportunity was afforded for contrasting the temperament and military habits of the two nations4 ,the ,french1 gay1 volatile1 and impulsive1 stirred about with elated spirits and elastic activity1 that gave a cheerful1 though an impetuous aspect to their exertions2 whilst the ,english sappers1 grave1 impassible1 and taciturn1 wheeled off scaling ladders and stores so devoid of bustle and joyousness1 and with so much attention to order and composure1 that an air of stern and serious necessity was impressed on their labours4 ,nevertheless1 the work was done with a business-like energy and earnestness that seemed more than adequate for any task or enterprise4#add ,varna for a few months was the principal frontier station and depot for engineer stores and pontoons1 from whence parties were thrown out to ,devno1 ,aladyn1 ,monister1 ,rustchuk1 c4 ,at ,varna the companies built a stone pier of some pretensions1 and a wooden one at the south side of the bay1 run out into deep water #adj feet from the beach4 ,they also banked up the shore1 deepened the little harbour1 and improved the almost trackless roads beyond and within the vicinity of ,aladyn1 making them passable for heavy wheeled conveyances4 ,much of the work was carried on in bog and water1 which1 however1 was ultimately discontinued1 as it was found that some of the men who were so employed1 died from cholera1 traceable to their exertions and exposure4 ,about seventy men of the tenth company marched to ,devno on the #bith ,may1 who repaired the roads1 removed the accumulations of years from deserted fountains1 rendering them again useful for thirsty wayfarers1 built ovens for baking bread1 raised dams to collect water for the troops1 and constructed a bridge across the lake4 ,from a lonely burial-ground1 filled with blocks of unhewn and unsculptured granite1 marking nevertheless the sites of numerous graves1 the sappers took the largest stones1 and used them in erecting a bridge over one of the narrow channels which joined the lakes of ,aladyn and ,devno4 ,the men worked very hard1 at times up to their breasts in water4 ,the correspondent of the #8,times1' in speaking of this work--,june #bith--termed the sappers 8a most utilitarian corps while ,captain ,gordon1 in a letter to a brother officer1 remarked with respect to its general services1 8that the men work well and behave well4 ,to be with them is a pleasure40 ,a party of twelve men with sergeant ,thomas ,dumvill1 under ,lieutenant ,creyke of the engineers1 was employed for three days at ,carra-,houssan2 and having placed the several wells in order1 and rendered the neglected fountains available for use1 it returned to ,devno4 ,it was expected that the light division would march through the village of ,shumla1 but the intention was afterwards abandoned4 ,the sappers therefore were the only ,british troops at this advanced frontier station4 ,at ,aladyn1 the sappers were encamped in a valley covered with the thickest foliage1 and its many rural accessories of creepers1 clematis1 wild vines1 c41 made the scene as picturesque as grateful4#ade ,at ,varna1 the companies were tented as nearly as possible to their work1 while a detachment was quartered for a time1 close by the city walls1 to be ready for any emergency3#adf but when the cholera had to some extent decimated the camp1 the sappers were removed1 to improve their sanitary condition1 to a healthier location on the south side of the bay4 ,the seventh company at ,gallipoli and ,boulair1 in addition to their duties on the lines1 constructed a number of log-huts1 stores1 and stables for the cantonment of a regiment1 in the event of the army being compelled to fall back to the isthmus1 as to another ,torres ,vedras1 for succour and safety4 ,the eighth company from ,scutari landed at ,varna on the #aith of ,june from the #8,golden ,fleece' steamer1 and joined the frontier companies4 ,lance-corporal ,william ,swann and private ,andrew ,anderson accompanied ,captain ,bent and ,lieutenant ,burke to the beleaguered fortress of ,silistria1 starting on the #agth of ,june4 ,arriving too late to share in its defence1 they shortly afterwards repaired to ,rustchuk1 where a hazardous attack upon the ,russians holding the opposite bank of the ,danube1 was undertaken on the #gth of ,july by ,hassan ,haki ,pacha1 the commander of the ,turkish force at that fortress4 ,the attack was made on three points1 ,captain ,bent leading one of the divisions4 ,lieutenant ,burke also led a detached party of ,turkish troops across the river in boats4 ,the two sappers were attached to him1 and it is of their conduct particularly1 and not the general incidents of the battle1 that the following record will give an account4 ,gaining the island1 the party of ,turks jumped on shore1 and forming in line1 gallantly pushed on1 and were met by superior numbers4 ,a fierce hand to hand struggle ensued1 and ,lieutenant ,burke1 with desperate valour1 slew with his own strong arm six of his opponents1 falling early on the strand covered with frightful wounds4 ,the sappers stood by their officer1 and fought 8well and bravely40 ,in the midst of the conflict1 private ,anderson1 a stalwart soldier1 tried to save the heroic young man whose spirit inspired all with courage2 but though the attempt unhappily failed1 he dealt out slaughter among the ,russians with incredible effect4 ,it was not long before the little band of ,turks1 overpowered by numbers1 retreated to the boats4 ,mindful of the sacred duty that devolved upon him1 ,anderson1 with daring devotion1 three times threw himself into the ranks of the enemy1 and at last rescued the bleeding body of his officer4 ,though encumbered with his carbine and other arms1 he endeavoured to bear it away on his back1 but such was its weight--for the lieutenant was a powerful man1 and of robust stature--and such the heaviness of the fire upon him1 he was obliged to relinquish his purpose1 leaving the body concealed in some long grass4 ,taking the dead man's sword to save it from falling as a trophy into the hands of the enemy1 he made good his retreat to the river4 ,scrambling down its sedgy bank1 which varied from three to six feet in height1 the party renewed the conflict1 and improved their cover by a hasty entrenchment1 in the formation of which the ,turks used their hands and bayonets1 and the sappers their swords4 ,corporal ,swann was here soon disabled2 and1 wounded in the head by a blow from the butt end of a musket1 he was falling1 when1 a second blow across the shoulder-blade1 threw him into the water4 ,there for four hours he lay insensible1 and was providentially saved from drowning by a thick woollen shirt he wore4#adg ,anderson1 now the only ,british soldier with the little batch1 acted as became his manly character1 and encouraging the ,turks by his prowess and endurance1 the brave detachment maintained the unequal contest with veteran firmness1 and only recrossed the ,danube when the necessity for their services had ceased4 ,in that hard-contested battle1 private ,anderson killed no less than fourteen ,russians1 himself escaping miraculously without wound or hurt4 ,next morning1 though it was uncertain whether the enemy was in ambush or not1 he pushed over to the island again1 and recovered the body of his officer1 but what a sad spectacle did it present6 ,it was headless2 thirty wounds from bullet1 sabre1 and bayonet1 riddled his remains1 and his fingers had been chopped off to secure the rings he wore6 ,the battle of ,giurgevo ended in a victory for the ,turks4 ,ten hours the fight lasted1 and the loss on both sides was considerable4 ,for their gallantry ,swann was promoted to be second corporal1#adh and private ,anderson decorated1 by ,omar ,pacha1 with the order of the ,medjidie4 ,his highness himself placed the star on the brave man's breast1 and then1 in friendship1 warmly shook his hand4 ,in the #8,london ,gazette' of ,january #ab1 #ahee1 appeared the following gratifying announcement4 8,the ,queen has been pleased to grant unto private ,andrew ,anderson of the ,sappers and ,miners1 her royal license and permission that he may accept and wear the order of the ,medjidie1 which the ,sultan has been pleased to confer upon him1 in approbation of his distinguished bravery and good conduct at the passage of the ,danube on the #gth of ,july last1 and subsequently in rescuing the body of his commanding officer1 ,lieutenant ,burke1 after he had fallen2 and that he may enjoy all the rights and privileges thereunto annexed40--8,and also to command that ,her ,majesty's said concession and especial mark of her royal favour be registered1 together with the relative documents1 in ,her ,majesty's ,college of ,arms40 ,the four sappers landed from the #8,agamemnon' in ,may1 were for six weeks in ,circassia with ,captain ,brock1 ,r4,n4 ,in returning to the ship1 they1 with six other men of the detachment on board of her1 accompanied the fleet in its subsequent cruises along the coast1 and in the ,black ,sea4 ,no longer required for service afloat1 the party landed at ,baltschik1 and marching to ,varna1 rejoined their companies on the #afth and #ahth ,july4 ,early in ,july1 ,lieutenant ,lempriere left ,varna for ,circassia in the ,french steamer #8,vauban' with orders to place in a state of defence1 some of the towns along the coast1 which1 having been wrested from the ,russians were now being menaced by them4 ,sergeant ,marshall and private ,richards accompanied him4 ,on the #aath the party landed at ,churuksu1 the ,turkish head-quarters on that frontier1 and soon completed a survey of the place and its vicinity4 ,obliged to remain there a few days1 three or four officers of the #8,vauban' and ,lieutenant ,lempriere visited some of the ,turkish outposts and detached forts4 ,with the party were some ,french sailors and private ,richards4 ,when about to return1 two of the sailors and the sapper were missing4 ,nothing could be heard of them1 and it was concluded they had strayed into the hands of the ,russians4 ,skirmishers were sent out to scour the country4 ,wood1 wild1 and mountain were threaded in quest of the wanderers1 and all hope of tracking them had wellnigh been given up1 when a quick eye observed them in the bush--apparently unconscious of the concern they had created or of the chances there were of the enemy capturing them--coolly stuffing themselves with blackberries6 ,stocked with a good supply of the fruit1 they were guided back to the party1 who1 no longer uneasy about the safety of their attendants1 shared with the wayfarers the contents of their wallets and enjoyed an agreeable dessert4 ,at ,redoubt ,kaleh a small body of ,russian cavalry closely approached the ,turkish works to reconnoitre the position1 but a few rounds from the batteries quickly dispersed them4 ,information had reached the enemy of the arrival of some ,english troops1 which1 in all probability1 was more than corroborated1 by the glimpse they must have caught of one of the four red-coated sappers constituting1 at that time1 the entire ,british contingent on the coast of ,circassia4 ,whether this was or was not enough to excite the fears of the ,russians1 certain it is1 that a considerable body of them in anticipation of an attack1 threw up some earthworks on the banks of the river about five miles away4 ,cruising along the coast1 now in the #8,vauban1' now in the #8,wasp1' ,lieutenant ,lempriere and his men landed for short intervals at ,pitsunda1 ,soukum ,kaleh1 ,redoubt ,kaleh1 ,anacrea1 ,churuksu1 ,batoum1 and lastly1 all went up to ,trebizonde4 ,the two ,kalehs were the fortresses at which the services of the sappers were chiefly given4 ,at ,redoubt ,kaleh two men who had been left by ,captain ,stanton as overseers to the ,turks joined ,lieutenant ,lempriere's little force4 ,in addition to instructing the ,ottoman soldiers in the mode of forming fieldworks1 the sappers superintended the restoration of some old batteries and revetments1 the construction of various new defences1 and assisted ,lieutenant ,lempriere in the surveys be found it necessary to make for professional purposes4 ,while they were thus busy1 the ,crimean ,expedition had been determined on1 and as every sapper was wanted for the enterprise1 the party was recalled and rejoined the corps just as the siege was about to open4 ,corporal ,john ,pendered and lance-corporal ,john ,hammond arrived at ,varna on the #bdth ,july1 and were attached as photographers1 under ,captain ,hackett1 #ggth regiment1 to the head-quarters of the army4 ,previously to leaving ,london they had been instructed in the art by ,mr4 ,thompson1 and had practically tested their efficiency at ,chatham1 where patches of broken ground1 and military scenes and fortifications1 gave them a variety of subjects to portray4 ,many of their photographic sketches1 taken under circumstances of difficulty and disadvantage1 were exhibited at ,gore ,house during the summer months2 but without having the chance of proving their usefulness and skill1 these two young men1 promising and enterprising1 perished in a storm4 ,at the request of ,omar ,pacha a detachment of the corps1 under ,captain ,gage1 ,r4,a4 and ,lieutenant ,pratt1 ,r4,e41 started from ,aladyn for ,rustchuk on the #hth ,july1 to form a bridge over the ,danube for the passage of the ,ottoman troops4 ,it consisted of sergeant ,john ,f4 ,read1 one bugler1 and thirty-two rank and file1 accompanied by fifteen ,french pontoneers1 and thirty-five ,english seamen from the fleet1 under ,lieutenant ,glynn and ,prince ,leiningen1 ,r4,n41 twenty of whom led the way1 and fifteen covered the rear4 ,with characteristic pride1 the seamen gave importance to the honour accorded them by carrying unfurled1 both in front and rear1 a large union jack4 ,all were on horseback4 ,next to the advance sailors were the sappers1 unskilled in equitation1 in every conceivable attitude1 mounted on young horses4 ,each led a second horse loaded with intrenching tools1 c4 ,behind them followed about #aej horses ridden by native grooms and guides1 bearing tools1 baggage1 and forage2 and then came the party of ,french pontoneers4 ,the expedition went from twenty to thirty miles in twelve hours1 killing three horses in the first two days4 ,many of the animals1 unaccustomed to the rattling of picks and shovels against their flanks1 were difficult to manage1 and in their fright and restiveness1 frequently dashed away from the cavalcade4 ,considerable delay occurred in recovering and restraining them1 and what with unavoidable halts at ,schumla and ,rasgradt1 the party did not reach ,rustchuk until the #acth ,july1 though the distance travelled was only #abj miles4 ,this novel equestrian journey was accomplished without any material mishap1 except a few almost harmless falls1 and the occasional diversion of a horse and his rider rolling together on the road4 ,hard riding1 however1 on ill-formed and broken tracks1 made the men so sore and stiff1 that when the time for rest arrived1 they found it preferable to sleep standing6 ,on the #aeth1 the sappers were sent over to ,giurgevo1 and for a few days assisted to intrench the position of the ,turks2 when1 on the #aith1 at the desire of ,omar ,pacha1 they moved up to ,slobedsie1 and under the superintendence of ,captain ,bent and ,lieutenant ,pratt constructed1 in a very creditable manner1 a trestle bridge over the ,slobedsie ,creek1 which was #dej feet across1 to a small island in the ,danube4 ,notwithstanding that several of the men1 as many as fifteen in one day1 had been ill during the operation1 the work was finished on the #beth4 ,next day the sappers joined the ,french pontoneers and ,english sailors1 in throwing a bridge of boats across the main stream1 at a place some #hij yards wide4 ,a few boats had been laid when the sappers commenced4 ,the pontoneers worked from one shore1 the sappers from the other2 whilst the sailors rowed up the boats and assisted to secure them in position4 ,the boats1 fixed with a clear bay of twenty feet between1 gave for each of the series about forty feet of bridge4 ,the breadth for the roadway was eighteen feet six inches4 ,wood was scarce at the spot1 and the timbers for the superstructure in great part were obtained from ,sistova and ,widdin4 ,intended for heavy service the bridge was made of massive baulks and stout oak planking1 strongly bolted1 cramped1 and racked4 ,much 8difficulty was experienced in securing some of the boats in the more rapid part of the stream1 but by mooring them with four anchors each1 and the aid of heavy ordnance sunk above the boats and securely fastened to them10 they stood against wind and surge1 firm and unbroken4#adi 8,it was completed on the #dth ,august1 and on the #eth received some damage from the first ,austrian steamer that passed during the war4 ,this was soon repaired10#aej and to obviate a similar casualty1 an opening was contrived to permit the navigation to continue1 which1 when not required1 was closed up again by a moveable raft to make good the bridge4 ,in appearance it was as artistic and elegant as useful4 ,the longest boats occupied the centre1 from which the smaller craft gradually fell away to the two shores4 ,like ancient galleys they were shaped with stems and prows curving gracefully upwards from the water4#aea ,the bridge was no unworthy rival of the celebrated one formed by ,xerxes1 in his passage of the ,hellespont at ,abydos4 8,on the #ajth1 ,omar ,pacha opened it in person1 and complimented the officers and men for the zeal and ability they had shown in its construction4 ,captain ,bent was in command of the sappers40#aeb ,for the ceremony two triumphal arches of evergreens were run up1 one at each end of the bridge1 and above them proudly waved the allied banners of ,england1 ,france1 and ,turkey4 ,to crown the service1 both ,french and ,english met in unmixed cordiality and friendship1 at a costly repast provided by ,omar ,pacha4 ,no longer required for service with the force of his highness1 eighteen of the detachment returned1 on horseback1 to ,varna1 under ,lieutenant ,pratt1 ,r4,e41 passing through ,turtukai and ,silistria1 where joining the ,english seamen1 they quitted it again on the #aeth ,august4 ,at night1 after a march of twenty miles1 the party halted at ,kinarjik4 ,on the next day a further march of thirty miles found them encamped at ,karapelt2 another thirty took them to ,karayal1 where a sapper who had died on the route was buried4 ,a beautiful spot was selected for the encampment1 and at sunset the deceased was interred in a hastily-excavated grave1 beneath the sombre shade of a wild pear-tree4#aec ,all the officers and men were present1 and from the absence of all display1 and the fatigued1 rusty1 and travel-stained aspect of the men1 the ceremony was impressive and mournful4 ,on the #ahth ,august1 travelling fifteen miles that morning1 the sappers reached head-quarters1 and rejoined the tenth company4 ,corporal ,swann1 who had been appointed by ,lord ,raglan provost-sergeant to the mule-drivers at ,rustchuk with a salary of #ds4 #f;d4 a-day1 returned to ,varna with the party4 ,not without mortification it is necessary to introduce in this place a record relative to the misconduct of the ,rustchuk detachment4 ,honoured as they were by being the only ,british soldiers selected for an advanced frontier duty1 much was expected from their conduct and exertions2 but their extreme irregularity and drunkenness1 with few exceptions1#aed offered a striking contrast to the behaviour of the party of sailors and the ,turkish garrison4 ,to mark therefore the displeasure of ,brigadier-,general ,tylden1 he subjected the detachment to a course of severe discipline1 and stopped the promotion of some of the non-commissioned officers4 ,several men of the seventh company also1 who had commenced a career of intemperance at ,hurst ,castle1 behaved with equal discredit1 and disgusted their officers4 ,it is a pity in a corps possessing the advantages of education1 skill1 and mechanical attainments1 that there should exist anything to tarnish the fame the well-intentioned are striving to brighten4 ,as a set-off against this censure1 it is well there is occasion to give place to an instance of individual good conduct1 as honourable as meritorious4 ,varna was set on fire by some ,greek incendiaries1 instigated by ,russian agents1 and was only extinguished after much of the city had been laid waste1 and considerable munitions destroyed4 ,brigadier-,general ,tylden directed the operations for saving the town4 ,the companies of sappers1 being on the south side of the bay1 were not present1 but lance-corporal ,james ,cray1 whose services under ,lieutenant ,burke have been already noticed1 acting as the ,brigadier's orderly1 lent material aid by his intrepidity in arresting the flames4 8,when the danger was greatest10 says the official report1 8and the spreading flames threatened to reach the large ,turkish powder-magazine1 corporal ,cray laboured voluntarily and incessantly1 by mounting scaling-ladders and closing the openings with blankets1 thus not only largely contributing to the safety of the magazine1 but setting an example to the sailors and others assisting1 which was of the greatest service40 ,he was promoted to be second-corporal for his conduct4 ,captain ,bent1 with fifteen non-commissioned officers and men left at ,rustchuk under ,omar ,pacha1 accompanied the ,ottoman troops into the ,wallachian principality1 entering the capital on the #bbnd ,august4 ,corporal ,harding1 a zealous and able sapper and pontoneer1 died that day from cholera on the line of march1 and was buried in the graveyard of a small country ,greek church4 ,his remains1 covered with a union jack1 were attended to their final resting-place by all the ,englishmen in ,bucharest1 and the service was read by ,mr4 ,meyer1 a missionary clergyman4 ,a private was attacked by the grave of his comrade1 and returning to his tent1 soon afterwards died4 ,he was buried in the ,lutheran churchyard4 ,several other choleraic seizures occurred in the detachment1 which were ascribed to the intemperance of the men1 and their imprudent use of fruits4 ,no ,british soldiers1 save this small party1 served during the campaign in the ,wallachian capital4 ,the occupation of ,bucharest by the ,austrians was followed by many ungracious acts which it was never anticipated a chivalric nation would impose on a defenceless people4 ,these were chiefly felt in the forcible possession of the houses of the citizens without the courtesy of seeing whether they could be accommodated4 ,no excuse could be offered for such ungallant proceedings1 as the police had provided the ,austrian troops with suitable billets4 ,the same inconsiderate demeanour was paraded before the few ,british sappers quartered in the capital1 who1 to prevent the possibility of a pretext for collision1 were all pent up with their ,captain-,bent-in one domicile4#aee ,in their activity to find comfortable stabling1 some ,austrians1 commanded by a sergeant1 ordered the horses belonging to ,captain ,bent to be taken out to make room for three lively steeds which the pirating party had brought with them4 ,it was not to be borne that they should attempt to encroach upon premises already too limited for the reasonable wants of the ,captain and his sappers2 and private ,andrew ,anderson1 who happened to be on the spot at the time1 met their demands with courageous sternness4 ,this unexpected resistance caused the sergeant valorously to motion with his sabre1 and to threaten1 among other desperate penalties1 to hang the ,englishman2 but ,anderson1 indisposed to yield his trust--though the odds were against him--made so imposing a demonstration of physical determination1 that the dragoons1 taken somewhat aback at his boldness1 quickly decamped1 and abandoned the intention of quartering themselves or their horses in the ,british billets4 ,the fourth company from ,malta1 under ,captain ,craigie1 reinforced the corps at ,varna on the #adth ,august1 and a detachment of the third company at ,corfu was also sent thither1 arriving at the head-quarters on the #beth ,august4 ,they were ordered from their respective stations to the seat of war by ,lord ,raglan4#aef ----- ,footnote #ace3 ,promoted to be sergeant4 ,was the principal non-commissioned officer in charge of the huts sent from this country to the ,crimea2 and was wounded severely in the assault on the ,redan on the #hth ,september1 #ahee4 ,footnote #acf3 ,a man of unsteady propensities from a long residence at the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 where liquor is cheap4 ,he is1 however1 a first-rate soldier and sapper1 and his intrepid bearing in the trenches before ,sebastopol1 gained him a special medal 8for distinguished service in the field10 and a gratuity of five pounds4 ,such notice accorded to him as one of sixteen out of a fighting force of about #ijj men1 may well excite his pride2 and if there be a tide in the affairs of men1 surely this proud incident will cause that turn1 and so fashion his future career that it will be as remarkable in peace for temperance and good behaviour1 as in battle for heroism4 ,footnote #acg3 ,died in camp before ,sebastopol1 in ,january1 #ahee4 ,footnote #ach3 ,sent to the ,crimea as a submarine diver1 and died in camp before ,sebastopol1 ,april1 #ahee4 ,footnote #aci3 ,died in ,december1 #ahed1 before ,sebastopol of cholera4 ,footnote #adj3 ,killed in the trenches at the siege of ,sebastopol1 ,july #ag1 #ahee4 ,footnote #ada3 ,now second sergeant-major of the corps at the ,royal ,engineer ,establishment1 ,brompton4 ,footnote #adb3 ,has been frequently noticed in these pages for his labours in the demolition of the #8,royal ,george' and #8,edgar' at ,spithead4 ,footnote #adc3 ,june #ab1 #ahed4 ,footnote #add3 #8,united ,service ,gazette1' ,june #ag1 #ahed4 ,footnote #ade3 ,the #8,times1' ,june #bi1 #ahed4 ,footnote #adf3 ,ibid4 ,footnote #adg3 #8,illustrated ,london ,news1' ,august #e1 #ahed4 ,footnote #adh3 ,soon after was advanced to the rank of corporal for his conduct at the siege of ,sebastopol1 and died of wounds received in the trenches1 in ,may1 #ahee4 ,one of his legs was amputated1 from which1 though he bore up for a few days1 his exhausted strength did not permit him to rally4 ,footnote #adi3 ,the #8,times1' ,sept4 #ae1 #ahed4 ,footnote #aej3 ,ibid4 ,footnote #aea3 ,ibid4 ,footnote #aeb3 ,the #8,times1' ,sept4 #ae1 #ahed4 ,footnote #aec3 ,ibid4 ,footnote #aed3 ,sergeant ,john ,f4 ,read1 corporals ,william ,harding1 ,william ,swann1 and privates ,robert ,m4 ,rylatt1 ,michael ,westacott1 and ,john ,piper4 ,footnote #aee3 ,the #8,times1' ,oct4 #bf1 #ahed1 by the ,author of #8,the ,russian ,empire4' ,footnote #aef3 ,a few weeks before the ,central ,association commenced its humane operations1 a fund was raised by ,captain and ,adjutant ,somerset to aid the wives and children of men of the corps ordered to the ,east4 ,the ,central ,association took its rise from a letter which appeared in the #8,times' on the #bbnd ,february1 #ahed1 on which date1 singularly enough1 ,captain ,somerset received the first subscriptions for his fund4 ,as the working of this regimental charity could not but be limited1 ,captain ,somerset did his best to lessen the chances of its being too soon exhausted4 ,he therefore personally advised every married man before embarking1 as to the course he ought to pursue during his absence from ,england1 and obtained from him an agreement to make a monthly remittance1 suitable to his means1 for the support of his wife and family4 ,this was not a difficult interference1 for the men were only too anxious to make the utmost provision it was in their power to arrange4 ,of this regimental fund ,captain ,somerset had the entire charge4 ,by his exertions it reached the sum of #bdjl42 of which #gbl4 were subscribed by the four survey companies4 ,the rest was added by officers of the corps at home1 a few companies of sappers1 and the personal friends of the ,adjutant4 ,its plan was to make advances--obtaining repayment of them by remittances from the seat of war2 also to award donations1 and to provide1 in unforeseen circumstances1 domestic troubles1 sickness and death1 such relief as the several cases needed1 and which could only be met in this way4 8,the ,somerset ,fund10 so quiet and unpretending in its exercise1 was of great benefit to the corps2 and of about sixty women and nearly one hundred children who1 by loans and grants1 drew support from its means1 not one ever had occasion to seek the cold shelter of a workhouse4 ,with one or two exceptions1 the wives of the sappers behaved with virtuous propriety during the absence of their husbands1 and were a credit both to them and the corps4 ,the ,central ,association was a national undertaking1 in which the wives and families of the corps1 equally with those of the rest of the army1 shared to the full extent of its numbers4 ,it properly does not belong to this history to notice the gigantic operations of the ,association1 and the extraordinary good it achieved2 but it may nevertheless be permitted to say1 that the royal sappers and miners will ever retain a warm recollection of its beneficence1 and cherish the name of ,major the ,hon4 ,henry ,littleton ,powys--the untiring advocate of protection to the soldier's wife and family1 and the gratuitous ,honorary ,secretary of the ,association--with feelings of lasting gratitude4 #ahed4 ,,crimea4 ,september--#ahth ,october4 ,instructional operations--,embarkation for the ,crimea--,the landing--,the sappers sink wells--,attempt to erect a pier for landing the horses--,bed of the ,bulganak improved with reeds for the passage of artillery--,the ,alma--,services of the sappers during the battle--,they repair the ,buliack timber bridge--,march to ,balaklava2 ,sir ,john ,burgoyne2 services of the third company--,the corps encamps at ,balaklava--,then removes to the heights before ,sebastopol2 misery for want of tents--,parties assist to reconnoitre the positions and trace the lines--,an instance given--,two sappers carrying the mail miss their way1 are wounded and benighted--,destruction of ,upton's aqueduct--,positions on the heights2 staff engineers--,the attacks2 parks--,sapper brigades--,reliefs--,breaking ground--,duties of the sappers--,their deficiency of tact in working the skilled portions of the batteries--,progress of the works2 a party wanders from the trace--,sergeant ,morant misses his way1 and only discovers his mistake when encountered by a ,russian guard--,a mistrusted guide restores confidence by his conduct--,state of the works on the night before the first bombardment--,the batteries and parallels--,siege operations--,restoration of the works--,sir ,john ,burgoyne's remarks on them4 ,preliminary to active operations in the ,crimea1 the companies of the corps at ,varna superintended contingents of the line in preparing a park of gabions1 fascines1 sand-bags1 and platforms for siege purposes4 ,each sapper at the duty had charge of fifteen men of the line1 divided into three squads of five in a squad4 ,the troops were also practised in the hasty formation of field-works2 and these instructional services were not without profit to the men of the corps1 who1 as overseers1 superintended their execution4 ,early in ,september the allied forces embarked for the ,crimea1 and the naval arrangements for the occasion1 though vast and complicated1 were comprehensive and perfect4 ,to each of the ,british divisions was attached a body of sappers and miners1 bearing with them intrenching tools4 ,up to this time there had landed in ,turkey six companies of the corps1 mustering a force of #eac non-commissioned officers and men1 which had been reduced to #dib men by the decease of #ba non-commissioned officers and privates1 chiefly from cholera and exposure4 ,leaving the seventh company at ,gallipoli1 also detachments at ,varna1 ,redout ,kaleh1 and ,bucharest1 and the sick on board the transports and at ,scutari1 the force of sappers and miners that landed near ,lake ,tuzla in ,kalamita ,bay on the #adth and #afth ,september counted a total of #cjh of all ranks4 ,under a teeming rain1 two of the companies debarked1 and without tents or covering1 took up a miserable bivouac with their divisions4 ,in the night they lay huddled together for warmth1 while the storm beat ceaselessly upon them1 and turned their selected resting-places into pools and quagmires4 ,the returning day found them drenched1 stiff1 and comfortless2 but in none1 except those poor enfeebled fellows still suffering from the pest that had proved so fatal to the troops at ,varna1 was there wanting a cheerfulness to work1 a spirit to master hardship1 and a determination to endure4 ,unsheltered as they were1 that fearful weather brought on many aggravated cases of cholera4 ,water1 the first want felt after landing at ,lake ,tuzla1 caused several wells to be sunk by the sappers on the strip of land which stretched between the lake and the ,black ,sea4 ,the supply thus obtained was too brackish for human use1 and the duty of furnishing the troops1 therefore1 depended on the fleet4 ,at noon on the #aeth1 a detachment of the fourth company commenced to erect a temporary pier for landing the horses1 with timbers furnished by the fleet4 ,for a considerable distance to seaward1 the water was shallow1 but it swelled to the beach1 and broke there with great violence4 ,trestles fixed and braced were held for a time in their places by sturdy men1 but the driving breakers rushed to the shore with so resistless a force it was impracticable to proceed2 and men and timbers borne away in the surge1 only escaped by grasping at ropes which were laid conveniently to the site in anticipation of such accidents4 ,when the army was put in motion1 and the ,bulganak stream was reached1 its bed was found to be too muddy for the passage of the artillery with the #dth division4 ,early in the morning of the #bjth a portion of the fourth company was told off to make a track through the water for the guns4 ,collecting the reeds which grew there in abundance1 the sappers tied them faggot fashion into long bundles1 and placing them in the bed of the stream from bank to bank1 the artillery1 in twenty-two minutes from the time of commencing1 was crossing the river with clean wheels in comparative ease4 ,on the #bjth was fought the battle of the ,alma1 which was gained in three hours by the allies1 with a loss to the ,british exceeding #b1jjj killed and wounded2 whilst the carnage amongst the ,russians was even greater4 ,the sappers and miners during the action were thus distributed3-- ,no4 ,head-quarters4 #crd company #cf ,light division1 #ajth 0 #fb #ast 0 #aath 0 #fb #bnd 0 #hth 0 #gg #crd 0 #dth 0 #cd #dth 0 #dth 0 #ce ,the fourth division was not engaged1 being in reserve2 but the sappers with the other divisions1 though not called upon to participate to an extent that placed them in much danger1 were under fire4 ,the companies were held back1 ready with their intrenching tools1 to perform any service for which they might suddenly be required2 but the daring advance and overpowering prowess of the ,british rendered a resort to field-works as a means of defence wholly unnecessary4 ,the tenth company crossed the river by the ford and bridge while the battle raged4 ,the eighth company1 attached for the moment to one of the field-batteries1 assisted in dragging through the river some field-carriages belonging to the royal artillery1 one of which1 having become disabled1 capsized in the stream4 ,the eleventh company1 under the direction of ,captain ,montagu of the engineers1 rapidly repaired the broken timber bridge of ,buliack1 part of the sheeting of which had been removed by the ,russians1 leaving the end on the side of the ,british untouched4 ,had this artful contrivance not been discovered1 the troops would doubtless have suffered fearfully in their attempt to pass over the bridge4 ,its restoration was of great service1 as it enabled the whole of the baggage to be up with the army the same evening4 ,for six hours there was an uninterrupted stream of well-laden carts and other vehicles crossing it1 which tested to the utmost the efficiency of its renewal1 and corroborated in part the encomium of ,captain ,montagu that it was 8done right well and very quickly40 ,the fourth company was stationed about a quarter of a mile away from the ,alma1 and the third was with the baggage in rear4 ,on the night of the #bjth the companies bivouacked on the site of the battle1 where one of the privates1 worn out by disease and fatigue1 covered himself with his blanket and died4 ,resuming the march1 the allies passed the ,katscha on the #bcrd ,september1 on which day the third company1 attached to the head-quarters of the army1 was reinforced by the arrival from ,woolwich of #ff non-commissioned officers and men under ,captain ,w4 ,m4 ,inglis of the royal engineers4 ,two days later the march was continued across the ,belbec1 and on the #bfth to ,balaklava by a bold flank movement through a difficult and thickly-wooded country4 ,sir ,john ,burgoyne passed a night in bivouac with the company1 and all that could be got for him to rest upon was an old door4 ,upon that the aged warrior stretched himself with a composure and satisfaction that showed how well he had braced himself to the vicissitudes and hardships of war4 ,on the way the baggage of a ,russian division1 spreading over a vast extent of road1 fell a prize to the ,british army4 ,the third company was hurried to the front with artillery to remove it1 and tumbling the waggons over the hill they broke in fragments in the valley4 ,when the army pushed forward1 the third company remained1 blew up a magazine of thirteen barrels of gunpowder which was found with the train of baggage1 and then hastened to ,balaklava4 ,all the companies arrived there on the #bgth ,september1 and were at once disposed of in making roads1 sinking wells1 and repairing shattered waggons1 while the third company made good a rough pier at ,balaklava1 at which were landed the heavy ordnance1 ammunition1 and siege stores4 ,the royal engineers formed their encampment on the ,s4,s4,e4 of the harbour of ,balaklava1 whither the siege material was conveyed4 ,with great promptitude1 guns and ammunition1 gabions1 fascines1 sand-bags1 and tools of all descriptions1 unsurpassed in magnitude1 were collected1 and then despatched to the dept about four miles nearer to the scene of operations4 ,by the #cjth ,september a strong force of sappers moved to the ground1 and soon commenced those services which the public1 too enthusiastic in its anticipations1 expected would reduce a fortress of unexampled strength in a few days4 ,full twenty days the company were without tents1 their camp equipage having been left in the ships which conveyed the sappers from the shores of ,bulgaria2 and1 exposed as they were in bivouac to the damp and chills of night1 many robust and able men fell a prey to cholera at ,balaklava1 or predisposed1 by these early trials and rigours1 to disease1 were struck down by suffering and exhaustion in the camp before ,sebastopol4 ,next night some sappers1 pushed forward under their officers1 assisted to examine the ground in front of the fortress towards ,chersonese ,bay2 and although at times within rifle-range of the walls1 were unmolested by the ,russians4 ,it was at first intended that the ,english troops should occupy this position1 but in consequence of the tools of our allies being too light to carry out the heavy intrenchments assigned to them on the right1 the disposition of the forces was altered to adapt them to the situations for which their material seemed to render them adequate4 ,this change in the arrangements was followed by the preliminary duty of tracing the sites of the required trenches and batteries inland1 in which some sappers were permitted to participate4 ,among those who first left the camp to reconnoitre were lance-corporal ,mc,kimm and private ,jenkins1 in whose resolution and discipline reliance could be placed4 ,they were apt men and sufficiently acute in comprehending orders not to worry their officers with strings of fatiguing questions about small details2 and such was their stamp and bearing1 they were not likely1 in danger1 to leave their officer unshielded4 ,to ,captain ,montagu's party of six sappers they were attached4 ,in the darkness of the morning of the #ast ,october1 the whole moved on in advance of the outlying pickets for nearly a mile and a-half1 and quietly and in whispers1 wandered over a country guarded by pickets in ambuscades as yet unknown4 ,on their way they passed some posts which were alive with ,cossacks1 one of which they unwittingly approached so closely1 that a couple of shots were fired at them4 ,this was simply tendered as a warning to depart1 for the ,cossacks made no attempt to follow the explorers1 and so continuing to give the points of ground and intersections to the ,captain to enable him to form his sketch of the position of the left attack1 the delineation was1 in three or four hours1 finished4 ,with a careful pace yielding no perceptible sound1 and a sharp look out1 the party in returning crossed hill and ravine and passed pickets and sentries1 reaching the camp safely at six o'clock in the morning4 ,it being necessary to despatch the mail from the first division at ,balaklava to that of ,general ,cathcart's on the heights ,s4,w4 of ,sebastopol1 corporal ,john ,mc,queen and private ,james ,brennan volunteered for the duty4 ,cheerfully they jogged along the lonely road1 and having delivered the letters at the camp commenced to return with that easy abandon so becoming soldiers4 ,mc,queen had been out on a coasting expedition1 and prided himself with the belief that because he knew ,sebastopol from the sea1 he must as a consequence know every step of the road to ,balaklava4 ,he1 however1 soon found out his mistake4 ,losing their way1 the letter-carriers struck on a road which took them into the ,picket ,house ravine1 up which they strode at a steady pace1 straining their eyes through the darkness to discover a clue which should enlighten them as to their situation4 ,presently they were hounded by some dogs led on by a horseman with a glimmering lamp attached to his girdle4 ,luckily a cavern was near1 and the sappers bounding into it1 the dogs and the ,cossack passed on4 ,allowing sufficient time to elapse to confuse the rider and his canine attendants1 the comrades emerged from the cave1 and regaining the road1 turned in the direction of ,sebastopol1 impressed with the conviction that they had taken the correct route for the port4 ,allured by a fire which was burning on the hill to the left of the ravine1 they began to ascend the slope to join the picket--supposed to be a ,turkish one--who1 grouped around the blazing sticks1 were enjoying their pipes--an enviable pastime in which ,mc,queen was anxious to participate4 ,the night was still black2 nothing could be seen1 especially in the valley1 for the picket-fire spread its capricious illumination over so small an area1 that beyond the guard1 the faint outline of objects only could be traced1 and a little further on the dimness thickened into impenetrable darkness4 ,so1 suddenly coming on a pair of sentries concealed under some overhanging rocks1 the sappers as suddenly stopped without losing their coolness4 8,give me light1 ,turco80 said ,mc,queen1 placing a pipe between his teeth and pressing its bowl near the sentry's chibouk4 ,the sentry shrunk back3 he was a ,russian2 and without word or challenge1 in a moment the bayonet flashed1 and the next it was plunged through the corporal's body1 while the companion sentry stabbed ,brennan in the left shoulder4 ,at the instant ,mc,queen shot up in the air1 then fell2 but deadly wounded as he was1 his entrails bursting through the puncture1 he started from the ground1 and1 accompanied by ,brennan1 both ran at a furious speed pursued by the swift-footed sentinels4 ,a wide ditch interrupted their course1 into which ,mc,queen and ,brennan tumbled1 but the cowardly ,russians--for such they were to attack two unarmed men--gave up the pursuit4 ,mc,queen moved not from the spot where he fell1 for the shock he had received had doubled him up1 and though his agonies were deep1 he retained his consciousness4 ,brennan1 suffering himself1 set to work to alleviate1 if possible1 those mortal pains which at times made the corporal writhe and groan4 ,his hand came on a well of blood1 which told him1 if the flow were not immediately stopped1 the closing scene would soon be over4 ,his plan of action in this extremity was quickly fixed1 and taking off his shirt he tore it in strips1 and tying them into one length bound it round his comrade4 ,this1 however1 was not enough1 for the blood still oozed through the bandage1 and tearing away as much as he could of the corporal's shirt without increasing his pangs1 he knotted this also1 as he added shred to shred1 and plied it over the wound4 ,this was the most he could do1 except to encourage his spirit to bear the trial with the manliness his comrades would expect to hear he had exercised4 8,my head feels cold10 said he faintly4 ,both had lost their caps in the violent run they made to the ditch4 ,brennan instantly took off his coatee and turbaned it round the poor fellow's head4 8,here is a little bag with fourteen shillings in it10 said the corporal1 as he released it from his neck4 8,give it to my wife4 ,it will never be my happiness to see her or the children40 ,this he said with an affectionate but choked utterance4 8,tell her10 he added in a stronger voice1 8,i'm sorry ,i shall not see ,sebastopol fall40 8,why not8 there's plenty of skill in the camp to cure you10 returned ,brennan in a tone of mingled sympathy and confidence4 ,but ,mc,queen had become absorbed in his thoughts1 and his agonies giving him but little disposition and energy to hear with attention anything that ,brennan might say1 the latter proposed to reconnoitre in the hope of discovering some means of bringing in succour or of escaping4 ,the corporal assented1 and ,brennan stole away bare to the waist with a streaming wound bitten by the cold of a raw night4 ,the battery above them was an earthen one well armed1 but no gunners were in it4 ,from its ditch he proceeded by a sort of ramp towards the ,garden batteries1 and came upon a strong structure built1 as it seemed1 out of a ship's side4 ,it was near the ,flag-staff battery1 and mounted many guns1 forty-five of which he counted--some of very large calibre4 ,clear it was that he was in the heart of the ,russian outworks4 ,in that direction there was no escape1 and as every step towards the creek bore the aspect of seeking danger when there was still a chance of evading it1 he returned to the ditch1 and threw himself by the side of the corporal4 ,time wore on sluggishly2 moments were minutes1 minutes hours4 ,at length the morning broke2 still he waited till it had sufficiently opened1 to guide himself1 to the best of his reason1 aright2 when1 gathering up the wounded man1 he bore him in his arms to a broken wall in front of a wine-press where had lived a ,scotchman for more than twenty years before the war had driven him from his chosen homestead4 ,here ,brennan1 overpowered1 laid down his comrade1 for he was a massive man and deadly heavy4 ,concealing him in a secure place1 and binding up his head with a handkerchief1 ,brennan dressed himself again in his worn coatee1 and darted off for assistance1 keeping well under the rocks which1 overgrown with broom and wild vegetation1 helped to cover him from observation4 ,at last he made the bend of the ravine1 and climbing up the steep1 gained the top1 where1 crawling onwards among the heather and scrub he saw at the back of the hill the red points of six ,english tents--distant about fifty yards4 ,it was a grateful sight1 but he had not time fully to enjoy it2 and so dashing up to the encampment1 breathlessly demanded help for his suffering comrade4 ,a few words to explain the nature of the painful adventure which had occasioned his unexpected appearance was more than enough for the officer of the #fjth rifles in command4 ,with two men of his regiment bearing a stretcher they hastened along the ravine guided by ,brennan1 now running1 now walking to recover breath4 ,it was a bright morning2 hazard was in every step1 but the errand was one of humanity1 and they pushed on4 ,at length they made the broken wall1 from whence they carried the corporal for more than two miles to the tents of the rifle guard4 ,in a few minutes medical aid was doing its best for the sufferer1 but though his wounds were laved and dressed1 the air had caught his torn bowels and gangrene was irretrievably at work4 ,he was now borne to the camp at ,balaklava1 where1 gradually sinking1 he was the first of the siege army to die by the hand of the enemy before ,sebastopol4 ,meanwhile a party of twelve armed sappers1 with sergeant ,james ,h4 ,drew1 directed by ,lieutenant ,ravenhill of the royal engineers1 repaired to the ,inkermann ravine1 and cut off the main aqueduct which supplied the docks in the ,karabelnaia with water4 ,this was known as ,upton's aqueduct4 ,it was situated in a hollow of the plain which stretched onwards1 and at its extremity were some well-appointed horsemen or ,cossacks watching for chances to display their prowess4 ,when they retired1 the sappers1 concealed by some bushes which clothed the slopes of the valley1 crept from the underwood and stole on to the reservoir1 advancing two sentries to look out from among some trees to give warning of impending peril4 ,the sluice of the aqueduct was arched with stone4 ,all the machinery by which it was manipulated was destroyed2 the gate driven into the channel to stop the supply1 and coping-stones1 key-bricks1 and earth jammed into the well and against the now useless gate4 ,without opposition the demolition was effected1 and the little party returned to camp after being out seven hours in this preliminary adventure4 ,charged with the right attack1 the ,british held the position which approached the ,tchernaya valley1 while the ,french spread in a curve to the left1 as far almost as ,chersonese ,bay4 ,the ground was a sterile waste1 wild1 rocky1 and undulated2 bleak in winter1 burning in summer4 ,sir ,john ,burgoyne conducted the ,british portion of the siege1 supported by ,colonel ,alexander1 ,major ,j4 ,w4 ,gordon1 and many officers of the corps4 ,colonel ,alexander1 from overwork and anxiety1 soon died1 and the executive direction of the works devolved on ,major ,gordon4 ,in time the veteran engineer ,sir ,john ,burgoyne1 recalled to ,england to discharge the responsible duties of his home appointment1 was succeeded by ,major-,general ,jones1 who had received honour and promotion for his distinguished services in the capture and destruction of ,bomarsund4 ,major1 now ,colonel1 ,gordon commanded the companies in the ,crimea as a regiment2 ,captain1 now ,major1 ,c4 ,b4 ,ewart filled the appointment of adjutant1 and ,lieutenant ,a4 ,leahy that of quartermaster1 afterwards that of ,deputy-,assistant ,quartermaster-,general4 ,the ,british force was divided into two attacks1 called 8right0#aeg and 8left10#aeh their contiguity being broken by a deep ravine through which passed the ,woronzoff road4 ,the right abutted on the heights overlooking the middle ravine1 and the left leaned away to the position of the allies1 but separated from it by the precipitous sides of the ,picket ,house ravine1 which debouched on the head of the inner harbour4 ,no longer attached to divisions1 the fourth1 eighth1 and tenth companies of sappers were appointed to the right1 and the third and eleventh companies to the left4 ,the united strength of the companies amounted to a force of about #chf non-commissioned officers and men1 #cb of whom were sick and #ba at ,balaklava4 ,on the high road leading from ,sebastopol1 and near the windmill1 was stationed the engineer dept for the right attack2 while that for the left occupied an area in rear of the third division1 on a plateau adjacent to the artillery dept4 ,at both the parks1 the carpenters1 sawyers1 and blacksmiths of the companies carried on the mechanical requirements of the operation unprotected from the weather1 or at best in scanty sheds of the most primitive character4 ,in order that the sappers might be easily distinguished in the trenches1 they were ordered to wear a band of white tracing tape round the forage-cap4 ,the strength of the brigades of sappers altogether depended upon the exigencies of the duty1 and the numbers available for work4 ,as a general rule1 however1 each brigade of sappers comprised a non-commissioned officer and eight privates2 and each brigade of carpenters a non-commissioned officer and three privates4 ,whatever may have been the changes in the distribution of the men1 there were seldom less at work1 on the right1 than three brigades of sappers and two of carpenters by day2 and two of sappers and one of carpenters by night2 while on the left1 where a diminished force was employed1 the arrangements only permitted for the daily routine two brigades of sappers and one of carpenters2 and1 for the night duty1 one brigade of each4 ,usually1 the brigade remained twelve hours in the trenches1 being relieved at daybreak and soon after dusk2 but this period of duty1 on many occasions1 was necessarily prolonged1 when any pressure required particular works to be completed in haste4 ,some of the most reliable men were on duty in the front eight nights out of nine4 ,fatigue and sickness caused very inconvenient fluctuations in the numbers disposable for the operation2 but when less vigour was demanded in the formation of the lines1 the men were relieved from duty in the trenches for three or four days at a time--the interval being filled up with labours in the camp1 and in the performance of a variety of services subsidiary to the siege4 ,at nightfall1 on the #hth ,october1 ground was broken before ,sebastopol4 ,it commenced at the ,greenhill battery left attack2 and on the right attack at the #e-;gun battery in front of ,victoria hill1 and at the picket-house for the right ,lancaster-gun4 ,by order of ,lord ,raglan1 the working-parties1 after receiving the necessary tools and instructions1 were marched from the park1 guided by engineer officers and sappers1 to the trenches4 ,this proceeding was followed throughout the siege2 and it was also a practice to send both sappers and operatives into the batteries unarmed1 to prevent the paramount work of the lines being neglected for the more natural one of resorting1 on any slight instance of alarm1 to measures of personal defence4 ,acting as overseers1 it was the province of the sappers and miners to instruct the line and the ,turks in forming the trenches and batteries1 attending themselves to the more constructive portions of the works requiring art and skill2--such as laying the gabions1 fascines1 sand-bags1 and platforms2 erecting the splinter-proof magazines1 and sloping and lining the embrasures4 ,formidable obstacles occasionally offered serious impediments to the progress of the excavations1 for the soil was rocky3 to overcome the difficulties1 the sappers led the way with an earnestness and zeal that stimulated the workmen to activity and exertion2 but such was the sacrifice of useful energy1 that many a brave fellow1 already enfeebled by overwork1 scanty rations1 and hard weather1 faltered from the trenches never more to return4 ,singular as it may appear1 the sappers at first were somewhat at a loss in carrying out their more ordinary duties4 ,the details were easy enough in peaceful practice2 but in a siege where every effort required the utmost care and caution to make the work strong and durable and to avoid danger1 it was much more difficult4 ,a little earnest experience however in actual conflict1 taught them the secrets of their art1 gave them confidence and cunning1 and rendered them1 as far as their numbers permitted1 quite equal to the emergencies of the enterprise4 ,everywhere the lines continued to be prosecuted with commendable rapidity1 and to claim even the fastidious attention of the sappers with regard to the smoothness and accuracy of the slopes of the interior revetments and the sharpness of the angles4 ,the ,madras platforms1 to which a high reputation was attached1 were quickly laid for the general siege-pieces1 and common ones were fixed for the naval guns4 ,there were times1 however1 when1 from the guiding sappers missing their way to the appointed hill1 the works were somewhat retarded in their execution4 ,an instance of this kind occurred on the #ajth ,october1 when some sappers1 sent to throw up a battery in front of the right of the light division1 could not discover the position4 ,the night was densely dark1 foggy1 and close4 ,for more than two hours they endeavoured to find the points marked previously by ,major ,gordon1 but finally seeing the fruitlessness of their efforts1 they quitted the front and returned to camp4 ,the working parties were retained in rear under cover2 the only men exposed on the hill-top that night were two captains of engineers1 and sergeant ,coppin and lance-corporals ,stupple and ,kerr4 ,a more serious mistake occurred1 the next night4 ,ground had been broken at eight o'clock by a working party of #djj men on the brow of a hill to the left of the light division4 ,sergeant ,joseph ,morant1 who had received instructions as to the direction he was to take to reach the work1 started at midnight with seventeen sappers to relieve the men of the corps whose tour of night-duty had expired4 ,marching along the ,woronzoff ravine1 he passed a huge boulder on which was carved a cross1 and shortly after reached a large shell which had stuck in the middle of the road4 ,these1 for want of better indications1 were two of the points on which he relied for the accuracy of his course4 ,having still to press on for another half-mile and more1 and the night being dark1 he missed the hollow up which he was to move to the site of the parallel4 ,on he went with his men1 when1 seeing at length on either height a picquet1 he hesitated under an impression he had gone too far2 but private ,george ,harvey1 apparently priding himself upon his knowledge of the locality1 persisted in saying that the picquets were ,british4 ,unable to trust to his own sight1 for his vision was defective1 the sergeant1 thus assured1 pushed forward steadily with the party1 till he observed a few yards in his front1 an outpost drawn up across the road4 ,the sappers now halted1 and the two parties strained their eyes in surprise at this unexpected proximity4 ,morant1 who was intently looking about him1 struck against a wooden pillar of some altitude1 streaked with painted bands of alternate black and white-supposed to be a milestone4 ,by this his conviction was settled that the ,russians were facing him4 ,alarmed at the visit1 the enemy's picquet fell back on the main body1 and ,morant just then gave orders for his men1 who were unarmed1 to retire stealthily4 ,this was done for a short distance1 when turning about1 the whole batch1 as if winged for the occasion1 run the gauntlet for their lives between the two hill picquets1 relieving themselves as they fled of such encumbrances as were likely to impede their haste4 ,in this way their greatcoats and wooden canteens1 in part1 were left behind2 and as the distance between the parties was inconsiderable1 and the fire from the different picquets sharp upon the sappers1 it is somewhat extraordinary1 that not a man was wounded so as to draw blood1 ,several had their greatcoats1 trousers and jackets perforated or torn by bullets1 and a few were grazed on the legs and arms1 while the sergeant had a choice lock of his hair clipped off1 and a slight touch in the cartilage of the left ear4#aei ,this mishap was not without advantage1 for it frustrated the execution of a sortie which was then preparing4 ,from the flashes of the ,russian fire1 strong battalions of infantry could be seen moving towards our works1 to repel which the second and light divisions at once turned out2 the riflemen too1 always ready1 poured a destructive fusillade into the advancing battalions1 and the artillery1 never from their posts1 saluted them with volleys of shot and shell4 ,for nearly an hour the combat lasted1 when the enemy1 flying before the rush and cheer of the #hhth1 took shelter under the walls of the fortress1 keeping up1 however1 for the rest of the night1 a desultory fire upon the works4 ,the loss in the trenches was trifling1 and our batteries1 which were much exposed1 remained intact4 ,notwithstanding this attack1 the new battery was considerably advanced in its construction before the morning1 for no less than #hdj gabions had been laid in it during the night by lance-corporal ,george ,h4 ,collins4 ,a few nights after the mishap stated above1 the non-commissioned officer just named was selected to conduct a working party to the #ba-;gun battery4 ,it was exceedingly dark1 and the men moved on cautiously4 ,the 8valley of the shadow of death0 had been crossed2 the picket-house passed2 indeed the greater part of the journey had been marched when the field-officer in charge expressed his doubts that the proper track had been taken4 ,to remove the officer's misgivings and to prove the correctness of his own conduct1 the corporal offered to go alone to the battery1 which1 regarded as the wiser course1 was at once approved of4 ,off started the guide1 and having reassured himself by a visit to the work1 that his direction was right1 returned to the officer within a quarter of an hour4 ,to regain the party was more difficult than he anticipated4 ,he knew not the relative position of the point where the halt was called1 and on coming back bore away to the right about #bjj yards4 ,he judged by the time he was absent that he must be near the workmen1 and so hailing them by whistling signals1 which were recognized and answered1 he was extricated from a dilemma it would probably have taken the night to solve4 ,satisfied with the integrity of his guide1 the field-officer now readily moved on the column as ,collins led1 and soon reached the battery4 ,the work was afterwards known by the name of the 8,gordon ,battery40 ,by the #afth ,october the vigilance of the working parties had placed the lines in so forward a state that1 on the following evening1 orders were issued to the troops respecting the bombardment4 ,no exertions were spared throughout the night to complete the works in every detail1 and the sappers1 being told off into storming parties of twenty men each under an officer of the corps1 were attached to the several divisions of the army to lead the way in any enterprise in which their professional services might be demanded4 ,for this purpose they were furnished with picks and shovels to form lodgments2 crowbars1 felling-axes1 and sledge-hammers to remove impediments2 bags of gunpowder for blowing in gates2 and scaling ladders with which to storm walls and towers4 ,eight or more distinct works had been erected1 mounting above sixty guns1 including ,lancasters1 which1 during the siege1 were increased or diminished according to circumstances4 ,they were connected with a line of excavations exceeding a mile in length on the right1 and #a1bjj yards on the left1 including deviations offered for acceptance by the undulations of the hills4 ,the chief batteries--named after the officers of engineers who superintended their construction1 held a position on the heights at a distance exceeding #a1cej yards from the ,russian lines1 while the ,french1 working in easy soil1 pushed up much nearer to the fortress by the usual process of sapping and mining4 ,on the part of the ,english the plan of attack was necessarily a departure from recognized rules1 owing to the rocky character of the ground and the deep glens which separated the works4 ,on the morning of the #agth1 there were1 including the sick1 #cea non-commissioned officers and men in camp and in the trenches4 ,as many as could possibly be collected were sent to the batteries to share in the first day's bombardment4 ,under cover of the darkness1 the embrasures of the batteries1 blinded with gabions1 were quickly unmasked by the sappers1 and before the dawn had fairly opened1 sixty-three guns belched their fire upon the fortress4 ,by a preconcerted signal the ,french1 hurling destruction from fifty-six pieces of ordnance1 commenced the siege simultaneously with the ,english1 and the allied navies took part in the contest4 ,this was the first day's firing on the part of the besiegers2 and although the garrison kept up a warm cannonade upon the allies from the moment that any show was made in the construction of the trenches1 the ,anglo-,french never once attempted1 by the discharge of a single piece of ordnance1 to lessen the interference of the enemy1 or to interrupt the progress of their defences4 ,from both sides the cannonade was continued with more or less vigour according to the nature of events1 and the result evidenced only too plainly the devastating effect of the firing4 ,our batteries were much damaged2 those of the allies were scattered1 whilst two of their magazines blew up with mournful results4 ,the works of the enemy were in some places almost demolished3 their firing varied as they found cover to stand to the guns2 but the day's fury was at length terminated by the terrific explosion of a magazine behind an earthen redoubt1 which threw a feeling of awe even among the besiegers4 ,there was much skill1 however1 in the ,russian engineers1 and before morning1 by extraordinary exertion1 the works were restored and replaced with guns4 ,no less energetic were the ,english sappers in strengthening the lines and repairing the batteries2 for although erected with admirable solidity1 the shells from the fortress ploughed up the works and tore down the embrasures4 ,in all such cases1 if the restoration could not be deferred till night1 the sappers1 with a daring equal to their usefulness1 would spring into the openings1 and while exposed to the hottest of the fire1 make good the breaches4 ,one of the bravest and best in this exposed service was corporal ,john ,paul4 ,fortunately1 in the early stages of the siege1 repairs in open day were seldom imperative4 ,the damages done in the day by the cannonading of #aee guns were expeditiously made good at night2 and so efficiently1 that each morning the batteries stood up as compact and bold as they did before the firing opened on the #agth ,october4 ,after the first day's firing1 ,sir ,john ,burgoyne thus wrote to the ,commander-in-chief4 8,i would call ,lord ,raglan's attention to the great and successful exertions of the royal engineers and sappers under very trying circumstances4 ,the very rocky soil presents the extreme of difficulties to the establishment of trenches and batteries2 the very act of obtaining cover in one night in such soil1 which was done on every occasion1 requires a great effort1 and to construct in it substantial batteries1 still more4 8,the proportion of good platforms and stuff for magazines embarked1 was too insignificant to be worthy of notice3 these objects had to be prepared 7and for a very heavy description of ordnance7 from the irregular masses of timber and plank that could be procured from buildings pulled down4 ,notwithstanding all these difficulties1 the work has been pushed on with rapidity1 the substantial nature of the parapet has been proved by the few casualties incurred1 and the embrasures and platforms have required1 during the very heavy cannonade of yesterday1 less repairs and adjustment than ,i have ever been witness to on similar occasions2 and no accident has occurred to any magazine1 although some shells have been observed to explode on them1 all proving the substantial goodness of the works performed40 ----- ,footnote #aeg3 ,familiarly and indiscriminately called 8,gordon's battery or parallel10 8#ba-;gun battery10 or 8,frenchman's ,hill40 ,footnote #aeh3 ,called 8,chapman's battery or parallel10 or 8,green-hill40 ,footnote #aei3 ,on the #ahth ,october a #ae-;inch shell1 termed 8,whistling ,dick10 struck the roof of a magazine in the #ba-;gun battery1 and1 in exploding1 knocked down sergeant ,morant and corporal ,george ,pearson1 burying them under a heap of sand-bags4 ,the corporal soon struggled to his feet1 but the sergeant1 more severely stunned1 was pulled from the mass by ,lieutenant ,murray of the engineers4 #ahed4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 #ahth ,october-#cast ,december4 ,a corporal guides the field officer to the #ba-;gun battery in open day--,the last shot--,two sappers mend a gap of some magnitude in a mortar battery--,scarcity of soil and materials for carrying on the works--,picket-house battery--,mishap to a tracing party--,platforms--,magazines--,a detachment with arabas moves from the valley during the battle of ,balaklava--,private ,lancaster the only sapper engaged in it--,steady conduct of the sappers at the platforms during ,sir ,de ,lacy ,evans's combat--,battle of ,inkermann--,a corporal gallantly alters the splay of an embrasure while the fight rages--,sappers trench the road leading to the heights from the harbour--,two privates repair an embrasure under a severe fire--,submarine divers--,progress of the works--,hurricane of the #adth ,november2 wreck of the #8,prince'--and the #8,rip ,van ,winkle'--,effects of the storm on shore--,lines of ,inkermann--,mode of proceeding with the construction of the general works--,strength of corps at the siege and detached--,field electric telegraph--,sergeant ,anderson--,casualties--,sergeant ,drew--,arrival of second company2 its colour-sergeant taken for a ,pacha--,incentives to induce the ,turks to work--,the ,navvies--,army ,works ,corps--,the sappers1 though under a seeming cloud1 are upheld by a vigorous vindication in ,parliament4 ,next day the bombardment continued to rage1 and ,colonel ,hood of the ,grenadier ,guards1 the field-officer of the trenches on the right attack1 was killed4 ,he was succeeded by ,colonel ,walker of the ,scots' ,fusilier ,guards4 ,corporal ,george ,h4 ,collins1 chosen as a sure guide1 went off with the colonel1 passing from the engineer park by the sailor's camp into the ravine4 ,they then took the ,woronzoff road at a run for nearly half-a-mile1 and arrived at the foot of a rocky watercourse leading to the hill on which was situated the #ba-;gun battery1 where the colonel dismissed the corporal1 and dashed on alone into the work4 ,in going1 shot and shell fell furiously into the valley1 requiring a sharp look-out to keep clear of splinters4 ,it was even worse in returning2 for as the corporal's back was turned to the fire1 he barely allowed himself time to see what were his chances of life and death4 ,considering that his risks increased by delay1 he bounded along the tortuous and broken road1 stopping now and then to take breath and cover under some low rocks which jutted from the hill side2 and then1 pushing up the other slope of the ravine1 marched into the camp unhurt4 ,one might have thought that a service of this nature would have excused the corporal from a tour in the trenches2 but such was the pressure for sappers1 it could not be4 ,at night he was on duty in the ,gordon parallel1 and four days later was grazed in the back by a shot1 which1 after striking the earth1 rushed past him1 and knocked him senseless4#afj ,he was superintending at the time a party working in the right ,lancaster battery1 clearing away the rock for a platform4 ,lance-corporal ,rinhy1 a ready and spirited sapper1 was in ,no4 #c battery of the left attack on the #aith4 ,well had he worked that day in the embrasures2 and at dusk1 as the order was given to cease the cannonade1 he went up to ,no4 #f gun to see the last shot fired4 ,the sailors manned the gun1 loading it with a ,russian #bf-pounder ball1 which had hopped among the shot piled in rear of the parapet4 ,the ball stuck in the muzzle1 and while ,rinhy and the seamen were vainly trying to withdraw it1 another shot whisked through the embrasure1 cut the man-o'-war's man in two1 and striking the trunnion from the gun1 the #bd-pounder fell and smashed the sailor underneath it4 ,the same shot passed so close to ,rinhy1 that it rasped a button from his jacket1 and the ferocity of its wind knocked him against a traverse some five yards away4 ,in the same battery1 two or three days later1 he repaired an embrasure no less than twenty-one times during his tour of duty1 and kept the cheeks in such serviceable order1 that the #fh-pounder which fired there1 discharged before nightfall as many as #aih shells and #hd shot into the ,russian works1 dismounting1 according to nautical calculation1 no less than six guns in the ,redan4 ,private ,william ,denham was killed this day1 while repairing a platform in the #ba-;gun battery4 ,a shot carried away the back of his head4 ,among the instances of well employed zeal that occurred in this bombardment1 was one in which privates ,jenkins and ,john ,wallace signalized themselves under the eye of ,major ,biddulph1 of the artillery1 assistant engineer4 ,they were stationed on the #bbnd in ,no4 #c battery left attack1 against which the fire of several guns was concentrated with so ruinous an effect1 that about fourteen feet of the parapet was broken down before ten o'clock in the morning4 ,to venture into so exposed a gap in broad day1 under a frightful fire1 needed a courage which few men could prevail on themselves to exercise2 but with a willing promptitude which spoke of their resolution and daring1 these two stern sappers passed into the breach1 each working for a quarter of an hour at a spell1 with the strength of a giant4 ,in seven hours the damage was mended1 during which the battery continued in action1 though a mortar or two was necessarily silent until sufficient cover was obtained to shield the seamen fighting there4 ,everywhere the soil was scanty1 and the materials for gaining cover scarce4 ,the few houses that existed in the vicinity of the camp had early been demolished1 and the old timbers borne away for fuel4 ,brushwood and young trees1 wherever they could be found1 were also taken away2 and when the cold became extreme1 and the ration wood reduced to a few sticks1 the ground was turned over in every direction1 by perishing men1 to collect the roots for firing4 ,earth was brought from the rear1 in baskets1 to fill the gabions2 and sand-bags1 ready for use1 were also brought from the park1 or wherever the earth could readily be obtained4 ,as they frequently caught fire and burst on the explosion of the guns1 a substitute was found for a time by making the bags from the skins of sheep and from bullocks' hides1 which stood remarkably well1 but they could not be procured in sufficient quantity for the work4 ,the inner necks of the embrasures were revetted with sand-bags and the cheeks lined with fascines4 ,the basis of all the works was the gabion4 ,in places not opposed by artillery1 stones were used for lining the trenches1 which gave them the appearance of ancient walls4 ,the traverses were revetted with old gabions1 discarded casks1 worn biscuit-bags from the fleet1 and ammunition cases4 ,indeed every material was pressed into the siege that could be turned by ingenuity to any useful purpose4 ,on all sides the works exhibited a curious employment of rude expedients and adaptations to meet the straits and difficulties of an unexampled attack4 ,with all these shifts1 from the inadequacy of material resources to carry on the works1 such was the recklessness of the soldiers in seeking means to afford them a modicum of comfort1 that the sand-bags were constantly abstracted from the trenches to line their trousers and gaiter their legs2 and when wood could not be readily procured1 they made no scruple in frosty weather1 of purloining fascines and gabions to light their fires4 ,mandates against such practices were disregarded1 and vigilance was no match for men driven by cold to such extremities4 ,on the #bdth ,october1 a battery for three guns and a #aj-;inch mortar was opened on the left above the picket-house to destroy a two-decker lying snugly in the inner harbour4 ,a few red-hot shot being sent into her1 she hastily moved off1 and the battery was quickly turned to swell the general armament against the enemy's land works4 ,the same night two privates were out in some advanced works tracing a battery under ,major ,gordon4 ,when returning by a whistle-signal from the ,major1 they were mistaken for ,russians1 and fired upon by a party of the #gith ,highlanders4 ,the result was that private ,james ,bland1 a good sapper1 was struck down by a rifle-shot which passed through both his thighs4 ,it was not long before the ,madras traversing platform1 considered to be the specific for a great siege1 was shown to be a failure4 ,from the hard and uneven bottom of the trench the platforms were1 to save them from injury and secure their efficiency1 laid upon sand-bags well tamped1 but the violent and sudden action of the guns in their recoil shivered the platforms to pieces4 ,a rude substitute was expeditiously furnished by tearing down some dilapidated wooden houses in the neighbourhood of the camp2 and resorting to the old expedient of sleepers and floors1 the platforms1 so prepared by the sapper carpenters1 were found to be far less liable to derangement than the engineering-exotic from ,madras4 ,while the ,russians and our allies experienced very heavy losses in the destruction of their magazines1 no accident whatever occurred to the ,english powder-magazines1 8although more than once exposed to the test of the fall and explosion of a #ab-;inch shell40#afa ,offering1 as the record does1 a tribute of credit to the efficiency of the contrivance1 it is no less a testimonial to the skill of the sappers1 who1 in consequence of the special nature of the service1 constructed the magazines themselves4 ,the magazines on the left were constructed on the established model1 in places assigned to them by the old engineers1 but on the right the ammunition was dispersed in sheltered spots in small receptacles attached to the parapets of the different batteries4 ,the large depts of ammunition were formed in the caves of the neighbouring ravine2 and all the magazines were well protected by sand-bags4 ,on the #beth ,october was fought the memorable cavalry combat at ,balaklava4 ,sergeant ,joseph ,morant and six privates1 having in charge thirty ,turkish arabas drawn by sixty bullocks1 had nearly passed the valley with the train when the fight commenced4 ,the escort was moving to the port for stores1 and several of the waggons still within the boundary of the battlefield1 were swept and pierced by shots from the ,russian artillery4 ,as this was no place for a cumbersome train of conveyances1 ,morant and his men goaded and whooped on the oxen to ,balaklava2 and speedily loading the arabas1 returned1 after the action1 to the engineer park in front of ,sebastopol4 ,these seven sappers and eleven others who were in the vicinity of the battle1 were honoured with the distinction of the ,balaklava clasp4 ,there was only one sapper actually engaged in the battle4 ,sir ,colin ,campbell1 anticipating an attack1 ordered an able sapper to be sent to the ,turkish redoubts to superintend any repairs that might be needed4 ,sergeant ,dickson despatched private ,james ,lancaster for the duty4 ,at five o'clock on the evening of the #bdth1 he arrived at ,no4 #d redoubt1 situated close under the hills of the plateau where the corps d'observation of ,general ,bosquet was encamped4 ,all night ,lancaster worked with the ,turks in strengthening the faces of the redoubt2 and in the morning stretched himself in a shallow trench to take a little sleep4 ,he had not long covered himself with a tarpaulin--a cold substitute for a blanket--when the ,russians attacked ,no4 #a redoubt1 which was a considerable distance from ,no4 #d4 ,instantly awakened by some ,turks1 who seemingly wanted an ,englishman to keep alive in them the little valour they possessed1 he was quickly among them4 ,there was also a ,british artilleryman in the redoubt1 with whom the sapper1 sharing the kin of country1 behaved as became their national prestige4 ,while the cannonading was doing its work on ,no4 #a1 a ,russian battery pushed up to a height opposite ,no4 #d1 and opened its guns on ,no4 #c4 ,the attack was sharp1 but the ,turks wanting spirit and firmness1 made a weak defence1 and flew from the fort4 ,in time ,nos4 #a1 #b1 and #c were taken4 ,when the guns in ,no4 #c were silenced1 the ,russian battery increased its fire on ,no4 #d1 which answering with an energy probably emboldened by the nearness of supports1 checked the enemy in his career of success2 and though ,no4 #d might easily have been captured1 it escaped the fate which sealed the others4 ,it is due to the gallantry of the ,turks in ,no4 #d to acknowledge that while many of the infantry vaulted in alarm over the parapet at the first blush of the fight1 and ran from the opportunity to cover themselves with honour1 there were not wanting stanch artillerists1 firm and courageous1 to stand to the guns2 and1 as instructed by the ,british gunner1 to work them manfully4 ,the ,pasha in command was an old but a brave officer1 and his worst trouble was to beat back the flying ,turks to join in the defence4 ,the enemy now commenced another movement by collecting on the heights overlooking the plain between the redoubts1 the whole strength of his cavalry--a solid menacing body1 which in its heaviness threatened that day to strike a decisive blow4 ,meanwhile the ,turks in ,no4 #d1 regarding any display of courage on their part as useless1 and their position untenable1 withdrew the two guns to the rear1 halting them on the crest of a slope2 and after spiking the ordnance and breaking the spokes of the wheels and the shafts of the carriages1 tumbled them into the valley4 ,the garrison then retired to the position where the ,highlanders were drawn up4 ,the artilleryman and sapper stood by the ,turks to the last1 but in the retreat each took a different direction4 ,while sitting in the valley a short distance from the redoubt1 ,lords ,lucan and ,cardigan with their staff galloped up to the sapper1 and grouped round him4 ,learning the cause of his presence there1 he was asked what he knew of the attack4 ,lancaster answered to the effect that two of the forts had already been taken1 and the others1 having been abandoned1 would1 he feared1 soon follow4 ,away rode the commanders and the staff2 the trumpets sounded1 and removing the cavalry behind a mound1 soon after occurred those cavalry dispositions1 and that extraordinary conflict1 which prevented the ,russians from pouring into ,balaklava1 and capturing the great base of the allied operations4 ,private ,lancaster succeeded in making good his retreat1 under a heavy fire1 without mischance4 ,neglecting to erect earth-works to defend the right of the position towards ,inkermann led to an attack by the ,russians1 which was met and repulsed with vigour on the #bfth ,october1 by the division under the command of ,sir ,de ,lacy ,evans4 ,the sappers turned out and marched to ,victoria ,hill1 in readiness1 if required1 to take part in the action4 ,a portion of them was posted behind a rubble wall in 8,water0 ,valley1 which was loopholed during the fight2 and four men were in the #e-;gun battery4 ,the usual parties were also distributed to the trenches1 working away in the different batteries as if the combat were at a distance4 ,the fire on the #ba-;gun battery was very sharp1 but under its fierceness a brigade of carpenters1 directed by corporal ,kester ,knight1 repaired a platform no less than five times in the course of two hours4 ,it was broken each time by the heavy recoil of the gun4 ,once1 while mending it1 a shot plunged through the embrasure and shattered a wheel of the carriage2 but looking upon the incident almost as one of the civilities of the siege1 the carpenters continued to work vigorously till they had obtained something like the desired solidity4 ,another attack followed on the #eth ,november1 in which the ,english and ,french1 numbering about #ad1jjj bayonets1 were opposed by an army of nearly #fj1jjj fighting men4 ,for upwards of ten hours the conflict lasted1 and ended in a victory to the allies1 while the ,russians1 driven from the hills at all points1 took refuge in flight4 ,the losses in the ,anglo-,french ranks were very severe1 but those of the enemy1 incredible as it may seem1 far exceeded the total force of the allies engaged4 ,this splendid achievement1 in which the soldiers stood against overwhelming odds with unconquerable firmness and bravery1 will ever rank in the annals of war as one of the most remarkable struggles of modern times4 ,occupied in the trenches1 and forming a guard over the engineer park1 the sappers and miners did not fire a shot in either of the engagements4 ,they were1 however1 drawn up while the fight at ,inkermann was raging1 prepared to defend the siege dept had the ,russians penetrated to the engineer plateau4 ,being in position during the battle1 the sappers and miners have been considered entitled to the ,inkermann decoration1 and #cda non-commissioned officers and men of the corps present on the occasion had the honour of receiving the clasp4 ,though the night was thick and foggy1 the ,russian columns were seen surging towards ,inkermann from the ,mamelon4 ,none of our siege guns could be brought to bear on them2 and as it was considered an object of the first moment to rake the masses1 orders were given to alter the embrasure of a gun in the old right ,lancaster battery1 beyond the right of the first parallel4 ,lance-corporal ,trimble1 a young and agile soldier1 had charge of the two embrasures in the battery1 and had with him four men of the #dgth regiment to assist in the repairs4 ,no sooner was the decision communicated to the corporal1 than he leaped into the opening1 followed by his party4 ,gabions1 barrels1 fascines1 and sand-bags1 quickly disappeared2 all were thrown or pushed into the ditch in front of the battery1 as the readiest means of performing a service from which so much was expected4 ,then commenced the reformation of the splay by cutting away full half of the merlon on the right cheek1 which separated the #bd-pounder from the ,lancaster gun4 ,when finished1 the embrasure had a skew form1 with a widened mouth2 but as the service was pressing1 and the artillerymen impatient--for twice did they stop the work to try the effect of a few rounds--it could not be revetted1 and the parapet was necessarily left without a gabion to bank up the earth4 ,the #dgth men took a bold and active part in the service1 and within an hour1 under a fire that would have made many a head reel1 the corporal and his men completed the alteration4 ,barely had they jumped from the opening1 when the gunners recommenced a cannonade from the ,lancaster which made deadly gaps in the ,russian battalions1 as in winding round the ,mamelon they retreated to their own lines4 ,for their assistance in this hurried duty1 one or two of the linesmen were made corporals and decorated with medals2 and ,trimble1 though his rewards were deferred1 was promoted to be second-corporal1 and honoured with a special gratuity of ten pounds and medal for gallant conduct4 ,from the stern grandeur of the battle1 it was not improbable the attack would be repeated1 when1 in some degree1 the ,russians had recovered from the shock4 ,to render an approach less likely to succeed1 ,lieutenant ,ravenhill and a party of sappers repaired to the heights to destroy the road winding from the head of ,sebastopol harbour up the ravine to ,inkermann4 ,this was simply as a first defensive resource1 to be followed by regularly planned works4 ,the hill-top and its slopes were covered with killed and wounded1 among whom perhaps the sappers might have performed any amount of duty without accident2 but possessing a settled distrust of the honour of the ,russians1 they first collected all the arms they could see within sixty yards of their work1 and broke them in pieces4 ,thus relieved from a temptation to which the vanquished in their hatred have been known treacherously to yield1 the sappers moved to the site of their work1 and in eight hours dug a trench across the road eight feet deep and twelve broad4 ,a few nights later1 privates ,charles ,harris and ,nicholas ,garrett revetted an embrasure in the #ba-;gun battery1 which had been torn to pieces in the early part of the morning4 ,shot and shell frequently fell into the work1 but the sappers swerved not from the peril it seemed impossible to escape4 ,lieutenant ,murray stood himself in the aperture to relieve the men of the necessity for watching1 and warned the two gallant fellows when projectiles were approaching4 ,in such instances1 to lessen the chances of risk1 all three threw themselves on the sole of the work1 and1 when the danger passed1 resumed the revetment1 quitting it only when the embrasure was finished4 ,when the ,russians learnt that a descent was to be made on the ,crimean coast1 they sank several of their large war vessels and blocked up the passage into the harbour of ,sebastopol4 ,since nautical skill and manuvring were confessedly unequal to master the difficulty1 submarine blasting was proposed as the readiest and most effectual method1 and four sapper divers1 selected from volunteers at ,chatham1 accompanied by the necessary apparatus and stores1 sailed in the #8,prince' on the #bgth ,october1 and arrived in the harbour of ,balaklava on the #gth ,november4 ,several other sappers1 then before ,sebastopol1 who had been practically trained in the art by actual service in the demolition of the wreck of the #8,royal ,george1' were to have been engaged in the perilous duty4 ,on the #aath ,november was commenced the second parallel on the left attack1 #cfj yards in advance of ,chapman's battery4 ,the ground presented a surface of interminable rock1 which caused the soil1 as before1 to be brought from a distance to form the parapets4 ,the labours of the sappers were confined chiefly to mining the hill and blasting the rock1 and also placing the gabions in position4 ,some #cej yards in front of the new parallel a row of ,russian riflemen was established1 who picked off the guard of the trenches with fatal rapidity4 ,a dash was made for the pits on the #bjth1 which1 after a smart little combat1 were captured and occupied by our light troops4 ,the holes were afterwards connected by boyaux to the second parallel4 ,on the right attack a place of arms was formed to shelter the troops when drawn up for assault4 ,a long boyau was run out half way to the intended spot1 and the centre portion of the parallel was thrown up by flying sap4 ,communications being also effected with the rear by means of a double set of approaches1 guns and cohorns were mounted in the batteries to defend the stormers and play on the works4 ,this new formation afterwards took its place in the series of trenches for the second parallel4 ,for two or three weeks the weather had been unpropitious4 ,snow was upon the ground1 and sometimes rain1 sleet1 and hail varied the inclemency1 while frost intervening1 nipped the men with its cold grasp1 and added to their sufferings4 ,the prevailing aspect of the clouds was gloomy and lowering1 but there was nothing to indicate the approach of that memorable storm1 which on the #adth ,november1 swept over the ,black ,sea and the ,crimea4 ,early in the morning the hurricane began its portentous howling1 and it was not long before it committed terrific havoc at sea4 ,ingenuity and precaution did much to save the ships from disaster1 but many of the transports1 too soon becoming unmanageable1 were engulfed as by a spell in the raging surf1 or broken to pieces on the shore4 ,among these was the #8,prince1' a magnificent steamer of heavy tonnage1 freighted with winter clothing for the army and the diving machinery4 ,for two hours she stood bravely against the storm1 but at length driven against the rocks at ,balaklava1 her timbers were rent in every direction1 and she went down4 ,the four sapper divers on board of her1 sergeant ,william ,carne1 and privates ,samuel ,lewis1 ,thomas ,price1 and ,thomas ,toohey1 sank in the wreck1 as also ,captain ,w4 ,m4 ,inglis1 who had been observed on a spar struggling to gain the shore1 when a wave of foam broke over him1 and he was seen no more4 ,a like fate attended the #8,rip ,van ,winkle2' and the two sapper photographers--corporal ,john ,pendered1 and lance-corporal ,john ,hammond--well educated and trained at great expense in the art1 perished in the foundered vessel4 ,the knapsacks and kits of the eighth company were also lost4 ,on shore the hurricane was not so calamitous1 but the tents were all torn up and blown to a distance4 ,only one solitary marquee remained to mark the site of the encampment4 ,in common with the army the sappers and miners felt the shock of the storm1 and were left shivering on the heights1 unclad and comfortless4 ,those in the trenches experienced equal misery1 but their zeal in the prosecution of the works was only checked by the fury of the raging wind and the deluging rain4 ,the road to ,balaklava soon became one long morass1 and both man and horse1 in travelling to the port1 had to wade the distance up to their knees in mud4 ,from this time the suffering and privations of the troops considerably increased in extent and severity2 but1 borne with uncomplaining endurance and fortitude1 earned for them the abiding admiration and sympathies of their countrymen4 ,two days after the conflict at ,inkermann1 parties of the corps were allotted for the duty of raising appropriate field-works to protect the right1 which1 shortly after1 were increased by the fourth company encamped on the heights4 ,ill able to spare the men from the general works1 the seventh company under ,captain ,gibb was removed from ,gallipoli to take part in the operation4 ,arriving at ,balaklava on the #bhth ,november1 the company reinforced the camp before ,sebastopol on the #bnd ,december4 ,until the #agth1 it was employed in the work of the trenches forming the #8right attack1' but on the following day it moved to the heights of ,inkermann to complete the approaches against the town1 and to erect batteries to oppose those of the enemy on the side of the ,tchernaya4 ,the fourth company being relieved1 was returned to the operations of the right attack4 ,at these lines the sappers1 whose numbers varied between #eh and #ca1 worked only by day1 except in a few special instances when the firing of the enemy was too hot and accurate to admit of day labour being carried on with any chance of success4 ,the chief of their work was performed in the parallel1 ,redoubte du #eme ,novembre1 and the ,mortar and ,st4 ,laurent's batteries4 ,they also laid the platforms1 formed the embrasures and traverses1 and restored them when injured4 ,two magazines in the ,st4 ,laurent's battery1 constructed by the ,french of indifferent rubble1 were so damaged by shells that both were rebuilt by the ,english sappers in a serviceable style1 with a roof of sand-bags and fascines1 covered with a thick substratum of well-tamped earth4 ,relieved from duty one afternoon1 the party was thrown into the trenches at night to level the top of the parapet4 ,though few in number1 they worked with so much energy1 that the object of their employment was fully accomplished in the darkness4 ,another night they crept down into the glen on the right1 and tearing down some ,russian houses1 the timber brought away with them was afterwards turned to account for platforms1 c4 ,in the general business of the trenches they were much impeded by the severity of the weather4 ,the depth of the snow almost baffled them2 but by removing it day after day from the interior of the lines1 they made commendable progress in the batteries4 ,blasting rock was one of their ordinary duties2 and after the #bast ,january1 when the line troops were wholly withdrawn1 the sappers were the only ,british soldiers working in concert with the allies4 ,a #bd lb4 shot struck one of the tents of the seventh company on the #dth ,february1 and1 singularly enough1 glanced off the canvas without occasioning any casualty4 ,after completing the ,mortar battery and perfecting the details of the ,st4 ,laurent1 the company1 on the #gth1 quitted the heights1 leaving the works solely to the ,french4 ,as the siege wore on1 it was found advantageous to make each relief commence its allotted labour at the most advanced point1 and work backwards4 ,the infantry parties usually opened ground as far as practicable1 using straw baskets to gather earth for cover in places where it was insufficient4 ,wherever the pick was used it struck upon rock1 which offered an unfailing obstruction to the progress of the lines4 ,the sappers invariably followed these surface pioneers1 and blasted or removed the stony portions4 8,in this service10 it is recorded1 8these men's exertions have been altogether invaluable1 and such as could not be supplied from any other part of the army40 ,on the #ast ,december the strength of the corps in the ,east was as follows3-- ,no4 ,present at the siege and effective #dja ,sick in field hospitals #dj ,balaklava #bc ,bucharest #ad ,varna #ag ,gallipoli #aa ,constantinople and ,scutari #ah ------ ,total #ebd ------ ,a feeble force compared with the extreme exigencies of the period4 ,two sappers in charge of the field electric telegraph for service in the ,crimea1 arrived at ,balaklava on the #gth ,december1 and repaired to the camp on the #aith1 taking with them the instruments1 batteries1 insulated wire1 and appliances1 packed in two waggons4 ,twenty-four coils of wire1 each a mile long1 were packed in them1 as also a subsoil plough1 appropriate tools1 and boats4 ,the apparatus1 only available for short distances1 was worked by six or eight men4 ,to establish a communication between any two points1 the wire1 which uncoiled from a drum1 revolving horizontally in a carriage drawn in advance1 was laid in a shallow trough made by the plough1 which served the double purpose of cutting the furrow and depositing the line4 ,the trough was just deep enough to protect the wire from ordinary accidents4 ,equally effective was the apparatus for communicating with vessels at sea4 ,the two sappers were specially instructed in the electric telegraph establishment at ,lothbury in the mode of working the instruments1 laying the wire1 and in the ingenious manipulation required to give effect to the process4 ,such1 however1 was the state of the weather from snow storms1 hard frosts1 and heavy rains1 it was some weeks before the telegraph could be employed4 ,meanwhile1 as the instrument was regarded as an important appendage to the army1 sergeants ,james ,anderson#afb and ,montgomery1 with several non-commissioned officers and privates1 were educated in the art by corporal ,peter ,fraser2 so that when the time arrived for using it1 there was an adequate staff of operators to attend to its scientific details and requirements4 ,up to this period1 in addition to the casualties already mentioned1 the following men were put hors de combat3-- ,private ,james ,dilling--killed1 by the bursting of a gun4 ,the wounded were-- ,private ,john ,mc,lean--slightly1 in the head1 by the bursting of a shell4 0 ,james ,wheeler--severely1 in back of head and right shoulder1 by splinters of shells4 0 ,william ,haines--severely1 in back1 by a spent #cb lb4 shot rolling over the parapet on him4 0 ,john ,hutton--slightly1 in the head4 0 ,john ,giles--severely1 in left clavicle1 and collar-bone broken1 by grape-shot4 ,after returning to ,england had a severe attack of small-pox1 from which he recovered1 but lost his right eye4 0 ,robert ,mc,farlane--dangerously1 in the thigh1 by splinter of shell4 ,sergeant ,james ,h4 ,drew--dangerously1 in the left shoulder and collar-bone1 by a shot4#afc ,private ,samuel ,coles--killed by a round shot1 which struck his left shoulder1 and carried away his arm4 ,lance-corporal ,william ,eastley--severely1 in left leg1 by splinter of shell4 ,the second company of #aac strong1 under ,captain ,king1 reinforced the corps in the ,crimea on the #bjth ,december4 ,as the weather was severe and the road to the camp almost impassable1 the company was attached to the invalid battalion at the port4 ,considerations for its convenience did not1 however1 long prevail1 for the want of sappers at the siege brought an order from ,lord ,raglan to remove the company on ,christmas-day with its camp equipage and stores to the right attack4 ,to assist the men on the march his lordship sent #aej ,turks to meet them at the ,french barrier near ,kadikoi1 guided by sergeant ,ramsay and another sapper who had reached the rendezvous before the company4 ,the arrival of the new sappers elicited no concern from the stolid ,turks1 who1 seated on the ground1 smoking their fuming chibouks1 declined to attend to any orders which should impose on them the labour of carrying the stores4 ,captain ,king did his best to beguile their obedience1 but without effect4 ,it so happened that colour-sergeant ,brown of the company1 who had been in ,syria1 had picked up a smattering of ,arabic and knew something of the native idiosyncracy4 ,permitted by his captain1 he tried to win the acquiescence of the ,turks by appealing gestures and the stammering out of a few imperfect words1 which must have grated on their ears as so much jargon2 but his best arts1 either to force or delude them1 failed to dissipate their obstinacy4 ,in the meantime he told off the officers and men to their duties4 ,brown wore on his breast three medals1 one of which he had received from the ,sultan for services in ,syria4 ,on its reverse was an ,ottoman inscription1 similar to the standard impression on the ,turkish money4 ,curious to know the history of the medals1 a young officer of the detachment stepped up to the sergeant1 and handling the decorations1 was surprised to find that one of them was the gift of the ,sultan4 ,naming the fact to a group of his brother-officers1 it quickly spread among the men1 who1 thinking that ,brown was invested with authority from his ,majesty1 bounded to their feet1 loaded themselves like mules with the equipage1 and paced away with their burdens at a warm and earnest rate1 stopping not1 though fatigued1 till their arrival at the sapper camp before ,sebastopol4 ,what was more remarkable in the affair1 was the refusal of the ,turks1 though indisposed to give their labour without adequate compensation1 to take tickets for working pay4 ,lieutenant ,ewart1 at a loss to conjecture the reason1 whether to ascribe it to disaffection or disinterestedness1 was not a little tickled when informed1 that the demonstration arose from the ,turks regarding the sergeant as a pacha4 ,in the early part of the siege1 from the afflictions of a hard campaign1 great difficulty was found in procuring a sufficiently strong party from the line for trench duty2 and to make up for the deficiency a regiment of ,turks1 quartered at ,balaklava1 was appointed to the front4 ,from their idle habits and indulgences1 seldom could more than #djj men be brought together for work1 which number was still further frittered away by disease and death to about #bjj4 ,from the lack of land transport this force was usually absorbed in the carriage of stores to the batteries4 ,to stimulate them to exertion1 the sappers who superintended them were empowered to give such of their parties as deserved it1 a ticket for pay1 or even two1 if their zeal were conspicuous2 but to withhold the recognition1 if from indolence they did but little to further the service4 ,a sergeant of sappers--who was cashier and paymaster--always gave a day's pay for every authorized ticket presented to him2 and this system1 acting like the prick of a spur on the sides of a sulky hack1 moved them to the exercise of an amount of effort which it would have been next to impossible to have wrung from them by any other scheme4 ,reduced when hostilities commenced to the minimum of peace requirement1 the sappers1 whose duty it was to execute any description of work which war or the elements might originate1 were unable to spare a man from the trenches for the pressing services of the rear4 ,the troops of the line1 decimated and exhausted1 were utterly inadequate to meet any extra contingency2 and thus arose a crisis in the affairs of the campaign which led to the gravest considerations and misgivings at home4 ,so terrible had been the weather1 so destructive the storms1 so complete the disruption of the communication between ,balaklava and the camp--in consequence of the road having become a swamp--that no resource was left to the ,war ,minister but to seek for remedies by the employment of novel establishments4 ,at his call a corps of hardy navvies sprung up in a day1 and controlled by civil superintendents1 untrammelled by the rigours and nice exactions of military discipline1 the ,balaklava railway was commenced and carried through with so much despatch1 that no one regretted the temporary creation of a force which in its wonderful zeal relieved the overworked and perishing troops of one of the most appalling miseries of the campaign4 ,so obvious were the benefits evolved from this experiment1 that when the engagement of the navvies had ceased1 the idea of perpetuating the existence of so useful a body in an altered character assumed a permanent form4 ,though ready1 the navvies were rough and undisciplined1 bearing no connection with the great military expedition of which they formed a part4 ,this gave rise to the ,army ,works ,corps1 for the execution of all extra services not properly belonging to the battle-field1 the trenches1 or the operations of an army4 ,it was arranged1 it would seem1 that their duties should embrace the construction of roads and drains1 preparation of sites for encampment1 erection of huts1 c4 ,the pecuniary advantages offered to candidates were of such a high standard that an enthusiastic recruitment was the consequence4 ,a few weeks were more than enough to embody the corps1 which consisted principally of navigators1 and about a fifth of mechanics of various crafts4 ,overseers were engaged to superintend the gangs1 with designations suitable to their avocations1 and a civil engineer commanded the whole1 with the relative rank of colonel4 ,later the force formed an important branch of the army4 ,fostered and shielded by the ministry1 it was equipped with gear and working accessories of the most perfect and costly kind2 and before the close of the war1 it had grown into an authorized body of #c1dgj officers and men1 requiring for its sustenance in strength and efficiency no less a sum for one year than #djh1eiel4 ,in time1 the formation of this working force was much commented on in the ,house of ,commons4 ,while it was regarded--with insufficient reason perhaps--as a reflection on the efficiency of the royal sappers and miners1 there were not wanting advocates--and none more earnest than members of the ministry1 particularly ,mr4 ,monsell--to vindicate the character of the corps1 and to compliment it1 in terms full of appreciation and praise for its usefulness at the siege1 and its capability1 with augmented numbers1 of performing any amount of work which the terrible exigencies of storm or war might render indispensable4#afd ----- ,footnote #afj3 ,this corporal completed the tombstone placed over the remains of ,colonel ,hood and ,captain ,rowley2 the latter was killed on the #afth4 ,it consisted of a flat slab1 which enclosed both graves2 and a monumental cross at the head bore a well-cut inscription1 which told of the melancholy fate of these noble officers4 ,footnote #afa3 #8,quarterly ,review1' vol4 xcv41 p4 #bci4 ,footnote #afb3 ,this non-commissioned officer wrote some graphic and interesting letters about the siege1 in one of which he says1--8,after setting my working party to their task in the trenches1 ,i went to the front to show corporal ,kirkwood--a new arrival--the extent of our works1 and to give him an introduction to ,sebastopol4 ,the trench in some places not being deep enough to cover us1 we sometimes had to run along the top1 and whenever we did so1 the enemy peppered us well with grape and rifle bullets at about #cjj yards4 ,so ,i borrowed a ,mini rifle from the #chth1 and returned the compliment4 ,this was the first time ,i had ever fired at a human being4 ,two #chth men loaded for me as fast as ,i could fire1 and we soon cleared the embrasures of the ,russian gunners2 but they shot my comrade--a sergeant of the #chth--at my side4 ,i bound up his wound with my handkerchief1 and fired away again with his rifle4 ,i have had many narrow escapes and much hard work1 but ,i feel truly thankful to the ,almighty for having brought me through all without a scratch4 ,i hope soon to write to you from the imperial barracks inside ,sebastopol4 ,i hope10 says he1 again1 8we shall soon be allowed to storm4 ,i could lead a party in by a short cut that ,i know of1 and ,i think it would soon be over and the place ours40 ,the letters from which these extracts are taken were kindly lent for my perusal by an officer of the corps4 ,footnote #afc3 ,was a well-educated and an active non-commissioned officer4 ,for many years he was the confidential clerk of ,sir ,frederic ,smith at ,chatham1 where1 associating himself with a temperance society1 he became an able advocate of its principles1 and received from its members a silver medallion in testimony of his talented lectures on the subject4 ,after serving a few years at ,malta1 he was sent to the ,crimea2 and in the trenches before ,sebastopol1 earned the good opinion of his officers for fearlessness1 ability1 and success as an overseer4 ,at that time he was considered the ablest and readiest sergeant of sappers in the front4 ,on the #ajth of ,november he was wounded at the siege by a shot striking his shoulder1 and breaking his collar-bone4 ,the wound was an eccentric one4 ,it did not draw blood1 but made an insignificant contusion on the shoulder1 from which it was expected that the injury was slight4 ,it turned out otherwise4 ,removed on board the #8,avon1' he was much shaken in the storm of the #adth1 and died of his wounds on the #bbnd of ,november1 off ,scutari4 ,footnote #afd3 ,see ,debates of #crd ,march and #hth ,april1 #ahee4 ,also leaders in the #8,times' of #bnd and #bcrd ,june1 #ahee4 ,the leading article of the #bcrd1 while it vindicated the formation of the ,army ,works ,corps as the readiest and best expedient under the circumstances of the pressure1 and afforded reasons for assuming its superiority as a working force to the sappers1 nevertheless made admissions which were highly commendatory to the latter4 #ahee4 #ast ,january-#hth ,april4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,sanitary state of companies--,warm clothing--,collecting detachments in ,england to forward to the siege--,services of party with ,omar ,pasha's army--,granted medals by the ,sultan--,mishap on the ,tchernaya--,destruction of the village of ,inkermann--,exertions of sappers in the trenches during snow storms--,anecdote1 ,corrigan's charcoal--,obstructions to the trenches by mud--,arrival of first company--,hut stables for the cavalry horses--,french build ,no4 #i battery2 right attack--,conduct of corporal ,lendrim--,sappers share of the work--,the parallels-,huts--,french sappers entertained at ,southampton--,casualties--,reforming works to counteract enfilade fire--,nos4 #g and #h batteries1 left attack--,moving guns to the front--,international parallel2 zeal of non-commissioned officers--,destroying a rifle screen--,completion of the parallel--,death of captain ,craigie--,sir ,john ,burgoyne's farewell address--,sorties--,bearing in a wounded ,russian--,augmentation to corps--,driver troop--,efforts to obtain recruits2 militia men--,sergeant ,docherty captured on suspicion of being a ,russian spy--,countermine under cave magazine--,casualties--,zigzag from right rifle pit in advance of second parallel2 wound sustained by a singular agent--,death of ,lieutenant ,bainbrigge--,third parallel1 right attack--,progress of the works--,faultless energy of sappers in building a two-gun battery in the third parallel1 left attack--,two corporals singularly escape from a shell which destroyed the magazine they were erecting--,embrasures of ,no4 #g battery opened--,preparations for a bombardment--,the weather4 ,from the laborious nature of the duties in the trenches1 the sappers were absolutely ragged1 and as the frost had set in1 late in ,december1 with unusual rigour1 it is surprising they possessed stamina and spirit enough to bear up against the exposure to which they were subjected4 ,nevertheless the sickness was trifling compared with the appalling details of casualties reported in other corps2 for on the #ast ,january1 out of a strength of #fci non-commissioned officers and men1 only ninety-two were in the field hospitals and at ,scutari4 ,diarrha1 fever1 and frostbite were1 however1 very prevalent during the month1 and the increase in the sick was considerable4 ,in that period no less a number than #bgc had been under treatment1 exclusive of the invalids sent to the hospitals on the ,bosphorus4 ,the number available for the siege1 including the sick present1 was #eai4 ,the remainder were detached to ,balaklava1 the ,monastery of ,st4 ,george1 ,gallipoli1 ,scutari1 ,constantinople1 and ,bucharest4 ,as soon as it was determined to provide the troops with winter clothing1 an ample supply was furnished for the sappers and miners at an expense of #d1bfjl41 which enabled the following articles to be issued to each man3-- #b pairs of worsted stockings4 #b pairs of woollen drawers4 #b pairs of woollen mitts4 #b woollen guernseys4 #a woollen neck-comforter4 #a blanket-cover4 #a railway-wrapper4 #a fur cap4 #a overcoat4 #a pair of long boots4 ,all the articles were excellent in quality1 strong1 warm1 and adapted to the ,crimean climate4 ,previous to the supply arriving1 the sappers1 to a certain extent1 were furnished with buffalo skins for beds1 heavy ,turkish gregos with hoods for trench duty1 rugs1 ,jerseys1 c4 ,driven for men to send to the war1 some of the stations by degrees were either wholly denuded of their forces or considerably reduced4 ,the half company at ,hong ,kong was first removed1 landing at ,woolwich on the #crd ,january4 ,during its service in ,china its character was so uniformly exemplary that ,sir ,john ,burgoyne complimented the men in a general order4 ,on embarking for ,england ,captain ,whittingham1 the commanding royal engineer1 made a flattering report of their conduct4 8,the proofs10 he wrote1 8are patent in the few deaths1 in the few cases of intermittent or other climatal diseases1 and in the absolute cessation of courts-martial1 although the ratio of exposure to a tropical sun--the engendering cause of disease and drunkenness--has been far greater than those of other troops and has almost exhausted the stamina of the men40 8,their extreme good conduct0 was also the subject of a report from ,lieutenant and ,adjutant ,lloyd1 #eith regiment1 who commanded the troops on board4 ,a few years ago three privates superintended under the colonial clerk of works the erection of the ,government offices4 ,from ,december1 #aheb1 three other men were employed under ,mr4 ,cleverley1 the surveyor-general1 as overseers in building the ,government-house2 and on quitting the island1 he testified to the very great benefit that had been derived from their supervision of the works4 ,for more than eleven years a small force of the corps had served in ,china1 the first party having landed in ,october1 #ahdc4 ,the total number which had been sent there amounted to #aac1 of whom #cc died1 #bg were invalided1 #a was discharged in the colony and died1 #g deserted1 #bc returned to ,england by reliefs1 and #bb reached home on the final removal of the detachment from ,hong ,kong4 ,the small party at ,spike ,island was withdrawn the same month4 ,four months later the ,melbourne detachment returned to ,england2 then followed the seventeenth company from the ,cape in ,july2 and gradually ,gibraltar1 ,corfu1 and ,bermuda were left with only invalid nuclei unfitted for the stern vicissitudes of campaigning but able for the works of the stations4 ,a detachment of unmarried men was also ordered from the remote settlement of the ,swan ,river1 but arrived too late to share in the glories of the siege4 ,this shearing1 however1 furnished but a unit of accessible sappers--for it brought to this country a number of men who required to be physically renewed before sending them on a hard service1 where the trials of weather alone were likely to break them up without subjecting them to the severities of the trenches4 ,two sapper divers landed at ,balaklava from the #8,robert ,lowe1' on the #dth ,january1 under the command of ,captain ,de ,moleyns1 having in charge ,mr4 ,rendel's loaded cylinders to be applied for blasting the sunken ships at the mouth of the harbour4#afe ,the small detachment under ,major ,bent1 of the engineers1 joined at the camp about this time from ,bucharest1 marching with the ,turkish army2 and the following dispatch from his ,highness ,omar ,pasha1 so complimentary to its efficiency1 was communicated by ,lord ,raglan to the ,minister of ,war3-- 8,varna1 ,january #h1 #ahee4 8,,my ,,lord 8,his ,highness ,omar ,pasha has requested me to write to your ,lordship1 to return his best thanks for the services rendered to his army by ,major ,bent1 of the royal engineers1 and the detachment of sappers under his command4 8,his ,highness desires me to express his regret at the losses which have been sustained by this small detachment1 who1 under the direction of ,major ,bent1 have well sustained the character of the ,british army4 8,his ,highness has already expressed to your ,lordship his regret at the loss of ,lieutenant ,burke1 of the royal engineers1 whom ,his ,highness considers to have been an officer of much merit4 8,his ,highness desires me to inform your ,lordship1 that he has done himself the honour to write to the ,turkish ,ambassador at the ,court of ,st4 ,james's expressing the desire of ,his ,majesty the ,sultan that private ,andrew ,anderson1 of the royal sappers and miners1 may receive and wear the decoration of the fourth class of the order of ,medjidie1 in commemoration of his gallantry in recovering the body of ,lieutenant ,burke1 after he was killed at the passing of the ,danube on the #gth of ,july last4 ,in the meantime he has presented private ,anderson with the decoration1 and trusts your ,lordship will allow him to wear it until the commands of ,her ,majesty may be received4#aff 8,his ,highness further desires me to express to your ,lordship his entire approbation of the manner in which ,major ,bent has conducted his duties4 8,he desires me to inform your ,lordship that this officer showed great energy in his endeavours to enter ,silistria before the siege was raised2 that he subsequently showed great gallantry at the passage of the ,danube1 when he was the first to land on the left bank1 and covered the landing of the ,turkish troops with a detachment of riflemen1 who maintained their ground under a heavy fire until the disembarkation of the supports was effected4 8,major ,bent and his sappers were subsequently of great service in throwing up the tte de pont at ,giurgevo1 and in the construction of the bridge across the ,danube4 8,his ,highness desires to take this opportunity of expressing to your ,lordship his high sense of the services rendered by ,lieutenant ,glyn1 ,r4,n41 and ,h4 ,s4 ,h4 ,prince ,ernest of ,saxe ,leiningen1 with the detachment of sailors of ,her ,majesty's fleet under their command1 in the construction of the bridge across the ,danube4 8,his ,highness considers that the success of the construction of this bridge is in great measure attributable to their well-planned dispositions1 which1 although executed with limited means1 proved fully effective to resist the storms and strong currents of the ,danube4#afg 8,he desires me to say that he is fully satisfied with the zeal and energy of this detachment of ,her ,majesty's fleet under the able direction of ,lieutenant ,glyn1 whom he considers a very promising officer1 and entirely worthy of the confidence of your ,lordship4 8,his ,highness desires me to add1 that it would be very gratifying to him if ,her ,majesty could in any way reward these officers for the able services they have rendered to the ,ottoman army and the common cause4 8,i am1 c4 7,signed7 8,j4 ,l4 ,a4 ,,simmons1 8,field-,marshal ,lord ,raglan1 ,g4,c4,b41 c4 ,lieut4-,colonel40 ,this encomiastic testimonial was apparently insufficient to mark the appreciation of their military services1 and decorations were added to commemorate the campaign4 ,in the brigade orders of the #bcrd ,july1 #ahee1 the ,sultan's gift was thus alluded to3--8,the ,turkish government having awarded a certain number of medals to the officers of royal engineers and the royal sappers and miners who were engaged in the campaign of #ahed on the ,danube1 the ,major-,general commanding has much pleasure in publishing the following extract from a letter addressed by his ,highness ,omar ,pasha to ,lieut4-,colonel ,simmons1 ,her ,majesty's ,commissioner with the ,turkish forces40 8,i beg you will distribute these medals amongst the officers and men according to the accompanying list1 as a mark of the great satisfaction my ,sovereign has always experienced from the manner in which they conducted themselves whilst sharing the dangers and fatigues of the campaign of #ahed against our common enemy40 ,the non-commissioned officers and men who received the medals were-- ,colour-sergeant ,john ,f4 ,read4 ,corporal ,james ,curgenven4 0 ,james ,cray4 0 ,joseph ,j4 ,stanton4 #bnd corporal ,robert ,m4 ,rylatt4 ,lance-corporal ,michael ,westacott4 ,private ,john ,boyles4 0 ,john ,bramley4 0 ,john ,doran4 0 ,william ,henderson4 0 ,alexander ,mc,caughey4 0 ,william ,morrison4 0 ,george ,scown4 0 ,william ,allen4 0 ,james ,bland4 0 ,john ,piper4 ,these sixteen sappers were the only ,british soldiers honoured with the distinction4 ,there existed an intention for a time of attacking the enemy across the ,tchernaya2 but as the bridge which spanned it1 stript of its planking1 was impassable1 it was necessary1 before providing an expedient for the passage of the troops1 to ascertain the characteristics of the river and take its soundings4 ,a portion of the seventh company had constructed a raft of four common sized beer barrels1 lashed together in pairs and overlaid with an ordinary superstructure of balks and chesses4 ,early in ,january1 in the dusk of the evening1 twelve sappers under ,lieutenant ,drake1 ,r4,e41 left the ,inkermann camp with the small float1 carried shoulder high by four men at a spell4 ,though the moon had risen1 it was heavily beclouded1 and the party was covered from ,russian observation by the hills which1 on either side of the winding road1 rose sometimes sloping1 sometimes abruptly1 to their summits4 ,the stream was nearly two miles away1 and the carriage of the raft1 over a broken country1 where every step was fraught with danger and the supports distant1 was no light enterprise4 ,at length the bank was reached4 ,it was then dark2 but an occasional gleam of the moon1 lit up the men and threw a pale streak across the water1 which though it assisted to add a pleasing feature to the picture1 was altogether unsuited to the secrecy of the service4 ,another long black cloud now spread itself over the meek orb1 and no sooner was the little raft launched1 than ,lieutenant ,drake1 followed by corporal ,ramsay1 leaped upon it1 and booming out took the required soundings and measured the breadth of the river4 ,this done ,lieutenant ,drake landed on the opposite side and went forward to reconnoitre4 ,not long had he been away when one of the leaky barrels1 becoming filled with water1 drew the head of the float under the stream4 ,feeling that in all probability the whole raft would sink1 ,ramsay called lustily for ,lieutenant ,drake to return4 ,if he came instantly there was a chance of recrossing in safety4 ,ramsay's voice was powerful2 and ringing among the hills and over the quiet stream1 it was loud enough to collect a swarm of ,russians at the spot1 but none fortunately were seen4 ,lieutenant ,drake1 hearing the summons1 quickly reappeared1 and bounding from the bank to the sinking raft it capsized1 pitching both into the river among the piles of the old bridge4 ,it was excessively cold1 snow was on the ground1 and the water--though not iced over--was freezing4 ,the officer swam ashore1 but ,ramsay1 entangled among the guys of the raft could not strike out4 ,on gaining the bank ,lieutenant ,drake asked whether his partner in adversity wanted help1 and was about to re-enter the river to afford it1 when the party hauled on the ropes1 and ,ramsay holding on with a benumbed grip to the raft1 was pulled to land4 ,theirs was a miserable march to camp1 but cold and frozen as they were1 their unfailing spirits sustained them1 and the corporal was more than compensated for his mishap by the reception he met with from a subaltern of the corps1 who throwing aside the conventionalities which separate the soldier from the officer1 gave him a place in his tent and entertained him hospitably4 ,three months after1 this non-commissioned officer was killed at the ,inkermann light-house battery4 ,a few nights later1 the seventh company quitted the heights under an assistant engineer--,mr4 ,newsome1 who afterwards got a commission in the corps--to collect timber to be used for magazines and platforms in the mortar battery at ,inkermann4 ,reaching the village unperceived1 several of the men ascended the housetops1 and throwing down the tiles1 dislodged the beams and sheeting1 whilst others ript up the floors and removed everything capable of serving the wants of an insatiable siege4 ,bearing loads far greater than under ordinary circumstances would have been allotted for carriage1 the sappers turned their backs upon that desolate homestead2 and1 as if driven into the earth1 bent under the pressure of their burdens4 ,it was a severe night1 and the nipping air so braced up the men that their power to bear was redoubled1 but their progress with such weights was necessarily slow4 ,soon they reached a steep hill up which they clambered with a lagging tread and hard breath1 retaining with difficulty their footing1 for the slope was slippery4 ,nevertheless they gradually pushed up1 till a heavy shot made them drop their loads1 to seek1 by prostration1 a possible escape4 ,every one was down in an instant1 and the hissing projectile plunged into the hill side two or three feet above the head of private ,a4 ,grant4 ,another such a shot was aimed at them before they reached the summit of the hill1 but it soared far too high to do any injury4 ,quickened by the danger of their situation1 and thus feeling less the heaviness of their burdens1 the party jogged on at a greatly accelerated pace1 and reached the camp unharmed4 ,this was the only instance1 it is said1 of the ,russians firing at night while the ,inkermann works were in progress1 and was no doubt due to the noise occasioned by the rattling of tiles and timbers in devastating the village4 ,for some period in the new year1 the weather continued so inclement that very little progress was made in the works4 ,on several occasions the line parties could not be employed1 for necessity more than commiseration returned them freezing to their tents4 ,directed by their officers1 the sappers1 only1 held their posts and laboured as best they could against the stinging storms and winds which swept over the frosted hills4 ,many were frostbitten1 several acutely2 a few lost their limbs1 and one man fell never to rise more4 ,yet amid all this severity they blasted the rock in many places to obtain cover1 made loop-holes1 erected gabion revetment1 and where the drift had piled the snow in the more important excavations1 removed it with almost impossible energy4#afh ,on the #afth ,january1 there were furnished for the right attack a minimum party of twenty-eight linesmen and two brigades of sappers under ,captain ,craigie and ,lieutenant ,de ,vere of the engineers4 ,bitter weeks of hard weather had already been experienced1 but it required no uncommon spirit and fortitude to bear up against the trials of this day4 ,by employing only a few men and constantly relieving them1 it was hoped that the batteries might be kept clear4 ,the men could scarcely feel their tools2 their clothes in a few minutes became frozen2 and a mass of ice covering those hirsute arrangements to which the dire necessities of war had given rise1 all that could be seen of the countenance was a couple of patches of cadaverous skin drawn tightly over protruding bones4 ,with the line the attempt to make way against the elements was given up2 but the sappers stood boldly to their work though the drift fell in quite as fast as they shovelled it out1 and the snow in heavy flakes beat against them4 ,at length1 however1 they abandoned1 not before they were ordered1 a task in which no amount of human exertion could succeed4 ,hobbling home benumbed in every limb with curdled blood and almost lifeless hearts1 they appeared at the tents covered from head to heel in a panoply of ice4 ,what misery followed their return few can imagine4 ,from their great coats they shook the snow in cakes1 and tore it from their beards and moustaches2 then throwing themselves on their wretched pallets undressed and unbooted1 sought repose in a rest that was as cold as comfortless4 ,equal suffering was felt on the same day by #ef sappers and #ajd men of the infantry dispersed in the trenches on the ,inkermann ridge4 ,the latter attended in chief to the removal of the snow1 which heaped up in pyramids to the crests of the works1 choked every angle of the batteries4 ,the former tore down the walls of a damaged magazine1 revetted embrasures1 and heightened the parapets4 ,in these services their exertions were much impeded by the storm1 and when withdrawn1 after six hours' exposure and labour1 they waded to the camp like so many icebergs4 ,the night of the #beth opened very mildly4 ,lieutenant ,de ,vere was the officer of engineers on duty on the right attack4 ,he had under him a sergeant and four sappers who superintended forty-eight ,turks1 as also forty men of the line during the first relief1 and thirty the second4 ,the former relief worked five hours2 the latter four2 the sappers and ,turks were on duty the whole period4 ,sturdy attempts were made to improve some of the slopes in the second parallel1 but with a return altogether incommensurate with the labour bestowed1 for the frost had so firm a hold of the ground that the pickaxes flew from it as from a rock4 ,beyond bringing up some hurters for platforms and clearing the drains in the #ba-;gun battery and boyau leading to the work in advance1 very little was effected4 ,by degrees the night fell peculiarly dark1 increasing in blackness1 till1 at one time1 it was suffocatingly dense4 ,a man could scarcely discern his uplifted hand4 ,while this phenomenon brooded over the trenches1 the cold was intense2 it nipt deeply1 and the feeling was quite as painful as if the skin were peeling from the face4 ,work was out of the question4 ,it was as much as the men could do to save themselves from frostbite and numbness1 by chafing the face and hands and briskly exercising the lower limbs4 ,in this way the party continued until relieved at four o'clock in the morning1 at which hour all were fatigued and worn by their exertions to keep the vital stream within them from curdling4 ,up to the #crd ,february1 the staple work in the trenches was the removal of snow1 and then followed an interval during which the men were mid-leg in mud4 ,to remove this obstruction the draining was improved and otherwise facilitated by making additional openings in the parapets to carry off the water and convey it by natural channels down the slopes of the hills into the ravines4 ,these impediments1 though they greatly interfered with the general progress1 did not slacken the exertions of the sappers1 who were everywhere seen building magazines1 making traverses1 blasting rock1 and fulfilling the multifarious details essential to constitute the batteries and their field appurtenances1 efficient and complete4 ,so far it was found impracticable to do more than keep the current constructions in tolerable repair4 ,to advance was out of the question4 ,some ,french officers of engineers who had observed1 from the beginning1 the firm and laborious activity of the sappers1 spoke of them with admiration4 8,des braves soldats1 et des bon sapeurs et travailleurs10 was their constant commendation4#afi ,the first company1 #aja strong1 under the command of ,captain ,j4 ,m4 ,f4 ,browne of the engineers1 landed at ,balaklava on the #gth1 where it was retained for engineer services1 chiefly in the removal and erection of the huts which had already arrived in great numbers4 ,its employment at that port was considered sufficient for its wants1 and the detachments hitherto cantoned there were recalled to their companies at the siege4 ,such however was the demand for sappers in front1 that the company itself was soon moved to the camp for trench duty4 ,corporal ,james ,hawes and private ,william ,pettit had been sent to ,lord ,lucan's division to build stabling for the horses4 ,it was intended that ,lieut4 ,lennox should superintend the service1 but such was the pressure in front for engineer officers he was removed the next day1 and ,major ,hall of the ,bengal engineers1 was made responsible for its execution4 ,the sappers commenced work on the #ith ,december1 #ahed1 and finished on the #aath ,february following4#agj ,daily the corporal had under him eighteen troopers--carpenters1 masons1 and bricklayers1 and a force of ,turks1 for a fortnight1 sometimes as many as #bjj1 digging foundations and bringing up stones from an old wall which enclosed a large building--a well--to-do farm-house and grounds--known as ,lord ,lucan's dept4 ,anxious for its speedy erection ,lord ,lucan was constantly moving among the workmen1 and encouraging the corporal in his exertions and supervision4 ,wood for a time was with difficulty procured1 but when ready1 it was brought from ,balaklava by the ablest of the cavalry horses1 the timbers and planks being slung on both sides of their saddles with the ends trailing through the mud and snow4 ,the first stable constructed was that for the dept near ,kadikoi4 ,it was completed about the #bjth ,december2 the stabling then swept in a curve round the slope of the hill1 the foot of which run into the basin where the famous battle of ,balaklava was fought1 and terminated at the road leading towards the ,sebastopol camp4 ,the length of stabling and the number of horses hutted when the work was finished were as follows3-- ,length of ,stabling ,number of occupied by ,horses each ,regiment4 accommodated4 ,feet4 ,lord ,lucan's dept #dcj #ajf #fth ,inniskillings #ccj #ib #bnd ,greys #dee #acj #eth ,dragoon ,guards #bgj #gh #ast ,royal ,dragoons #cij #ajh #aath ,hussars #ij #bf #dth ,light ,dragoons #abj #bh #acth ,light ,dragoons #aec #cd #hth ,hussars #abi #bf #dth ,dragoon ,guards #dhh #abb ------ ------ #bhee #gej ------ ------ ,this quantity of stabling was about #aej yards less than half-a-mile long4 ,the regiments were brigaded in the above order2 the dept being on the right2 the #dth ,dragoon ,guards on the left4 ,the stabling was not turned out of hand in this consecutive manner2 but after the dept for the sick horses was finished1 the hutting for the cavalry was commenced simultaneously for each regiment in proportion to the number of artificers each could furnish4 ,as the work progressed--not waiting for the actual completion of each hut--horses were daily added to the general number accommodated1 protected at night by loosely boarding up the open ends to screen the animals from the frost and snow drift4 ,in this way sometimes eleven1 sometimes twelve horses were every day picketed under cover4 ,considering the small force of mechanics employed1 the extreme cold of the season1 and the dread frost which pinched the men as they laboured1 the construction of the stabling was really a masterpiece of rapidity2 and ,lord ,lucan who had just then been recalled1 was so well satisfied of the thorough zeal and exertions of corporal ,hawes1 that one of his ,lordship's last acts before leaving the ,crimea1 was to send for him on shipboard1 and present him1 in writing1 a testimonial which spoke of the corporal's qualities and his ,lordship's admiration of them4 ,on the #acth ,february1 an #h-;gun battery1 ,no4 #i1 was commenced in rear of the right advanced parallel4 ,this was occasioned by the intended occupation of the ,mamelon as an emplacement for a battery to be used by the ,french against the ,malakoff4 ,scarce in linesmen1 and ,turkish co-operation having dwindled to a few files1 the allies undertook to rear the work4 ,guided by the sappers to the site1 #bjj ,zouaves broke ground1 and the cover obtained by them in the night was excellent4 ,their recklessness of toil displayed a strong contrast to the conduct of the ,english working party who1 disregarding the orders of the officer in charge1 did little1 on relieving the ,french1 to add to the extension of the works4 ,the duty of the latter simply included the carrying of gabions1 which1 8chiefly by the exertions of the sappers10 were lodged in front of the battery as a temporary screen to the men shovelling in front of the parapet4 ,without this screen the workmen could not have stood their ground in the day-time4 ,next morning1 lance-corporal ,william ,j4 ,lendrim was selected as the sapper superintendent of the battery by ,lieutenant ,anderson1 ,r4,e41 who directed the service4 ,one hundred and fifty chasseurs were told off to it4 ,a vigorous firing on the work for more than an hour knocked over several of the gabions1 and to fill up the breaches was a species of forlorn hope1 as two of the ,frenchmen were killed and four others wounded in the trench4 ,corporal ,lendrim1 an intrepid and skilful man1 accustomed to lead1 zealously pushed on from gap to gap1 and by his exertions every gabion was firmly replaced4 ,the ,french officer in charge of the chasseurs witnessed with admiration the corporal's 8coolness and good example10 and applauded them to the ,british engineer4 ,there were other obstacles to contend with in the construction of this battery from the presence of rock1 the stubborness of which required the aid of sappers to blast it2 and on the #aeth it is recorded1 8that considering the darkness of the night1 they worked very satisfactorily in mining40 ,on the #aith the initial part of the battery being completed1 the ,french were withdrawn1 taking with them an enviable character for their well-directed efforts and good behaviour4 ,for the sappers were reserved the dress and finish of the battery1 the formation of the embrasures1 the construction of the magazines1 and the general drainage2 and as time wore on1 when fitted up with its armament1 it played an active part in the subsequent siege4 ,already the right attack had finished its second line of trenches4 ,the approaches and cuttings between the parallels1 bore1 in their ensemble1 the appearance of a leaning tower with a battlemented crown4 ,the left attack broke ground1 on the #adth of ,february1 for its third parallel4 ,approached by regular zigzags1 the works exhibited none of that intricacy which1 on the right was unavoidable1 from the ever changing enfilade of the enemy's constructions4 ,when it was decided the army was to winter in the ,crimea1 no delay occurred in obtaining wood for housing the troops4 ,bell tents were considered unsuited to a region subject to heavy storms of rain and snow and high freezing winds4 ,accordingly on the #ith ,november1 #ahed1 ,lieutenant ,de ,vere and four sappers were sent to ,sinope to procure boards and scantling for huts4 ,timber grew in abundance along the shores of the ,black ,sea1 and quantities of it were shipped for ,balaklava4 ,as the troops were absorbed in trench and other duties1 and hired labour could not be had1 there existed insuperable difficulties to constructing the huts4 ,when this was known at home the ,government entered into contracts to provide a large number of wooden buildings cut into planks and complete in fitments1 which1 with printed instructions and a few sappers conversant with the mode of putting them together1 might readily be erected by unskilled workmen4 ,thirteen sapper carpenters were selected for the service1 who1 for a time1 were stationed at ,portsmouth and ,southampton2 and after making themselves acquainted with all the details of the structures1 embarked singly or in twos1 in some of the vessels which conveyed the prepared timbers to the ,crimea4 ,the first parties left about the #eth ,december1 #ahed2 the last arrived at ,balaklava on the #bbnd ,february following2 and those men were distributed through the camp to aid the building of the huts1 which1 from the utter failure of the means of transport and the want of strength in the men to bear them to the front1 progressed at so tardy a rate1 that the spring was far advanced before the whole of the troops were hutted4#aga ,on the #bgth ,february1 the sappers had laid some platforms1 opened embrasures1 and drained a portion of the magazine in the #h-;gun battery on the right attack1 when some accurate firing into it1 killed one man and wounded six others1 two of whom were sappers4 ,these were privates ,david ,cuthbert severely in the right arm by the explosion of a shell1 and ,thomas ,gilchrist slightly in the left hand by a rifle bullet4 ,the majority of the line quitted and several hours' progress in the work were lost in consequence4 ,the sapper brigades in no degree deterred by the casualties1 continued1 with their usual good luck1 to exert themselves at the revetments without further accident4 ,many portions of the right being enfiladed by the enemy's riflemen posted on the spur leading to the ,mamelon1 a new trace was adopted to counterbalance its effects4 ,it was begun on the night of the #bgth1 and before the morning seventy yards of ground were opened1 and a dead mound of earth more than four feet high faced the enemy4 ,with the same object parapets were heightened and those in advance thickened1 whilst a zigzag leading to the advanced parallel was changed in its direction4 ,in this zigzag1 to suit the changed character of the trench1 the parapet close to the well--for there were wells in the excavations--was pulled down and a drain built through it4 ,stones also were placed at easy distances1 as in an ,irish bog or shallow stream1 to enable the men going for water to keep their feet dry and prevent the destruction of the sewer4 ,in the night of the #bnd ,march the sapper brigades made a road for the passage of ordnance into the eight-gun battery1 and two were brought in and mounted by the artillery4 ,at daybreak the opening was blinded with gabions and fascines1 and continued so masked till the time for passing the remaining armament into the battery4 ,next night1 with a line party1 they commenced in front of the third parallel on the left attack an elevated sand-bag battery1 technically termed ,no4 #g1 for six guns4 ,captain ,hassard directed the work4 ,the approach to it was by flying sap4 ,about #aj1jjj sand-bags were laid during the darkness on open ground without shelter4 ,the cover exceeded five feet1 and its thickness at bottom six feet4 ,earth was thrown among the layers of bags by a strong force of shovellers from the outside4 ,the soil was of a clayey nature1 and made the work compact4 ,three traverses were built and two magazines well advanced4 ,the embrasures1 formed as the work proceeded1 were blinded just before the relief1 so that at daylight the battery seemed like a common mound only4 ,it1 however1 told its tale to the enemy4 ,the first relief gave #afe men of the line1 but only #ij for the second4 ,the number of sappers in the battery were about #abj4 ,the #agth1 #egth1 and ,rifles worked very well1 but the contingents from other regiments left with discredit4 8,the sappers worked admirably throughout the night without being relieved40 ,one regiment in the following night1 though remonstrated with by ,general ,barnard1 laboured very indifferently4 ,by the #gth the parapet of the battery had attained an average width of #af feet1 and the right epaulment had risen to an altitude which afforded excellent cover to the sappers constructing the magazines during the day4 ,four days after was commenced ,no4 #h battery of the same attack for eight guns4 ,the strength of the sappers employed at it varied each relief1 but at one time there were #dj of the corps engaged in its construction4 ,it was traced by ,major ,bent and ,lieutenant ,graham on a shoulder of the right of the third parallel4 ,lance-corporal ,george ,h4 ,collins1 a very apt sapper1 was very ready in measuring the distances1 and afterwards in distributing and superintending the working party4 ,when finished1 the battery was an excellent field structure1 and seemed furbished up like a model for the inspection of the curious4 ,its slopes1 levels1 and angles were true1 its magazines well built and strong1 and the genouillres were revetted in a way to admit the guns being run well up the embrasures1 the cheeks of which were protected by hide bags4 ,this1 as well as ,no4 #g battery1 were completed by the mutual co-operation of the line and sappers1 the latter taking those portions which demanded art and dexterity4 ,the rolling of heavy ordnance into these batteries on ponderous carriages1 down narrow trenches deep in mud and mended with fascines and stones1 was a very difficult operation4 ,now and then the ropes broke1 and the strong iron hooks which connected them to the wheels of the carriage1 yielding their tension to the strain1 became straightened like bars1 and jerked from the eyes in which they were locked4 ,to make sure of the cut through which to pass the gun and its carriage in the dark was a masterpiece of dexterity2 and in one instance a #fh-pounder was pulled so wide of the mark that the sappers were obliged to enlarge the gap in the parapet4 ,this was a far easier expedient than backing the gun to make another run for the opening4 ,it took about eighty artillerymen1 and no end of assistants1 to man the drag-ropes and pass the great siege gun in question to its platform in ,no4 #g battery4 ,meanwhile the brigades on the right attack were no less zealously occupied in furthering the general works4 ,among a wearying number of incidental services1 they made magazines1 platforms1 and sand-bag traverses4 ,they also formed rifle-pits on a knoll #acj yards in advance of the right mortar-battery1 where1 the ground being rocky1 protection for the light troops was procured by stones and sand-bags built on the crest of the pit4 ,on the night of the tenth the sappers toiled for ten hours unrelieved1 and quitted the works with the commendation of their officers for having worked 8remarkably well40 ,next day the trenches were visited by ,major-,general ,jones in company with ,generals ,niel and ,bizot of the ,french engineers4 ,it was then determined to open a new approach on the right of the advanced mortar-battery in the third parallel to run into the middle ravine1 and there connect with the ,french parallel from the ,inkermann attack4 ,in the following night the work was commenced with a force of #bh superintending sappers1 some of whom were early dismissed from day duty to keep their energies intact for the new work4 ,the line furnished two reliefs of #bhe and #baa men1 for each of which the duration of work was about five and a half hours1 but for the sappers eleven4 ,as if by the touch of a magician's wand1 though the night was excessively dark1 #ddd gabions were lodged along the outstretched arm of the parallel4 ,the sappers led the way1 leaving the line to seek the cover2 and in this also the former afforded active assistance when they had completed the deposition of the gabions4 ,in some parts the cover was very inadequate1 owing to the rocky nature of the ground1 and the work was somewhat interrupted by an alarm which drove the working parties to their arms4 ,with all this obstruction the progress was surprising1 and corporal ,alexander ,ramsay of the corps--a man of cultivated ideas and daring demeanour--was particularly useful during the night in leading and instructing the men4 ,two other corporals--,william ,wilson and ,kester ,knight--displayed so much 8zeal and capacity0 in the operations that1 noticed by ,lieutenant-,colonel ,tylden1 they were promoted to be sergeants1 and a like advancement would have been conferred on corporal ,ramsay1 but he early fell an example of bravery and devotion4 ,before commencing the work1 ,majors ,gordon and ,tylden went out to trace it1 taking with them lance-corporal ,evans#agb and private ,william ,harvey1 as also a man of the #cdth as a sentry4 ,having gone as far as they intended1 the ,majors went away alone to reconnoitre1 leaving the men lying on the alert at the end of the tape4 ,in a few minutes the officers returned1 and all went forward some distance to a semi-circular rifle-screen built of loose stones about six feet high4 ,this was to be destroyed with all possible haste and the utmost quietness4 ,pushing into the screen1 the sappers disintegrated the stones and handed them to the officers outside1 who laid them gently on the ground4 ,not one was permitted to drop4 ,so went on the demolition till about three feet of the wall had been taken down1 when1 some ,russians having crept up to occupy the screen1 and finding from the grating of the stones1 which they could distinctly hear1 that strangers were present1 fired a volley and killed the sentry1 who was shot in three places4 ,at the instant1 the unarmed sappers vaulted over the masonry1 but ,harvey having leaped against ,major ,tylden1 both rolled into a stony hollow which had been broken by quarrying4 ,beyond a bruise or two they felt no inconvenience from the fall4 ,quickly regaining their feet1 they bounded swiftly onwards with ,major ,gordon and the corporal1 and returned to the trenches followed by a stream of fire which miraculously missed them4 ,of ,harvey the official record runs thus3--8,he has done good service on different occasions1 particularly in assisting to trace works near the enemy's sentries40 ,in the succeeding night the ground was further opened for #bjj yards1 but a sortie obstructed the operation2 and on the return of the ,russians they coolly bore away with them1 as trophies of their boldness1 between forty and fifty unwieldy gabions to embody in their own defences4 ,on the #acth the enemy's fire on the extended parallel was so annoying the linesmen were withdrawn1 leaving two brigades of sappers to continue the work1 but they1 too1 were eventually recalled to save them from unnecessary danger4 ,night after night the work on this long lean arm of the parallel was pushed forward1 and as much accomplished in daylight as the ,russian fire permitted4 ,much blasting was required to deepen and widen the trench1 and on several occasions none but sappers could be allotted for the work4 ,once1 when so disposed--the sappers being concealed behind a bend of the revetment--some ,russian riflemen stole up in daylight to the head of the trench and rolled from the trace several baskets1 which they bore away as far as they were able4 ,nothing could have been more tantalizing than this audacious proceeding1 but there was no help for it1 as the sappers were unarmed4 ,gabions being scarce1 cover was obtained by building strong stone rubble walls4 ,with entire success and without material loss1 though close to the enemy's riflemen and exposed to shot1 shells1 and grape1 the ,anglo-,french parallels were connected on the #agth ,march4 ,a few days prior to the union of the international trenches1 ,captain ,craigie of the ,engineers was killed4 ,he was returning with his sappers from the #ba-;gun battery1 and had reached the middle ravine1 when a shell from the ,malakoff burst in the air1 and a splinter striking him in the back he fell dead4 ,he was preceded by his bugler--,armstrong--and followed by corporals ,kester ,knight and ,john ,rowley4 ,when the shell burst1 the two non-commissioned officers1 seeing the splinter coming1 moved on either side1 and it passed between their heads1 fatally alighting on the ,captain4 ,his party carried his body to the camp1 and he was mourned by the men as an officer whose kindness had been shown to them in a thousand inobtrusive ways4 ,just before he dropped he had been conversing with his non-commissioned officers on the best mode of avoiding an exploded shell1 but a bursting missile defies all theory and experience1 and makes the escape of life depend not on the adroitness of poor humanity1 but the will of ,providence4 ,the fourth company1 which the captain had commanded for several years1 and over whose interests he had watched as a friend and father1 erected a small monumental cross to his memory at the spot where his remains were interred4#agc ,private ,henry ,masters was wounded on the #adth4 ,sir ,john ,burgoyne1 who held a consultative appointment1 and shared in degree with ,lord ,raglan the responsibility of the siege1 was1 though an aged ,general1 ever present to direct the various works1 and on resigning his connection with the army1 he issued the following parting address to the corps3-- 8,head-quarters before ,sebastopol1 8#bast ,march1 #ahee4 8,the ,inspector-,general of ,fortifications cannot quit this army without expressing his strong testimony to the exemplary manner in which the officers of royal engineers1 and non-commissioned officers and privates of royal sappers and miners have performed1 under his own eye1 their arduous duties before ,sebastopol4 8,the ,i4 ,g4 ,f4 is not aware of any siege which has been carried on under more trying and difficult circumstances1 and he has had great pleasure in repeatedly pointing out to the ,commander-in-,chief how gallantly and creditably every operation by the engineer department has been conducted4 8,in now taking leave of his comrades of all ranks he thinks he cannot wish them better fortune than that finally in this enterprise they may meet with success1 that as far as depends upon them is so well earned40 ,to this was added the following remark3-- 8,i entirely concur in the sentiments above expressed4 7,signed7 8,,raglan40 ,a sortie was made on the night of the #bbnd ,march against ,nos4 #g and #h batteries of the left third parallel1 in which ,captain ,montagu of the ,engineers was taken prisoner4 ,for half an hour the batteries were held by the ,russians1 whose impetuosity had given them a footing there4 ,driven out at length at the point of the bayonet1 led by ,captain ,chapman1 #bjth regiment1 assistant engineer1 they took with them in their flight #gj pickaxes and #ej shovels4 ,there were only eleven sappers in the trenches at the time1 who1 being unarmed and dispersed over the different works1 were unprepared for the fight4 ,a few of them1 however1 joined in the repulse with arms taken from the grasp of some slain linesmen1 whilst others did their best in bludgeoning the ,russians with pick-helves and sticks4 ,a like sortie rushed into the advance parallel and mortar-battery on the right attack1 but was repulsed with loss4 ,three ,british officers were killed and two wounded4 ,of the latter one was ,major ,gordon of the ,engineers1 severely in the right arm4 ,of colossal height1 he was observed on the top of the parapet with no better defence than a swish whipping the ,russians from the works4 ,under his orders there were five brigades of sappers scattered to various points of the chequered operations1 who escaped that night without casualty4 ,after the sortie had failed1 corporal ,lendrim1 led by the groans of a wounded man about thirty yards in front of the battery1 clambered over the parapet1 and followed by two linesmen1 moved to the spot where the sufferer was lying4 ,he was a ,russian4 ,no lack of bullets were flying at the time to warn the corporal and his comrades of the risk they incurred1 but holding to the task they had humanely undertaken1 they carried him to the parapet4 ,gently laying him down1 they were about to renew their lift1 when the last struggle seized the poor ,russian1 and in a few seconds he was no more4 ,too weak to afford an adequate force for the emergencies of the siege1 irrespective of the demands which had been fruitlessly made for its services in the rear1 it was considered of moment to augment the corps4 ,accordingly1 on the #bbnd ,march1 an authority was given for forming four new companies of #abj sergeants and rank and file each1 by which the royal sappers and miners were swollen from a strength of #b1feh officers and men to one of #c1adj of all ranks4 ,the new companies were designated the #bcrd1 #bdth1 #beth1 and #bfth4 ,the first two were raised on the #ast ,april2 the others were not embodied before ,september and ,october4 ,the #bcrd company was constituted a driver troop for the conveyance of the royal engineer field equipment4 ,hitherto the engineers had to depend in great measure for the movement of its stores on the resources of other departments1 which too frequently accorded insufficient assistance4 ,to be at the mercy of any caprice or department was undesirable in a service whose success1 in degree1 depended upon the prompt transport of its materials2 and the suggestions on this question1 derived from the experience of the ,peninsular engineers1 meeting with the approbation of ,lord ,panmure1 the troop was called into existence4 ,very readily was it formed1 for the standard to recruit ostlers and others of that genus1 was reduced so low that a lad of ordinary growth could easily command the admitted altitude4 ,in a few days the necessary number had been enlisted2 but this troop of dwarfs1 accustomed though they had been to horses and driving1 required some time to throw them into shape and order1 and this could only be done by discipline and imparting to them as much of the art of military equitation and manuvring as was consistent with their organization and intended services4 ,one hundred and twenty round-bodied cobs1 purchased at an expense of #cfl4 each1 formed the complement of horses for this novel troop4 ,captain ,siborne was its commanding officer4 ,a few months after its formation1 ,sir ,john ,burgoyne inspected the corps at ,woolwich1 and he was more than surprised at the smartness of the company and the expertness with which the young troopers managed their horses4 ,a sergeant from the royal artillery--,william ,handyside--was promoted into the company with the rank of ,lieutenant and ,adjutant1 but before the appointment reached him1 having obtained a commission in the ,land ,transport ,corps1 he declined the ,adjutancy4 ,it proved a wise resignation for him1 as soon after1 he was promoted in his own corps to the rank of ,captain4 ,another sergeant--,henry ,saville--from the artillery in the ,crimea1 was commissioned into the troop on the #bbnd ,october1 #ahee1 with the pay of #is4 #aj;d4 a-day4 ,to supply the general increase1 several new recruiting stations were opened1 and the militias were canvassed for candidates4 ,the old stations sent in batches with their usual steadiness1 scarcely accelerated by the popularity of the war2 but the new ones1 opening with a sort of burst1 detailing the advantages of enlistment on gorgeous bills1 offering high bounties1 and lecturing the applicants with that hyperbolical eloquence which1 though unfair1 is tolerated as a necessary evil in military life1 were very successful4 ,strong instalments of militia-men constantly arrived1 but recruited as many of them were by line officers appointed to canvas particular districts1 who knew nothing of the qualifications required of the candidates1 not a few were useless for the general duties of the corps4 ,but those were not times to stand opposed to the reception of men who1 though they lacked the antecedents so uniformly exacted from recruits by officers of the royal engineers1 might yet be made to perform serviceable duties in the trenches4 ,in this way a vast number of militia-men--too many of them undersized1 unseemly1 and professionally incapable1 of an entirely different stamp in character and impress to the genuine craftsman and sapper--fell into the ranks of the corps1 who in less pressing times would have been regarded as not worth the trouble of a negotiation4 ,in the course of nine months from the date of the increase no less than #ejj militia-men and about #hjj other recruits joined the royal sappers and miners4 ,at night on the #bgth1 sergeant ,docherty accompanied ,lieutenant ,penn1 ,r4,a41 to a point in the ravine near the cemetery where some rifle pits were to be established4 ,after acquainting himself with the locality1 he was directed by the officer to return to the trenches and visit the workmen4 ,the night was very dark1 and danger was apprehended from some ,russian screens near the garden wall4 ,docherty picked his way as best he could1 without a track to guide him1 over broken ground and by detached blocks of rock and precipitous cliffs1 till he clambered up a beetling brow to the crest of the valley1 where1 lying down1 he applied his ear to discover if any one was astir in his vicinity4 ,there were footsteps not far from him--the measured pace of a sentinel1 towards whom he cautiously moved2 but as he went nearer1 he saw1 through the darkness1 the shadowy outline of two men whom he suspected belonged to a ,russian picket4 ,wishing1 as he was still unobserved1 to be assured of his position before proceeding further1 he used the faint whistle which the ,english sentries knew how to acknowledge1 and his signal was returned by a purling sound equally faint4 ,no longer in doubt of his safety he advanced to the two men1 one of whom was a sergeant2 but as ,docherty1 approaching them from the front1 was looked upon as a spy1 he was marched to the field officer of the trenches4 ,speaking ,english1 and making known his corps and rank1 were only so many proofs to the sergeant that his prisoner was a clever ,russian4 ,the field officer examined him1 and receiving accurate replies to his interrogatories on subjects which a sapper only could have become acquainted with1 dismissed him--to the surprise of the sergeant1 who was thus deprived of the chance of recording1 among the incidents of his trench life1 the capture of a ,russian spy4 ,fears were expressed on the #bith ,march that the enemy was mining under one of the cave magazines on the right attack4 ,a sapper acquainted with the methods of detecting subterranean noises volunteered to enter the cave to ascertain if any work was being carried on beneath it4 ,in this hole1 with enough gunpowder in it to excite alarm1 he coolly immured himself for more than two hours2 but hearing nothing to convince him of the existence of a countermine1 quitted his concealment and allayed by his report the apprehension4 ,on the #cast ,march1 private ,william ,relf was severely wounded in the knee1 and second-corporal ,richard ,bridgman was hit slightly in the face and shoulder4 ,both were struck by splinters from the same shell4 ,for months this non-commissioned officer was daily and nightly in the trenches serving out the tools on the right attack1 and on three or four occasions the helves of axes and shovels have been shattered in his hand while passing them to the workmen4 ,during the night of the #bnd ,april1 a zig-zag was opened from the right rifle pit in front of the advanced parallel right attack by flying sap4 ,one hundred and twenty yards were trenched1 and the cover thrown up was very tolerable4 ,the moon being bright1 the 8flying0 nature of the operation was reduced to one of tardy but impulsive efforts4 ,as the light1 however1 gave but a dim outline of the sap to the enemy1 the ,russian fire from two field-pieces was delivered indifferently2 but when the morning began to break1 greater accuracy was obtained1 and a few men were struck down4 ,among them were privates ,robert ,russell killed1 and ,thomas ,mc,neil severely wounded4 ,the former had his head smashed by a round shot1 and1 singularly enough1 a fragment of his quivering jaw flew off and wedged into the jaw of his comrade--,mc,neil--and broke it4 ,early in the morning of the #dth ,april1 ,lieutenant ,bainbrigge of the engineers was killed4 ,he had given directions to corporal ,william ,baker of the seventh company1 relative to strengthening the parapet of a battery to the left of ,no4 #i1 in the second parallel right attack1 when a shell was observed coming towards them from the ,redan4 ,roth were on the open without the remotest chance of taking cover4 ,to avoid the danger the corporal started to the right1 the young subaltern to the left1 as if to allow the missile to pass between them4 ,at that instant it plunged at the feet of the officer1 and bursting1 blew his body to atoms4 ,the corporal was untouched4 ,there were1 at the time1 fifteen of a working party in a shallow trench1 throwing earth from the front to the merlon of the battery1 but not a man was struck4 ,next night corporal ,j4 ,j4 ,stanton1 with four sappers1 was entrusted with the extension of the third parallel1 right attack4 ,he was a daring man was the corporal1 and flying on with the work1 he laid himself no less than #agj gabions4 ,his four overseers filled them with bags of sand1 handed forward by a working party of #bjj men1 who also broke the ground and improved the cover1 despite an annoying fire from the rifle-pits about fifty yards in front4 ,the soil fortunately was easy1 and the men worked so well that1 when the morning relief arrived1 the parapet had risen to a height sufficient for a working party to improve the trench by day4 ,the corporal was named in brigade orders for his spirited example and successful superintendence4 ,increased exertions were turning to deadly account all the means necessary for giving magnitude and certainty to the operations4 ,everywhere the works were rising in different forms1 menacing in aspect1 which1 only for the wide area of stony clay and rock which covered the hills1 would1 by this time1 have almost intermingled with the advanced positions of the ,russians4 ,impenetrable by pickaxe1 mining was the common process of dislodging the stones4 ,at particularly hard or exposed works it was impossible to employ any but sappers4 ,the #ba-;gun battery1 insatiable in its wants1 commanded the zeal of strong parties4 ,rifle screens were begun1 deepened1 or improved far away in advance to pioneer the enterprise4 ,that system of hostile espionage had been so successful1 it was enlarged to lessen the fire of the enemy's tirailleurs4 ,an advanced excavation had been formed across the ,woronzoff road in the middle ravine2 but this not affording sufficient security against a surreptitious sortie1 was further defended by a stout chevaux-de-frise fixed some distance in its front4 ,splinter-proof surgeries were also constructed1 intimating an impending struggle4 ,limestone caverns in the sides of the hills were converted into receptacles for ammunition1 shells1 c41 and their rude entrances were protected by walls of sand-bags and dry stones4 ,other magazines were also made by driving galleries under the super-incumbent rock into a bed of clay resting on a vein of shells4 ,scooping out the earth between1 artificial caves were thus formed with rocky roofs and testaceous floors4 ,to provide against the chances of the arches falling in1 by the concussion of heavy mortars in the batteries1 strong props were fixed in those grottoes1 and the powder deposited within them was preserved by the usual contrivances4 ,all the revetments were put into fighting trim1 and embrasures cut or masked as events dictated4 ,the merlons1 too1 were thickened1 so also were the traverses and parapets1 more particularly in the parts where the works standing on the crests of the hills in advance were the most exposed4 ,on the right attack1 the sappers were driving on vigorously in advance of the second parallel4 ,the first night's work for this object was given on the #crd ,april4 ,in a short time the zig-zag was run out to the intended point1 and turning off like a shepherd's crook1 it seemed as if it were ambitious to hook on to the ,redan4 ,three days later1 seventy men were employed on the left attack1 forming1 on the right extremity of the third parallel1 a work for two #i-pounders4 ,four hours they had laboured at it1 when daylight having exposed them1 the field officer refused to permit the continuance of their services4 ,as1 however1 it was important to push the work1 ,major ,chapman1 of the #bjth regiment1 the assistant engineer on duty1 ordered ten sappers under lance-corporal ,robert ,hanson1 to repair to the trench4 ,it was a clear morning and the work exciting4 ,gabions and fascines had been laid by a previous party1 so that the sappers were covered from musketry1 though not from heavier missiles4 ,as they were strengthening the parapet1 the earth thrown up being seen by the enemy1 a fire of every description of projectile1 even links of chain1 was hurled against it4 ,in some measure to prevent accident1 a 8look-out man10 in turn1 took his station at the head of the trench to peep round the hot corner4 ,sweeping with a quick eye the cordon of ordnance in front1 the caution to 8look out0 came thick and fast4 ,in time it was so rapidly reiterated1 occasioning interruptions which did not coincide with the men's notions of progress1 that1 preferring to toil without this species of questionable assistance1 the 8look out man0 was withdrawn1 and made to unite his strength with the shovellers4 ,with faultless energy and confidence1 they persevered in the work though harassed by an incessant fire1 with grape in clusters1 blown from mortars1 dropping into the trench4 ,presently a shot crashed against the revetment1 capsized three gabions and two fascines1 wounded lance-corporal ,james ,veal in the neck1 and knocking down corporal ,hanson1 buried him beneath the rubbish4 ,there was great reason to fear that the smash was fatal1 and ,major ,chapman1 who happened to be in the work at the moment1 called out in the forlorn hope of receiving a reply1 8,are you hurt1 corporal80 ,unexpectedly there was a movement in the mass2 the gabions rolled lazily aside as the corporal struggled from the debris2 and in springing to his feet he cheerfully exclaimed1 8,all right1 sir60 ,the perils of the battery were of a nature to induce ,major ,chapman instantly to withdraw the sappers4 ,two nights after1 the work was finished and its embrasures were opened4 ,on the day of the #gth1 lance-corporals ,rinhy and ,jenkins were building a magazine in ,no4 #h battery of the left attack4 ,the timbers were just rising when1 seeing a #ac-;inch shell approaching from the ,flagstaff1 the latter dashed between the uprights and screened himself behind a traverse4 ,rinhy1 less fortunate1 had to endure all the horrors of anticipated annihilation1 for the shell1 plunging towards him1 passed with the swiftness of a meteor an inch or two from his back1 and in bursting carried away the frame1 without touching the carpenter4 ,during the next night the mouths of ,no4 #g battery1 on the left attack1 were cut by a strong party of sappers1 but the deep mud in the excavations did not admit of the guns being moved into position1 so that in the interim the openings were blinded with sand-bag screens4 ,extra exertions were made in every work for an impending bombardment4 ,all the sappers available for duty1 including those even who had been relieved from the front at six o'clock in the morning1 were dispersed through the batteries1 mending the soaked embrasures and parapets4 ,the weather had been tempestuous1 and the rain1 which fell as in a storm1 flooded the trenches4 ,the winds were howling and driving1 and the cold very great4 ,to work under such disadvantages was exceedingly hard4 8,man or beast10 says #8,the ,times1'#agd 8could not remain without some shelter4 ,not a man is now out1 except the shivering camp sentinels and the men employed in the batteries40 ----- ,footnote #afe3 ,the siege passed and peace returned without the chance of using them4 ,mr4 ,deane1 the subaqueous engineer1 was sent to the ,crimea to carry out services in connection with his profession4 ,after ,sebastopol had fallen he recovered about thirteen guns sunk in the inner harbour4 ,private ,john ,williams1 an excellent diver1 who had been employed at the #8,royal ,george1' under ,sir ,charles ,pasley1 pushed into the idle dress one day when ,mr4 ,deane was away and dived1 bringing up1 as the fruit of his exertions1 a brass #h-pounder field-piece and a gun-carriage1 with harness for horses attached4 ,this was the only opportunity1 and a stolen one it was1 that he1 or any sapper1 had of proving his efficiency in submarine operations4 ,footnote #aff3 ,granted by the ,queen under authority1 dated #abth ,january1 #ahee4 ,see ante1 pp4 #ahe-ahg4 ,footnote #afg3 ,the bridge was thrown1 under the direction of ,major ,bent1 by the sappers and miners1 and a party of ,french pontoneers4 ,the duty of the seamen was confined to the nautical arrangements for the undertaking1 which comprised the labour of bringing the boats and securing them stem and stern4 ,footnote #afh3 ,during a night of searching cold1 some sappers made a blaze with a few bits of broken gabions and fascines in the tool store in rear of ,no4 #b battery4 ,it had nearly burnt out when private ,corrigan going in for a warm1 chided the men for not keeping up a better fire4 8,i know where some good charcoal can be found10 said he1 and off he went to collect it1 bringing in with him1 soon after1 a number of nice little balls1 firmly compacted and crisped with the frost4 8,now for it10 said the firemaster1 impressed with the importance of his success1 and speaking contemptuously of the discrimination of his comrades1 8we shall soon have a fire worth looking at40 ,with the confidence of one proud of his discovery he stirred up the sticks1 and throwing a few pieces of the compound on the expiring embers1 they soon ignited1 and to the unutterable amazement of the group1 exploded6 ,corrigan had perhaps the greatest reason to be astonished at the treacherous behaviour of his 8patent fuel10 for besides having the hair of his head1 moustache1 and beard burnt to the roots1 his face was so scorched and scarified1 it took three weeks to cure him of an injury which the ,doctors had latinized into 8,ambustio40 ,the ingredient with which ,corrigan hoped to make a roaring bivouac fire1 consisted of some damaged powder which1 removed from the magazine of ,no4 #b battery1 had been thrown loosely over the ground1 and1 in mingling with the mud1 had in time solidified into lumps wearing those pleasing characteristics which1 in intense cold weather1 was so apt to deceive a poor shivering soul4 ,ever after1 whatever expedients the sappers employed to light their trench fires1 they took care not to be beguiled into the use of 8,corrigan's charcoal40 ,footnote #afi3 ,letter from ,sir ,john ,burgoyne1 dated #eth ,february1 #ahee4 ,footnote #agj3 ,the ,commissioners1 sent to the ,crimea to inquire into certain matters of mismanagement1 in their ,second ,report1 dated ,january1 #ahef1 stated1 that 8the date at which the hutting commenced was in no case earlier than the end of ,january or beginning of ,february1 and it was not completed before the end of ,march40 ,this information1 obtained from evidences1 who no doubt spoke from recollection1 is certainly incorrect4 ,footnote #aga3 ,a party of ,french sappers arrived at ,southampton early in ,december1 #ahed1 to superintend the embarkation of huts for the ,imperial army in the ,crimea4 ,from the moment of their landing they were shown every respect by the ,british sappers in that city1 and1 moreover1 provided by them with a generous entertainment at the ,floating ,house ,tavern4 ,the meeting was one of unmixed friendship1 as if there never had been1 between the nations1 any differences or dissimilar sympathies to mar its cordiality4 ,two corps of neighbouring nations1 bearing corresponding names1 socially joined at the same feast1 is perhaps a unique incident4 ,the guests were represented by ,mons4 ,von ,doyson and sergeant ,tagnier1 whose speeches1 with those of sergeant-major ,steel1 quartermaster-sergeant ,simpson1 and colour-sergeant ,spencer1 were warm and fraternal4 ,the toasts were such as might have been expected in so loyal a gathering4 ,after shipping no less than #a1hej huts to accommodate #de1jjj men1 the ,french sappers sailed for ,sebastopol in ,january1 #ahee4 ,footnote #agb3 ,killed at the assault of the ,rifle-pits #aith ,april4 ,footnote #agc3 ,the cross bore this simple epitaph3--8,to the memory of a ,captain1 a ,comrade1 and a ,friend2 ,captain ,a4 ,d4 ,craigie1 ,royal ,engineers1 killed by the bursting of a shell1 ,march #ac1 #ahee40 ,corporal ,geo4 ,h4 ,collins fashioned the cross and cut the inscription4 ,footnote #agd3 ,april #bd1 #ahee4 #ahee4 #ith to #aith ,april4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,second bombardment--,gallant exertions of individual sappers--,repairing a magazine--,assistance to a comrade in an embrasure--,fatal meeting of schoolfellows--,cheerfulness in suffering--,slippery platforms--,repairing telegraph wire--,resistance of the magazines--,inkermann lighthouse battery--,progress of the siege--,mud in the trenches--,battery for two light field-pieces--,magazine on fire--,burning sand-bag on a merlon--,fixing mantlets--,unshrinking labours of sappers--,damages and repairs--,progress of the siege and works--,gallantry of two sappers--and two linesmen--,noble perseverance in an embrasure--,exertions at the batteries--,explosion of a magazine--,no4 #i battery1 left attack--,gallant extension of left advance sap1 right attack--,devotion and firmness of the last leading sapper in it--,progress of the works--,capture of the rifle-pits--,gallantry of sergeant ,mc,donald--,casualties--,devotion of corporal ,coles--,acknowledgment of services of sappers in the attack4 ,as most of the works were ready it was considered advisable not to delay the second bombardment1 which1 on the morning of the #ith ,april1 commenced on our side from #aja guns and mortars4 ,nearly all our batteries were in full play1 whilst the ,russians1 opening by degrees a powerful array of ordnance from their extensive defences1 checked the otherwise irresistible vigour of our well-served armaments4 ,on the left attack1 after blocking up a gap made for the passage of artillery1 the workmen were withdrawn to the first parallel to place them out of immediate danger1 leaving thirteen sappers with ,captain ,belson to attend to the urgent details of the fighting batteries4 ,on the right attack there were #bh men of the corps dressed like their comrades on the left1 in waterproofs and long boots4 ,during the cannonading1 #ij soldiers of the line fed the sappers with sand-bags for the #ba-;gun battery1 and assisted them in covering the roof of a magazine in #ab-mortar battery4 ,other sappers worked in ,no4 #aj battery in providing channels for clearing away the mud which obstructed the artillerymen at the guns4 ,the damage done by the enemy's fire was comparatively trifling1 and the breaches1 in all vital cases1 were promptly restored4 ,iron gabions made of the hoops of barrels and the bands of trusses of compressed hay1 were1 for the first time1 opposed to discharges of heavy metal1 and proved their excellence for defence4 ,the ,madras platform1 still in use1 only added to the cumulative facts of its inutility4 ,the ,russians fired about one shot to the besiegers' three2 yet the result of this battering fell marvellously short of what was expected4 8,the sappers behaved remarkably well0 this day1 and second-corporal ,james ,edward ,mc,kimm and private ,neil ,mc,innes1 of the corps1 were mentioned in brigade orders for their energy and ardour in repairing the works in exposed situations4 ,the corporal was in charge of eight sappers and a detachment of the line in the #ba-;gun battery1 and1 by his example1 excited so strong an emulation among his men1 that the repairs were executed with beautiful rapidity4 ,late in the day1 when his parties--which had toiled for many hours with scarcely a minute's rest--began to show signs of exhaustion1 his conduct was marked by an energy which seemingly rekindled with his straits4 ,moving from embrasure to embrasure1 he worked upon the tired powers of the men by his own manly labours1 aiding them1 when1 from lack of strength or spirit1 they were unable to cope with the quickly-recurring damages4 ,mc,innes and ,john ,harris1 his most willing assistants1 kept up to the last1 but ,mc,innes was the most distinguished sapper of the day4 ,he had charge of the repairs of three embrasures2 two of them did not require much attention1 but the one numbered #ag was pressing in its wants4 ,the firing upon it was very hot1 and while ,mc,innes occupied the opening1 building its cheeks with sand-bags1 six men were killed1 and several wounded4 ,captain ,crofton witnessing his extreme exposure1 desired him to suspend work1 but the solid man with a calm smile declined1 observing1 8,i want to make a good job of it40 ,he was1 however1 not permitted to do this1 for ,lieutenant-,colonel ,tylden soon after appeared1 and ordered him from the embrasure4 ,a private of the #dgth helped ,mc,innes as long as he needed sand-bags1 bravely persisting in the duty1 though he had been wounded in the head4 ,in the course of the day a shell entered a magazine in the vicinity of ,mc,innes's work1 which sheared away a portion of the roof4 ,to wait for adventitious chances to apply his skill in such cases was not his maxim1 and so walking up to the point of danger1 commenced the repair1 assisted by private ,patrick ,nelles and two or three men of the #dgth regiment2 and though another shell struck the roof1 and threw the sand with violence in his face1 he gave himself up to the work with so noble a pertinacity that ,captain ,peel of the navy1 eulogized his exertions to ,captain ,crofton2 and when the time arrived for showing the estimate made of his soldier-like bearing and activity1 he was awarded a medal for distinguished service accompanied by a gratuity of five pounds4 8,the country10 wrote ,lord ,raglan1 8was covered with water1 and the ground was again very deep4 ,the trenches were likewise extremely muddy1 and their condition added greatly to the labours of the men employed in the batteries1 chiefly of sailors1 artillerymen1 and sappers4 ,they conducted their duties admirably40#age ,in the #ba-;gun battery the revetment of an embrasure had tumbled down and covered the muzzle of a gun4 ,corporal ,mc,ginn at once jumped into the aperture to remove the debris4 ,seeing him unassisted sergeant ,joseph ,morant forced among the rubbish1 and while the corporal laid the bags1 the sergeant shovelled up the earth and packed it to give firmness to the structure4 ,the day was very wet1 and the earth which had fallen on the sole of the embrasure1 had become so muddy and greasy1 they found it difficult to prevent themselves slipping into the ditch4 ,trying and hazardous as was the duty1 the orifice was restored before the adventurers quitted it4 ,in the same battery1 ,morant was speaking of by-gone times to two seamen1 one of whom1 named ,soper1 had been 8a school and form fellow0 of the sergeant4 8,this10 said he to ,morant1 8is not such a cricket-match as we used to have at ,portsmouth1 and ,i'd advise you to look well to your stumps40 ,scarcely had he uttered the caution when a shot carried away his head1 and scattered his brains over the breast of his old schoolfellow4 ,one sapper--private ,thomas ,muir--was dangerously wounded in the calf of the right leg1 while mending the embrasure of the right #fh-pounder gun in the #ba-;gun battery4 ,as sergeant ,morant was marching the party down the middle ravine1 he jocosely remarked to ,muir1 that one or the other would be struck that day4 ,two hours after1 ,muir passed on a stretcher1 and seeing ,morant1 he called out with unmistakeable cheerfulness1 8,you see1 sergeant1 ,i'm the first struck20 and onwards he was borne to the camp1 singing all the way1 as if for the entertainment of his bearers1 some of those inspiriting ,scotch airs which connected his heart with home4 ,amputation was resorted to to save his life1 but gradually sinking1 he died on the #aeth ,may4 ,towards the close of the day the sappers busied themselves in draining the trenches1 wretchedly deep in water and mud4 ,sawdust was scattered on the platforms to relieve them from slipperiness4 ,sliding about in every direction on the unctuous soil1 the heavy mortars were unmanageable1 and so to help the gunners in moving them1 they were supplied with iron-shod handspikes from the engineer park4 ,at night #eh sappers were thrown into the left attack1 and about #bh into the right1 and through the darkness and storm1 though miserably wet and cold1 completed all the essential restorations by the following morning4 8,the officers of engineers10 writes ,major-,general ,jones1 8and sappers and miners continue active and zealous2 the duty in this weather is very hard and severe upon them40 ,for some time the field electric telegraph had been in operation under ,lieutenant ,stopford4 ,it was worked by several sappers1 sergeant ,anderson being the chief executive non-commissioned officer4 ,by the #hth ,april1 lines of communication were open to the stations of divisions1 to the trenches1 and to head-quarters4 ,that night the wire was laid to a cave near the first parallel on the right attack4 ,it was no sooner completed than the sergeant received an order from ,lieutenant ,stopford to fix an instrument and battery in the cave1 to obtain two orderlies from the covering party in the trenches1 and apprise head-quarters as soon as the service was accomplished4 ,this done1 ,anderson was directed to remain and work the instrument4 ,pleased with this the first appointment to the station--a dismally picturesque spot it was--he sent and received several messages4 ,among the latter was one to the general in command of the trenches1 8to open fire from every gun at daylight40 ,the bombardment commenced at daybreak1 but in the midst of the din1 at ten o'clock in the morning1 an orderly1 in breathless haste1 delivered a note to the sergeant announcing the rather startling news that no communication could be sent to him from head-quarters1 as it was supposed the wire was cut4 ,he was1 therefore1 directed to examine and repair it4 ,with some of the party1 off he started1 in a drenching rain1 driving through sheets of water and swamp1 and sinking at every step midleg in mud4 ,he did not require to use the galvanometer to test the wire1 for after bounding over the #ba-;gun battery1 he soon found the spot where the current was interrupted4 ,it was in the ,woronzoff ravine1 near the road1 and in rear of the battery4 ,a ,russian #fh-pounder had cut the line and laid about five feet of it bare4 ,the duty was not devoid of danger4 ,shells burst around and shots flew by1 but none of the manipulators were hurt4 ,removing the damaged wire1 the sergeant replaced it with an approved piece1 securing the connection by two joints2 and after covering it with gutta-percha1 relaid it in the furrow4 ,it was a delicate operation to be performed under fire and required a cool head and a steady hand to effect it4 ,on returning to the cave his situation was extremely disagreeable4 ,driven by a cutting wind1 the rain beat into the chamber1 and pattered against the faces of the operators4 ,at whatever cost1 the sergeant was determined to maintain the instrument in working order1 and1 accordingly1 without any consideration for his own comfort1 took off his mackintosh1 and with it hooded the instrument which was yet to carry out important correspondences4 ,there was no rest in the cave2 the mind was anxious1 the eye on the stretch2 and in that miserable hole1 for more than thirty hours1 the sergeant was at his post4 ,when relieved1 he again passed along the communication to mend it1 if necessary2 but in all parts it was efficient1 although he found six shot holes and several cannon balls lying on the line4 ,his two orderlies belonged to the #dgth regiment1 intelligent and willing men1 who exerted themselves creditably in conveying the various messages to the trenches of both attacks4 ,next day the bombardment was renewed4 ,there were #cf sappers in the right works1 and #cj in the left4 ,the ordnance organized to play on the ,russian works were about #id pieces4 ,much injury was done to the magazines1 embrasures1 and parapets1 chiefly by the heavy rains causing the sand-bag revetments to yield in several places4 ,though struck by several shot1 the magazines on the whole stood well4 ,one in the #ba-;gun battery bore up against the shock of a #ac-;inch shell4 ,it was nevertheless much riven1 but rapidly repaired4 ,a #aj-;inch shell exploded on a magazine close to ,general ,jones1 simply disturbing a few sand-bags and the superincumbent earth4 ,the casualties were very few4 ,among them was ,lieutenant ,graves of the engineers1 who received a contusion from stones thrown up by a shot striking a damaged embrasure1 the repair of which by a sapper he was superintending4 ,private ,john ,baston was also severely wounded and lance-corporal ,peter ,towell slightly4 8,the sappers behaved very well in repairing the embrasures1 and even reconstructing them under fire20 and the coolness and soldier-like conduct in this service of privates ,george ,harris1 second company1 and ,william ,bruce of the seventh1 were brought to the attention of ,lord ,raglan1 and also communicated to the corps in general orders4 ,early in the morning a corporal and five sappers were sent to the ,inkermann light-house battery on the extreme right of the ,french position1 to open embrasures and fit the work to share in the bombardment4 ,it was manned at the time by ,british artillerymen1 and the sappers were despatched to the battery at the instance of the adjutant of the siege-train4 ,two embrasures only were cut through1 when the eager gunners opened fire on the enemy4 ,so weak an armament brought upon it a crushing cannonade1 which effected considerable mischief before the ,russian fire could be drawn off to other batteries4 ,corporal ,ramsay--8a valuable man0#agf--8one of the best corporals at the right attack1 and a most efficient sapper0#agg--was killed by a round shot1 which made a trough in his chest and tore out his heart4 ,of this non-commissioned officer ,lieutenant-,colonel ,tylden thus wrote3 8,this morning corporal ,ramsay was killed while at his duty in charge of a detachment opening embrasures of the battery opposite to the light-house at ,inkermann2 and such is the high character this non-commissioned officer bore1 and such the very high opinion entertained of his merits and services since he joined the siege1 that ,i am inclined to submit to the major-general commanding royal engineer1 that some recognition of his merit be recorded in corps orders40 ,impressed with the justice of this suggestion1 ,lord ,raglan gave directions that his name and deeds be recorded at ,chatham4 ,private ,william ,taylor was severely wounded in the right hand4 ,two casualties out of this weak brigade induced the artillery adjutant to relinquish the employment of the men by day in so fatal a spot4 ,at night the work was completed by four sappers under the foremanship of corporal ,george ,cann4 ,during the night of the #ajth there were allotted to the engineers seventy-three sappers1 who were so disposed that the repairs were executed with promptitude4 ,the trenches were knee-deep in mud2 the night was foggy1 and the wind and rain1 though heightening the miseries of the men1 scarcely interrupted their exertions4 ,of the #i-pounder battery on the left attack1 the revetments of one of its epaulments1 penetrated by wet1 subsidized and partially tumbled down4 ,efforts were made to restore it1 but the morning broke before the desired solidity was attained4 ,in every battery of the first parallel the embrasures were rebuilt and several magazines repaired and strengthened4 ,three embrasures were also reconstructed in the ,picket ,house battery1 and several gun and mortar platforms mended in different places4 ,among the numerous works on the right1 the #ba-;gun battery and those bearing the numbers #h and #aa claimed especial attention4 ,when the working party had been removed at three o'clock in the morning three brigades of sappers were retained to finish the repairs4 ,by daylight the embrasures1 merlons1 and parapets were all squared1 even to their crests1 and ready again for action4 ,sixty-six fresh sappers were at work on the #aath4 ,with the assistance of strong parties of the line all essential repairs were made to the batteries1 traverses1 c4 ,sand-bags were filled in great numbers1 and a magazine cave on the left of the second parallel of the ,chapman attack was completed4 ,the mud was cleared away in several places to the depth of eight inches4 ,pools standing in hollows or rocky localities were drained off and a flooded magazine was relieved of the storm water by baling4 ,difficulties like these added vastly to the fatigues of the workmen1 and now and then1 as a shell with its roaring fuze plunged near them1 their only resource for safety was to dive into the turbid soil1 from which1 when the danger passed1 they arose more picturesque than comfortable4 ,the ,major-,general commanding made known in orders his appreciation of the good conduct of the companies in performing the laborious duties required of them in the siege4 ,corporal ,william ,hollis and private ,joseph ,finch were this day distinguished among their comrades for quickness and cleverness in the batteries1 imperilled as were their lives by the enemy's fire4 ,it occurred in this way4 ,the parapet on the right of ,no4 #h battery in the third parallel of the left attack had been washed down by the storm for several yards4 ,it was an object of great moment to restore it1 with a view to protect from enfilade a two-gun battery on its right4 ,the ground was so muddy the two sappers were obliged to undermine the low parapet by drawing from it some dry earth and spreading it in the direction of their exertions to render their task less heavy4 ,no sooner had they repaired the revetment with sand-bags and thickened the work as far as an elbow of the trench1 than they were appointed to clear the embrasures of the new battery on the right for two light field-pieces to play on the quarries1 which1 harbouring a nest of expert marksmen1 picked off our artillerymen at the guns4 ,wanted in a hurry1 it was impossible to provide platforms in the time named1 and a couple of boards for one gun having been laid to assist the recoil1 in a few minutes a #i-pounder was run up to the aperture and fired on the quarries4 ,at every discharge the boards sank deeper into the soil2 now one1 then the other was depressed so much that the gun heeled on either side and threw it out of the line of aim4 ,energetic attempts were made by the sappers to rectify the defect by forcing earth under the plank which happened to be lower2 but the next discharge driving the boards still deeper in the mud and tilting the gun it was evidently useless to persevere in a service which demanded labour altogether disproportioned to its questionable advantages4 ,both embrasures were finished and supplied with temporary platforms in the night1 and afterwards the battery swelled into a formidable structure--,no4 #ad--;armed with #cb-pounders4 ,larger contingents of men were sent to the attacks the following night1 among whom were #ij sappers and miners4 ,this was rather an effective party1 and the weakened works were reproduced in as strong a condition as practicable4 ,a new mortar-battery--,no4 #ab on the right--was also completed1 and the great #ba-;gun work1 with its ragged revetments1 worn platforms1 and disfigured magazines and traverses1 was adjusted in a manner that1 however dexterous were the men who wearied themselves in patching up its breaches1 still bore the rugged features of its stern resistance4 ,the dawn of the #abth opened with the customary firing1 but its results were far more serious than for the few days previous4 ,the enemy had ascertained the range of the #ba-;gun battery with so much exactness that every shot or shell1 falling true at the work1 tore up its embrasures and parapets4 ,two #ac-;inch shells1 however1 fell upon magazines without breaking through them4 ,from splinters of shells the casualties were many4 ,in the naval brigade alone about twelve men were killed and wounded4 ,captain ,crofton of the ,engineers was severely injured and died of his wounds4 ,private ,alfred ,jarratt was killed2 both of his legs were carried away3 and three privates were wounded4 ,one--,donald ,mc,arthur--died a few days after the amputation of one of his legs1 and ,james ,bayne had his jaw fractured and his left cheek wounded4 ,a live shell having struck the roof of the magazine near the right #fh-pounder gun in the #ba-;gun battery1 some of the sandbags took fire4 ,apprehending danger1 ,captain ,peel of the navy begged some soldiers near him to quench it1 who1 indisposed to risk an enterprise so perilous1 refused compliance4 ,two sappers superintending the man-o'-war's men1 though busy in repairing the embrasures1 were then called on by the ,captain to extinguish the burning bags4 ,without hesitation1 corporal ,james ,wright and lance-corporal ,william ,j4 ,lendrim leaped on the roof1 and1 under fire from the enemy1 quickly removed them1 refilling the chasm with fresh sand-bags4 ,captain ,peel himself assisted in the work4 ,the delay of a few seconds might have seen the magazine in the air and the ground strewed with lifeless artillerymen4 ,in descending1 ,captain ,peel thanked the sappers for their exertions2 but they had scarcely time to reflect on the service they had accomplished when a ball tearing through the battery covered them with earth4 ,at this addendum to their labours the sailors chuckled with their accustomed mirth1 and swore that was the fulsome way in which the ,russians always bespattered the ,british with praise4 ,the same day ,lendrim was about to enter an embrasure to remove a sand-bag which was burning on the sole1 when the petty officer in charge of the gun mounted there requested him not to do so until he had fired1 as the piece was already loaded4 ,while waiting1 a very young naval officer approached1 and asked ,lendrim why he delayed the service4 ,he soon explained1 but the midshipman as quick as thought leaped into the opening and threw the bag on the merlon4 ,piqued at this interference1 ,lendrim told the officer he did not thank any one for doing a duty for which he was responsible2 and added1 8,since you have done so much you had better finish the job40 ,with as much good sense as good nature1 the officer1 seeing the chafed spirit of the sapper1 did not attempt to supplant him1 and so ,lendrim sprang into the embrasure4 ,with some water brought to him by an assistant line soldier he quenched the smoking sand-bag and patched up the breach in the stricken check4 ,witnessing the corporal's coolness and celerity the officer observed1 evidently to dissipate the unpleasant feeling which his daring had induced1 8,i would not have touched the bag had ,i known you were one of the old sappers40 ,lendrim was more than satisfied with this complimentary apology4 ,sixteen extra sappers were sent to the left in the afternoon for exposed duty1 and in two or three hours fixed mantlets across the gaping mouths of ,no4 #g battery4 ,under fire all the time the operation was necessarily hurried1 and did not admit of those nice attentions which unopposed exertions would have permitted4 ,the mantlets were simply suspended across the openings on a piece of wood jambed into the parapets of the embrasures4 ,four guns of the battery did good service against the ,boulevard works4 ,in the course of the evening two of the mantlets were blown away1 but the battery stood up firmly4 ,in allusion to the officers and men under this date #8,the ,times' thus speaks of their unshrinking labours3--8,it is impossible to deny to the ,russian engineers great credit for the coolness with which they set about repairing damages under fire2 but words cannot do more than justice to the exertions of our own men and to the engineer officers and sappers engaged in this most perilous duty4 ,when an embrasure is struck and injured it is the business of the sappers to get into the vacant space and repair the damage1 removing the gabions1 c41 under fire1 and without the least cover from shot1 shell1 or riflemen4 ,our engineer officers have frequently set the example to their men in exposing themselves when not called upon to do so2 and ,i believe that1 as yet1 there has not been a single instance in which a gun has been silent owing to damage done to an embrasure4 ,the officers and men charged with this dangerous work have not waited for the cover of night to effect repairs1 but have carried them on in the face of the enemy40#agh ,this eulogium is corroborated by a conversation held between two officers of the engineers1 in which one exclaimed to the other1 8,how admirably and cool these sappers behave under fire4 ,they are really good men and brave soldiers40 ,as the night crept on #ijj of the line and #hi sappers marched into the trenches1 who1 scattered among the batteries1 left no point unstrengthened1 no embrasure unequal to its wonted work4 ,everywhere the platforms obtained fixity1 and the gaps which had been made in the parapets for the passage of cumbersome guns were filled up before the darkness sped4 ,much shattered was the ,gordon battery1 and its fascines1 broken at the bands1 were strewn in waste about the gorges1 while the sand-bags were ripped up and disembowelled by every telling shot and tearing splinter4 ,iron gabions and fresh sand-bags were pressed into the embrasures to patch up their furrowed cheeks1 and the shot-holes behind were plugged up with earth4 ,a new sand-bag battery for four guns on the right attack was founded this night in rear of the left communication from the #h-;gun battery to the left boyau4 ,much would have been done to raise it1 but the night was dismally dark1 and as rain was falling the men straggled on the road and loitered in their tasks4 ,with fruitless effect the engineers and sappers tried to awaken in the workmen something like passable animation4 ,nevertheless #a1fjj sand-bags reached the site and the sappers tossed and packed them in their places with nonchalant dexterity4 ,though much annoyed by fire from opposing rifle-screens1 four men1 superintending #ajj of the infantry1 made good progress in rendering defensible the advanced works on the left of the second parallel across the ,woronzoff road1 and six sappers in the #h-;gun battery first relieved it of the debris which choked up the embrasures and then masked them4 ,early in the morning private ,joseph ,mc,ash was killed4 ,the fifth day's bombardment commenced on the #acth ,april1 and ,no4 #i battery on the right attack opened for the first time on the ,malakoff and ,mamelon4 ,until ready to fire its embrasures were blinded with hide bags filled with hay1 which effectually answered the intention of their employment4 ,no4 #g battery on the left was silenced by overpowering discharges upon it from the ,upper ,garden batteries4 ,it was1 moreover1 much broken and its salients knocked into grotesque forms4 ,ninety-four sappers were in the trenches eleven hours giving heed to the quickly-recurring urgencies of the siege4 ,in the following night ,no4 #g battery was again in battle order1 and ,no4 #h1 which had been delayed from untoward vicissitudes in weather1 was also provided with its equipment of heavy guns4 ,about this time the scaling-ladders at the parks were prepared and held in readiness with selected parties of sappers to take advantage of any event that might turn up by tactics or strategy to render an assault desirable4 ,in a despatch dated #adth ,april ,lord ,raglan remarked3--8,our parapets and batteries continue to stand remarkably well1 notwithstanding the very unfavourable state of the weather4 ,although the duties have been unusually severe and arduous both by night and day during the week they have been carried out with the utmost cheerfulness and zeal1 reflecting much credit both on officers and men40 ,the necessity for these repairs and exertions were constant1 and never more so than on the date of the despatch4 ,captain ,burnett of the navy1 who narrowly watched the efforts made to execute the repairs in the #ba-;gun battery1 was impressed with the steadiness and intelligent activity of privates ,robert ,crawford ,cowan and ,william ,baker1 seventh company1 while working at the embrasure for the ,lancaster gun4 ,it was mended with gabions1 fascines1 and sand-bags4 ,completing the restoration before quitting the opening1 their gallant perseverance1 despite the bursting of shells and the flight of ,minis1 was recorded by ,major-,general ,jones in brigade orders4 ,indeed the cheeks were thrice patched up during the day by these intrepid men who also attended to the lesser damages in ,nos4 #ae and #af embrasures4 ,with ,no4 #ag embrasure1 these three constituted1 in the homely phraseology of the sailors1 8the slaughter-house40 ,lieutenant-,colonel ,tylden also observed that he could mention other sappers who were zealous and unflinching under fire2 8but10 he proceeds1 8,i am glad to be able to report that the men generally do their duty so well that there are few who can be named as exceptions40 ,private ,william ,smale was severely wounded this day in the right leg by the splinter of a shell while repairing a platform in the #ba-;gun battery4 ,it will not1 perhaps1 be misplaced to mention here the names of privates ,samuel ,evans and ,james ,callaghan of the #aith regiment4 ,seeing a sapper--private ,alexander ,mc,caughey--toiling by himself in the difficult repair of a broken embrasure--,no4 #ag of the #ba-;gun battery--the former voluntarily went into the opening and shared with the overseer the duty of removing the debris4 ,the latter received a blow on the head from a stone sufficient to draw blood1 and certainly sufficient for ninety-nine men out of a hundred to get excused from a working party1 but he nevertheless remained steadily at work4#agi ,these instances of devotion were noticed in general orders and praised by ,lord ,raglan4 ,after the embrasure spoken of was cleared ,evans quitted it2 and private ,david ,thompson1 who had just finished the repair of a neighbouring one1 came to the assistance of ,mc,caughey4 ,both were robust men1 immovable in danger1 and nobly stood the fire of two guns from the ,redan1 the accurate aim of which sent several missiles into the work4 ,of one cheek they had replaced the gabions and partly filled them1 when a #fh-pounder shot swept four of them from the row1 and shortly after another whizzed closely over ,thompson's head as he was springing from the sole to avoid the threatened blow4 ,in another instant both were at work again1 but as the firing became still warmer1 their labour was obviously as fruitless as that of ,sisyphus4 8,you cannot do impossibilities1 men10 said ,captain ,owen1 who witnessed their perseverance1 and ordered them from the aperture1 which1 on leaving1 they blinded with a gabion4 ,the gun mounted in rear of the opening was a #fh-pounder1 and a black sailor1 considered to be one of the best artillerists in the battery1 usually fired it4 ,mc,caughey was 8considered an able and active sapper for difficult duty in the trenches20 a character he well sustained throughout the siege4 ,throughout the following night spirited efforts were made to mend the breaches sustained in the day4 ,there were nearly #gjj of the line and #hb of the corps given up to these midnight labours4 ,great as the force was it scarcely fulfilled the immediate requirements of an exacting siege4 ,mist and rain fell through the darkness1 the men were drenched1 and the wind swept with unfriendly chills over the hills2 but before the morning the damages were nearly all made good in battery and trench to prolong a contest the end of which was still far distant4 ,as the morning arose with renewed demands and dangers the engineers for the day were early astir1 and the works so gravely handled by the enemy's fire still looked haughty and imposing4 ,to a working party of #dhj linesmen there were #ej sappers1 who1 for the most part1 were detailed to the #ba-;gun battery1 upon which the fire from the ,redan had a mischievous effect4 ,worn and battered as it was the embrasures were repaired without any appreciable interruption of the besiegers' fire4 ,between the rounds the sappers leaped into the apertures and built up as much of their cratered faces as the activity they could command permitted4 ,those working in the left advanced approach towards the crest of the hill overlooking the ,woronzoff road were much impeded by discharges of round shot and musketry from the ,redan1 during which1 flying on with the sap1 private ,john ,lethbridge and one of the working party were killed4 8,the conduct of the officers and men10 wrote ,major-,general ,jones1 8has been such as to merit the warmest approbation of the ,major-,general commanding2 the duties on which they have been employed being most arduous and requiring the greatest steadiness40 ,next night #hg sappers were in the trenches1 and in the succeeding day #fj4 ,the #ba-;gun battery1 cleared of its old gabions and fascines1 was resuscitated by the morning and fired well in the day's struggle4 ,advantages always seem to be chased away or ridden over by catastrophes1 for a magazine in the centre of the work1 visited by a shell which obtruded at the door1 blew up and killed a gunner and wounded eight or nine more4 ,out of about thirty magazines on the right attack this was the only one1 after eight days' firing1 which broke up and collapsed4 ,fifty-five sappers were allotted to the left attack1 where ,no4 #i battery1 commenced on the #adth ,april1 was in course of completion4 ,it was cut for six pieces of ordnance2 the rock cropping up to the surface was blasted by some miners of the corps and the broken stones were built into the parapet4 ,soil to fill the gabions was brought in basket-loads from a sand cave on the left of the second parallel1 which subsequently was converted into a magazine for ammunition4 ,alderson platforms were laid in the battery by the sapper carpenters on the #afth with so much expedition that their usefulness and skill were noticed with encouraging commendation4 ,the battery was completed and armed by the #bcrd4 ,passing on to the night of the #agth1 when #hj sappers were in the lines--#bh being on the right and #eb on the left--corporal ,joseph ,j4 ,stanton and four leading men1 with #bjj of the infantry1 were detailed for the extension of the left demi-parallel situated between the third parallel and ,egerton's rifle-pit under ,captain ,king of the engineers4 ,the little brigade crept silently to the head of the sap1 and after placing the gabions crammed them with sand-bags passed from hand to hand4 ,as the sappers steadily moved on1 the working party broke the ground and increased the cover4 ,in this way1 though the soil was very rocky1 about a hundred gabions obtained a footing before morning4 ,it was hot work to advance even the length of a yard1 and gabion after gabion torn from the row was gallantly replaced4 ,constant volleys from the rifle-pit in front compelled the men to proceed with the greatest caution and silence4 ,persevering in this way till reaching the brow of the hill1 they were stopped by an old ,russian rifle-screen1 which was immediately reversed by transferring the large gabions and sand-bags forming the original revetment to the opposite side4 ,during the operation ,captain ,king was severely wounded in the thigh and expired a few days after4 ,three of the sappers were also wounded--privates ,alexander ,mc,caughey1 ,john ,limming1 and ,george ,hobson3 the last was wounded in the arm1 had three or four bullets through his greatcoat1 and the frog of his waist-belt carried away4 ,among the workmen there were five injured4 ,best able to judge of the exertions of the party1 ,lieutenant-,colonel ,tylden thus wrote of them3--8,the conduct of the sappers under ,captain ,king and the working party under ,major ,welsford1 #igth regiment1 exposed the whole time to a most galling and dangerous fire1 was admirable40 ,private ,boyland carried ,captain ,king from the trench to the #ba-;gun battery1 and though such an act might fairly have excused him from further duty that night1 he returned with all haste to his post4 ,there were still between fifty and sixty gabions to place4 ,hobson was at the head of the sap1 and the firing was close and destructive1 for the enemy's ambuscades were only about twenty yards in front4 ,in time ,hobson was disabled1 and it became ,boyland's turn to lead4 ,he was pushing on very successfully1 when ,colonel ,tylden appeared1 and seeing that the opposition to progress was excessively sharp1 he ordered ,boyland to place six gabions at a right angle to keep the enemy's fire from enfilading the new piece of trench4 ,ready and fearless1 he commenced the work2 but1 in order that it might be finished with greater expedition1 he begged1 as all the sappers save the corporal who was superintending had been wounded1 to have the assistance of any men of the #hhth who would volunteer to join him4 ,one was speedily at his service4 ,the gabions were quickly planted despite an unceasing fusillade2 but while filling them with sand-bags1 the poor #hhth man was shot through the side4 ,calling for help1 an officer sprang up to the gorge1 and ,boyland and he bore the spirited volunteer under cover4 ,colonel ,tylden1 who was never disposed to relinquish a moment's work if he thought it could be employed to advantage1 would not permit the sapper1 who had escaped so many perils and whose firmness and exertions received his praise1 to return again that night to the head of the sap4 ,day and night the companies furnished parties equivalent to their strength for the inexhaustible wants of the siege4 ,batteries misshapen and tottering1 put on stubborn and threatening aspects after a few hours' toil4 ,new armaments were made up1 new batteries opened2 and to ensure their stedfastness1 one at least boasted of a parapet #bf feet thick4 ,this was ,no4 #ac1 a sand-bag battery on the right attack4 ,approaches by the stealthy boyau were cautiously cut1 but invariably opposed by vigilant sharpshooters who held positions in screened defences4 ,for any one work1 few only of the sappers could be spared4 ,half a brigade was in this sap1 half in that2 two or three were in the right rifle-pits1 two or more in the left2 nine in the most advanced trenches placing gabions and protecting themselves by heaping up earth from the tops of barren rocks2 four at the communication between the caves at the advanced post1 and others deputed to an infinite variety of field employment4 ,so passed on the siege to the #aith ,april2 and taking the interval from the #agth1 only one sapper1 private ,james ,queen1 was killed4 ,he was shot through the head by a rifle-bullet4 8,up to this time10 says the record1 8the repairs to the batteries injured by the enemy's fire have throughout been performed in a very satisfactory manner by the sappers1 many of whom have been particularly active and zealous40 ,to the list of names already honourably mentioned1 must be added that of private ,james ,lancaster of the #crd company4 ,being a powerful man1 whom no amount of exertion could tire1 he was conspicuous for his very good work and coolness in forming a communication from the left of ,no4 #g battery to the 8,ovens40 ,he was the leading sapper in scarping the rock under corporal ,joseph ,t4 ,collins1 and continued with abiding zeal at this heavy service1 though a constant rifle firing was maintained on the work4 ,the rifle-pits on the left advance sap of the right attack had fatally annoyed the besiegers in their foremost works1 and it was determined either to destroy or seize them4 ,with this object they were attacked at half-past nine o'clock in the evening of the #aith ,april4 ,there were #fjj bayonets of the #ggth regiment engaged in this nocturnal assault1 commanded by ,colonel ,egerton4 ,when the orders were given1 the troops rushed forward1 and after a warm engagement for about half an hour1 were masters of the pits1 with a loss of two officers and several men4 ,colonel ,egerton also sustained a contusion of the thigh4 ,as soon as the covering sentries were posted1 ,lieutenant-,colonel ,tylden advanced with the working party of #aej men1 headed by colour-sergeant ,henry ,mc,donald and six sappers1 under the personal orders of ,captain ,h4 ,c4 ,c4 ,owen and ,lieutenant ,baynes of the engineers4 ,the ,russian gabions were quickly faced about1 the sand-bags thrown down1 and after reducing the earth1 the enemy's pits were incorporated with a communication which led to the boyau in rear4 ,the lodgment was achieved in about two hours1 under a roar of missiles from rifles and ordnance1 with so little confusion and so much gallantry1 that the affair deserves to be characterized as a dashing exploit4 ,colour-sergeant ,mc,donald took the lead in the sap1 followed by private ,thomas ,ewen and other sappers who planted the gabions as fast as they could be handed up4 ,the officers of engineers assisted pressing in their turn to the very head4 ,at intervals they and the sergeant moved among the workmen1 instructing them how to fill the gabions and where to lodge the sand-bags4 ,as the sergeant was pushing up the trench1 he stumbled over a prostrate officer2 and on inquiring1 found that ,captain ,owen was at his feet1 dangerously wounded4 ,mc,donald proposed to bear him from danger on his back1 but the captain1 preferring a stretcher for the purpose1 one1 after a little time1 was brought by the sergeant4 ,on this field convenience ,lieutenant ,baynes and ,mc,donald carried the wounded officer bleeding from the pit4 ,his left leg was afterwards amputated and he lived to obtain the honours due to his heroic efforts4 ,finding some sappers in the old trench sending up the gabions1 ,lieutenant ,baynes relieved the sergeant and sent him again to the pits1 following himself as soon as he had despatched the captain to the camp2 but in forcing to the front1 this young officer was mortally wounded in the chest and arm4 ,in retracing his steps1 ,mc,donald was astonished to find the working party running from the lodgment4 ,asking the reason1 he was informed that the ,russians1 in some strength1 had driven up to the work and forced them back4 ,at once ,mc,donald ordered them to stand1 and after facing them to the right-about1 drew his sword and placed himself at their head4 ,ewen was there ready to second his authority with any amount of daring he might find it necessary to command4 ,seeing the ,russians still creeping over the works1 the sergeant desired the workmen to kneel1 and after firing a volley1 to charge4 ,strictly obeyed were the orders2 the charge was gallantly made1 and the enemy having vanished before the cool volley and the bayonet point1 the pits were reoccupied and the lodgment resumed4 ,the commanding officer and ,lieutenant-,colonel ,tylden now appeared1 the covering party being about #bjj yards away2 and on learning what had happened1 ,colonel ,egerton praised the sergeant for his energy and valour4 ,to protect the linesmen from further molestation1 the colonel distributed a portion of the covering party in front of the lodgment4 ,next in command of the workmen1 ,mc,donald aided ,lieutenant-,colonel ,tylden in directing the new trench4 ,moving to the gorge1 still followed by ,ewen1 he quickly fixed the gabions one after another1 intermixing with them the ,russian baskets and sand-bags4 ,just as he had completed the curve at the vent of the sap1 ,colonel ,tylden again appeared1 and laid with his own hands the last gabion4 ,the steady and zealous demeanour of the sergeant attracted the notice of ,colonel ,egerton1 who1 standing over him1 encouraged his exertions by commendations and promises2 but he too at last fell back severely wounded by a grape-shot in the right side4 ,colonel ,egerton was near at the time and administered his brandy-flask to sustain1 in a measure1 the drooping head of that brave soldier4 ,three hours after the pits had been captured the enemy in strong force made a sortie to recover them4 ,so far had they succeeded1 that the sentries and workmen occupying the further screen were driven back into the nearest trench2 but the lodgment there had been so well managed and its details so well carried out1 that the troops holding it made sure work of the defence1 and the ,russians1 pressed at all points1 hastily retreated4 ,now it was that the valiant ,colonel ,egerton was killed4 ,his promises1 however1 were caught up by ,colonel ,tylden1 who failed not to make such a representation of sergeant ,mc,donald's conduct as earned for him substantial reward and honour4 ,after the hopeless abandonment of the pits1 the enemy1 from the furthest screen1 which was still in his possession1 kept up a constant rifle fire on the sappers and line in the lodgment4 ,lieutenant ,james1 royal engineers1 directed them in their final efforts till daylight1 and received1 as a sign of his presence1 a ball through his cap4 ,he arrived just as ,mc,donald fell2 and himself1 with that good and constant man ,ewen1 assisted to bear the sergeant to the rear4 ,the casualties in the assault were #f officers and about #dj men4 ,of these1 three were sappers--the colour-sergeant before named1 lance-corporals ,john ,evans1 killed1 and ,peter ,towell1 dangerously wounded4 ,the right arm of the latter was broken1 and the amputation which followed ended in his death4 ,this non-commissioned officer had only been wounded a few nights before4 ,it should be noted to show the ardour of the man1 though perhaps in many cases such conduct would be imprudent1 that corporal ,samuel ,cole left his post at the sand-bag battery without orders and pitched into the thick of the fight4 ,in reversing the trench he laboured with great zeal1 and while endeavouring to place a gabion in a difficult spot1 ,evans1 a fearless soldier1 not to be outdone in prowess1 leaped outside the trench and pressed the basket in the line4 ,in this act of devotion he fell by the blow of a grape-shot4 ,the following complimentary order was promulgated to the corps relative to the assault3-- 8,brigade orders before ,sebastopol1 ,april #bc1 #ahee4 8,it was with much satisfaction that the ,major-,general ,commanding received ,lieut4-,colonel ,tylden's report of the able manner in which1 on the night of the #aith instant1 a lodgment was effected in the enemy's rifle pit immediately in front of the left advance1 #8right attack1' under ,captain ,owen and ,lieutenant ,baynes1 ,r4,e41 whose zeal and gallantry were most conspicuous1 while the conduct of colour-sergeant ,mc,donald1 royal sappers and miners1 on the same occasion1 when1 in consequence of the above-named officers being severely wounded1 he was left in charge of the working party1 was not only highly creditable to that non-commissioned officer1 but so distinguished as to attract the notice of the field officer commanding in the trenches2 and the ,major-,general is glad to find1 that the sappers engaged1 exerted themselves with their accustomed energy40 ----- ,footnote #age3 ,dispatch1 #ajth ,april1 #ahee4 ,footnote #agf3 #8,times1' ,april #bf1 #ahee4 ,footnote #agg3 ,captain1 now ,major ,ewart1 ,r4,e41 the sapper ,adjutant in the ,crimea4 ,footnote #agh3 #8,times1' ,april #bf1 #ahee4 ,footnote #agi3 ,light ,division orders by ,lieut4-,general ,sir ,george ,brown1 dated #afth ,april1 #ahee1 taken from ,captain ,owen's report to ,major-,general ,jones two days earlier4 #ahee4 #bjth ,april-#aeth ,may4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,first day's work in the lodgment--,improvisd grenades--,polish fusilier--,capture of the third rifle pit--,preliminary incidents connected with it--,saps issuing from the pits--,no4 #ac sand-bag battery--,no4 #i battery1 left attack--,building a magazine in day-time--,constancy of sappers in the trenches--,but little relief afforded them--,apparent want of ingenuity in their camp arrangements--,reason why so few sappers die--,their miserable condition--,regimen2 its effects--,care of the baggage animals--,the means employed to preserve them becomes a vexed question--,rifle holes--,no4 #aa battery1 left attack--,generals' and engineers' huts--,diversified engagements of the sappers--,death of ,lieutenant ,carter--,progress of the works--,wells--,repairing the advance saps after a sortie--,expedition to the sea of ,azoff--,storms of rain1 and consequent difficulties in carrying on the works--,sortie--,effects of the rain--,endurance of the men exposed to it--,casualties4 ,twenty armed men from the #gth foot were appointed to labour in the captured pits on the #bjth ,april1 into which for about thirty yards they crawled on their hands and knees4 ,sergeant ,joseph ,morant was with them1 so also was ,lieutenant ,sheehy1 of the #fdth1 assistant-engineer1 who directed their exertions4 ,many of the gabions had only been partly filled the previous night1 and spaces of a few inches occurred here and there between the baskets4 ,barely had the linesmen placed their muskets at the back of the trench1 when a provoking fire from the near pit and quarries1 knocked over four or five of their number4 ,unaccustomed to work in such slight cover1 very little progress was made in improving the trench1 and ,lieutenant ,sheehy withdrew the men4 ,waiting a short time1 twelve sappers arrived2 and with four or six volunteers from the #gth regiment1 the work in the approach was resumed4 ,in four hours much had been done to strengthen it1 and the parapet1 in great part1 was made defensible with banquettes4 ,finding that the trenchmen pertinaciously held to their work1 the ,russians tried the effect on them of a couple of great guns4 ,the first rounds pitched high2 but the next1 better aimed1 hurled the gabions from the trace1 and dividing the parapet by an ugly chasm1 separated the workmen into two parts4 ,those in the left of the pit1 struck with stones and half blinded with sand1 not seeing their danger1 were about to join the main body by crossing the gap2 but the warning of their comrades stopped their precipitation and confined them for a time behind a few feet of insecure revetment4 ,had they attempted to move1 not a man would have escaped1 for the muzzles of the ,russian rifles1 only a few yards off1 would have struck them down4 ,hot as was the place1 the sappers and volunteers continued to work1 and the breach quickly filled up with sand-bags1 soon extricated the men at the end of the zigzag from hazards to which less alacrity and courage would have committed them4 ,so jealous was the enemy of any progress in this quarter1 it was not an easy1 matter to throw a few shovels-full of earth over the parapet without a visit from a pair of round shot4 ,that so little harm was done to the workmen was due to the nearness of a ,russian screen to the captured pit4 ,generally the practice was high4 ,to have struck the new approach and not the ,russian pit1 would have been a nice achievement in gunnery4 ,at last ,captain ,browne of the engineers1 removed the line party1 but left the sappers at the end of the trench with orders not to throw anything over the parapet4 ,no exertion being now visible to the enemy1 the fire from screen1 quarry1 and fortress was1 in great part1 discontinued1 and the sappers quietly improved the revetment till nightfall1 when another party relieved them4#ahj ,before daylight on the morning of the #bast1 the furthest screen in the ,russian series1 about fourteen yards in front of the captured pits1 was taken by a detachment of #ajj men from the guard of the trenches1 under an adjutant1 accompanied by a small band of twelve volunteers as a working party consisting of four men of the #aith regiment1 four of the #ijth1 and three of the sappers1 under the direction of corporal ,george ,cann of the #gth company4 ,the covering party was directed not to fire but to use the bayonet4 ,all having mustered on the open1 the adjutant gave the word to advance4 ,on went the stormers at the charge1 and jumping into the screen1 which fortunately had been vacated1 they took possession of it unassailed by a single shot4 ,quietly the destroying party set to work1 and before returning to the trenches1 completely uprooted the ambuscade4 ,the parapet had been formed of discarded casks1 crested with large sand-bags made of old sails1 specimens of which were brought away by the men to show the expedients adopted for ,russian protection4 ,the names of the sappers who shared in the sortie were lance-corporal ,william ,j4 ,lendrim1 and privates ,william ,harvey and ,alexander ,hosie4 ,this service will bear a little elucidation4 ,at dusk the previous evening1 the four sappers went into the trench issuing from the first captured pit1 to reconnoitre4 ,each selected his own place to look out1 but ,harvey having crawled round the head of the sap on all fours1 watched for a few minutes the operations in front4 ,the ,russians were busy in the screen1 and seeing one more bold than the rest strengthening the parapet1 ,harvey remarked1 as he returned to the trench1 it was strange that the sentry1 a man of the #hhth1 did not pick him off4 ,he was a ,milesian was the #hhth man1 and a good deal irate to think that1 though he felt sure he could lessen the number in the pit by at least the head which dared now and then to overlook the parapet1 he was under orders not to fire3 but when he learned from ,harvey that the pit was to be captured in the morning1 the sentry1 forgetting his orders1 discharged a bullet at the ,russian1 and thus brought on a fire which produced a number of casualties4 ,taking up the arms of a wounded man1 ,harvey1 mounting the parapet with others1 blazed away till he was called from the summit by ,lieut4-,colonel ,tylden to answer for his conduct in bringing an unnecessary fire of musketry on the sap4 ,he had been reported by the officer of the line on duty there as the cause of it2 but a few words of explanation made clear the misunderstanding1 and ,harvey1 the first to volunteer for the assault1 was so conspicuous in his exertions to raze the screen1 that he was subsequently distinguished by a medal for gallant behaviour1 and received a gratuity of five pounds4 ,it was well that the firing took place as it did1 for to its warmth is no doubt attributable the evacuation of the pit without a hand-to-hand encounter4 ,it was not long before these pits were incorporated with the besiegers' works by communications hastily thrown up and revetted despite the accurate firing of the enemy's riflemen2 and they held so prominent a place in the tactics of the engineers1 that in an after period they formed the outlet for a sortie upon the celebrated quarries4 ,a flying sap from the screens was early extended to the left as far as the rim of the hill overlooking the ,woronzoff road1 and again to the right1 in line with a row of pits still possessed by the ,russians1 and which run along the whole extent of the quarries4 ,the cover in the lodgment was almost made impenetrable by the sappers who erected a wall of gabions1 sand-bags and stones intermixed1 as far as the very edge of the ridge4 ,on the right attack1 ,no4 #ac battery for four guns was finished and armed on the night of the #bast ,april4 ,it was situated to the left of the second parallel near the ,woronzoff ravine4 ,between eight and ten thousand sand-bags swelled its dimensions into a noble field construction4 ,the men of the corps who gave it form from the engineer's trace1 finished it off with something like artistic neatness4 ,the defences of the battery were improved by the addition of lock traverses across the boyau on its left4 ,this was perhaps the first battery built during the siege entirely of sand-bags2 and though well ploughed with shot and shell1 it made a fair resistance4 ,its bags frequently burst1 and gaps were often made in its puffed-up features1 while the pent-up sand was showered over the battery as if winnowed by the wind4 ,there was no lack of the reliable sand-bag1 however1 and the damages sustained were always expeditiously repaired4 ,during the same night the embrasures of ,no4 #i battery on the left attack were nearly all cut through by the sappers and the openings covered up again with masks before daylight4 ,by the #bcrd1 at night1 the remaining mouths were opened and the cheeks of all were flattened by a few parting plashes of the spade4 ,grim guns occupied the spaces1 and at the proper moment ,no4 #i co-operated with the other works in shelling the enemy's defences4 ,in the formation of the battery1 corporal ,robert ,hanson of the #gth company1 displayed great zeal and ability in superintending a detachment of the #ejth regiment1 of whose exertions more than once creditable mention was made4 ,so well in range was ,no4 #aj battery on the left attack it was hazardous to venture into it4 ,still it was necessary to furnish it quickly with a magazine4 ,to obtain the chance of executing the work in day-time1 a temporary blind of sand-bags was thrown up in front of the site during the night1 and the sapper carpenters and miners took their stations behind the screen at dawn4 ,the delving and blasting for a durable foundation were done in broad daylight2 then up went the frame1 and the sheeting followed1 covered for a roof with timbers1 sand-bags1 and earth2 and in a few days1 without casualty among the builders1 the magazine was completed4 ,whatever accidents or failures in arrangements took place with the line contingents by which they were late for the trenches or not provided1 the sappers always appeared in the lines and turned to the work with great ardour4 ,as an instance1 it may be mentioned1 that the trench party of twenty-eight sappers were1 on the #bbnd ,april1 three hours in the batteries before the morning relief arrived1 during which1 besides attending to various matters of essential detail1 they levelled two crumbling embrasures in the #ba-;gun battery1 and rebuilt them for action with stout revetments in little more than two hours4 ,too inexorable was the siege to allow any relaxation in the development of the lines1 and every day added to the accumulation of posts and duties which called for the anxious attention and valorous exertions of the engineers4 ,the officers were severely wrought and the casualties among them spoke of their labours and exposure4 ,the sappers likewise were greatly overtasked4 ,some nights they were in the trenches as long as the darkness lasted1 and then only left to repeat their long vigils the ensuing night4 ,next day1 perhaps1 they would be permitted to rest for a few hours1 when at noon some camp duty1 some hutting or draining1 the making of fascines1 or the execution of a tedious round of et cetera1 absorbed the remaining portion of the day4 ,the approaching night or the next1 again saw them at work in the far-spreading trenches4 ,for several months this was their constant routine1 when1 happily1 reinforcements arriving1 they were1 in degree1 relieved from an excess of fatigue and watchfulness which1 were it not for their hardihood1 would have considerably diminished their weak files4 ,it has been remarked that the sappers exhibited less ingenuity and application of resource in their camp arrangements than many regiments in the ,crimea4 ,much skill was shown by some corps in the use of contrivances and rural expedients for rendering their locations comfortable within1 and pleasing and picturesque without4 ,all these devices were strangely absent among the sappers4 ,oddly enough this seems2 but it is easily accounted for by the fact1 that the men1 more constantly at work than other troops1 were too tired to seek for superfluous comforts when ordinary ones satisfied their few wants4 ,indeed they had no leisure to busy themselves about extraneous conveniences4#aha ,overworked as the linesmen were1 the regiments possessed facilities for carrying out domestic minuti which wore off the rougher asperities of a trying campaign4 ,to most of them washermen were appointed who attended to the concerns of the regimental laundry and ensured to the men the comfort of wearing clean linen4 ,such was not the good fortune of the sappers4 ,every man was wanted for some absolutely pressing duty1 and it was only when the caprices of chance threw in their way a vagrant interval that they could seek to afford themselves the companionship of a well-washed shirt4 ,from this cause it can occasion no wonder that the men were often foul and distressed by vermin4 ,in this condition there were not a few who would steal at times into some cave to relieve themselves in silence of the loathsome brood4 ,no perseverance1 however1 was sufficient to free them from the creeping things which swarmed in every seam and around every fretted hole of their threadbare clothes4 ,so extreme was this discomfort felt by many poor fellows1 that a general officer of the corps1 who took great interest in the feeble and attenuated invalids as they landed at ,portsmouth from the ,crimea1 was constrained officially to represent the pitiable state in which he found them4 ,comparatively of all the troops they were the most miserable and sympathising with their misfortunes1 the general and his benevolent lady generously supplied the sufferers with clean linen and apparel4 ,then1 again1 though sufficient food was afforded them1 it was not of that description and variety to give the pioneer adequate strength and cheerfulness to bear up against his depressing toils4 ,hard biscuit1 salt beef and pork formed the staff of the military regimen4 ,now and then they enjoyed the luxury of tasting fresh meat4 ,none of the sappers at this time could command sufficient relief from front duty to master the mysteries of the cuisine so as to manufacture anything like a relishable meal4 ,this was left as an achievement for after times when the inimitable ,soyer superintended the military kitchens4 ,many hardy men at last broke up2 and one hale fellow--the type of many more--in alluding to his trials on account of the rations1 observed1 8,my teeth are the only parts that are failing me60 ,hardship was unequal to make an inroad upon that strong man's frame1 but flinty biscuit and tough beef spoiled the efficiency of an apparatus which1 under other circumstances1 might have stood his need for half a century4 ,he then added1 8all the money ,i can get goes for soft bread to ease my teeth and mitigate the aching of my jaws4 ,the ,french come round with it almost every day1 and we give #bs4 #f;d4 and sometimes #cs4 for a three-pound loaf60 ,those indeed were hard times and the prices such as would be excessive in a famine4 ,if there were reason to complain of the want of fresh meat none could be alleged against the quantities of rations supplied4 ,while the troops were suffering great privations1 the sappers always had full provisions and 8when warm clothing was available for them it was brought up without delay40 ,this arose from the mules furnished for the engineer field service having been planked up in sheds at ,balaklava in the early campaign and carefully attended to4#ahb ,in the fatal winter that followed1 the engineer mules were thus protected from its rigours1 while the unsheltered baggage animals of different corps1 and even the troop horses1 fell dead in frightful numbers at their tethers4 ,the great storm of ,november1 #ahed1 rendered the animals almost powerless and the little strength they possessed wholly gave way when the slightest pressure was applied to derive from their employment any urgent assistance4 ,nothing on the other hand baffled the few mules attached to the engineer department but the conveyance of the huts2 and this was a service so extremely heavy1 it was utterly beyond their capabilities4 ,to corporal ,matthew ,stevens was attributed the preservation of the engineer transport stud4 ,he had with him a small party of sappers who soon turned themselves into efficient drivers1 and emulating the energy and care of the corporal1 assisted to produce a result which became a striking incident of the campaign4#ahc ,so effective an adjunct of the siege was the rifle screen1 that on the left attack four pits commanding the ,woronzoff ravine were commenced in front of the second parallel on the night of the #bbnd ,april and daily additions were made to the number4 ,a fortnight later other pits in the same attack were made extending from the right of the second parallel to the front of the third1 and also from the right flank of ,no4 #h battery4 ,the chain consisted of forty holes spotting the ground with light troops in snug and commanding positions4 ,these were commenced by ,lieutenant ,c4 ,g4 ,gordon of the engineers1 with a force of #ahj linesmen and a proportion of #bd sappers who were that night allotted for the works4 ,in time the pits became an enlarged item in the system of attack1 and formed1 occasionally1 the starting points from which new zigzags or parallels were struck out4 ,old pits1 moreover1 which had been abandoned by the ,russians--as the besiegers' works compressed their circumvallation--were taken advantage of and turned against them4 ,corporal ,john ,landrey1 a very good sapper1 was noticed for his zeal and intelligence in leading and instructing the working parties on the #bdth1 and sergeant ,benjamin ,castledine1 while visiting a working party in the extended parallel to the right of the mortar battery on ,gordon's attack1 received a bullet wound in the hand4 ,battery ,no4 #aa for seven guns was begun in the night of the #bgth on a rocky eminence1 somewhat isolated though imposing1 to the left of the second parallel4 ,ground was broken by #cjj of the line and #ej seamen with as many sappers as could be taken out of #ce detailed that night for the trenches of the left attack4 ,captain ,porter had the direction of the work4 ,all his arrangements were so admirably carried out1 that the parapet--#bef long--was risen to a height of six feet1 and the two right gun portions and epaulment1 worked as a half sunken battery1 had a parapet nearly twelve feet thick revetted with sand-bags4 ,nor was this all2 the remaining portion of the battery1 shaped after the elevated form1 was revetted partly with casks and partly with gabions1 and obtained a thickness varying from seven to nine feet4 ,receiving no little access of spirit from the joyous exertions of the happy sailors1 the men worked hard and excellently1 but at the period of relief they left the battery jaded and exhausted4 ,sergeant ,jarvis1 and lance-corporals ,hanson1 ,j4 ,t4 ,collins1 and ,jenkins of the sappers1 acquired the credit of having laboured splendidly1 which was recorded to their honour in the orders of ,major-,general ,jones4 ,a constant and irritating fire was directed against the workmen the greater part of the night1 but the result when summed up1 was one slight wound1 and the smashing of six stands of arms4 ,a few nights later ,captain ,armit gave orders for the earth of the battery to be thrown well to the front4 ,with a manner less absolute than persuasive1 ,sergeant ,drew1 who was in charge1 requested the workmen to go on the parapet for the purpose1 but they refused1 alleging1 8it was sappers' work40 ,the moon was shining bright in the rear1 baring the battery to ,russian fire and rendering the duty anything but inviting4 ,taking ,rowland ,hill's plan of doing the work himself when his servants quarrelled about their legitimate portions1 the sergeant laid aside his jacket and pushing on the merlon toiled away like a navvy4 ,distributed to various details of the battery1 the sappers hearing that the working party had declined to assist1 left their several tasks and joined the sergeant4 ,this was more than a brave rifleman could well bear1 and with an example that none of the workmen cared to imitate1 he attempted to take his place with the shovellers2 but a sapper who happened to be below1 altogether averse to accepting any services which seemed to spring from other considerations than duty1 pulled the rifleman down1 observing1 in tones of sarcastic resentment1 8that1 as the work was1 according to the opinions of the party1 purely sappers' work1 none but sappers ought to share in the credit of its execution40 ,the strengthening of the merlon1 therefore1 that night1 with heavy discharges of shot and some shell directed against it1 was wholly carried out by sergeant ,drew and his sappers4 ,before the end of ,april1 a few men of the corps assisted by working parties completed a hut for the general officer of the trenches on the right attack with stout timbers and sheeting and gave it as much proof with sand-bags and earth as practicable4 ,a similar chamber was reared soon after for the general on the left4 ,considering its position it was a cozy quarter in the storm1 and its social character was enhanced by the introduction of an old door and a glazed window screened from fire by a traverse4 ,all that it wanted was a stove and the wreathing smoke from a chimney-pot to make it a palace for a peasant4 ,the engineer hovel of the left attack--used as an office by each succeeding engineer as he took possession of the trenches--exhibited some points of needy refinement2 for it not only possessed a door and a glazed sash1 but a stove with a pipe leading through the splinter proof roof which boasted a covering of asphalted felt6 ,from a sunken foundation the hut rose up under a broad parapet in the first parallel between ,nos4 #a and #b batteries1 and was built chiefly of sand-bags with an interior nearly ten feet square fitted with the bare conveniences of seats and a desk--all1 however1 sufficiently rough to identify the structure with the rigours of a stern siege4 ,in the area in front of the hut was a sort of engineer dept from whence the tools and materials were distributed to the working parties4 ,meanwhile the sappers in small batches or in ones and twos were lost among the military operatives1 distinguished by the badge of a piece of tracing tape around their caps4 ,usually in the #ba-;gun battery were found the greatest number and half a brigade or so of selected men could be counted in each of the new batteries on the right attack4 ,these run from #aj to #ad4 ,on ,greenhill the works also claimed a share of sapper labour1 but in the batteries numbered #aj and #aa on the left1 the parties1 as far as strength was concerned1 were more ostentatious4 ,to be a little precise1 let a survey of their engagements be undertaken4 ,look first among the embrasures1 and there1 ant-like1 is seen an isolated red-coat coolly pegging up hides or fixing gabions1 while two or three carpenters1 with upturned sleeves1 are discovered crouching low1 fixing platforms or renewing sleepers and fighting bolts4 ,go next to the caves and call--8,sapper80 ,one immediately emerges from its murkiness1 spade in hand1 with begrimed face and dishevelled beard1 to show the quality of his exertions4 ,step to the saps right and left1 and in each on bended knee with whirling pick and cap well down is traced the sapper4 ,to his sturdy efforts the earth yields and the gabion soon is filled4 ,watch him as he goes ahead with cautious crawl and daringly places another basket on the line4 ,how many rifle balls1 how many shots fly past1 few can tell2 but on he urges as if nothing had occurred1 and perhaps the next discharge kills him4 ,steal now along the trench to its advanced limit1 and there is seen a group of busy miners black with gunpowder in shallow depths1 blasting the rock to deepen the approach and strengthen the cover4 ,how well they know their art4 ,not a head is seen above the young parapet and scarcely that of a hammer2 but when a strong blow is required1 up it goes and the sun sparkling on the burnished steel gives a mark to the enemy4 ,bullets from the screens are quickly fired and an occasional shot trundles in among them1 but undauntedly they proceed1 watchful as dogs1 till at last the mine explodes4 ,a volume of vapour affords another indication of their activity to the enemy4 ,shot and shell plunge on and tear up the ground1 but the miners have flown to a distance and quietly await the cessation of the fire to resume their tasks4 ,walk over to the sailors' battery where surely none but seamen may be seen4 ,there1 in truth1 the blue jackets are in droves with their droll sayings and unsteady gait2 but press forward4 8,is that a marine80 8,no1 it's a sapper trimming the parapet40 ,there1 too1 is another tricing up the flaccid cheeks of an embrasure2 and beyond is a third giving position to platforms for sea-service mortars or naval guns4 ,go round that traverse3 the universal man is there completing it2 another is strengthening the parapet2 another repairing the merlon2 a fourth is in the right epaulment2 a fifth in the left2 a sixth is elsewhere constructing loopholes with barrels2 others are revetting the works with tubs1 casks1 gabions1 and hide-bags1 while a couple of broad-backed miners are burrowing underground and driving a tunnel into the jaws of some convenient cavern4 ,the tour is incomplete without a visit to the pits4 ,come with the night relief and see them4 ,jump into that screen2 there again is the sapper enlarging loopholes or picking the rock to sink the pit4 ,plunge into the next one3 there too is the military ,tonson improving the cover with stones while the eager riflemen jostle him as they press forward to get a chance shot at some unwary ,russian4 ,enter now the #ba-;gun battery where four magazines are rebuilding4 ,the sappers are quite at home raising the frames by the sickly beams of a feeble siege lamp2 but look1 a flying stone has just broken the horn and the wind has extinguished the flame4 ,yet1 undiscouraged1 the sappers work away by feeling the points and bases of their timbers4 ,go where you will1 in battery1 trench1 or mine1 a sapper is the centre of each party toiling at his hazardous vocation through the long dark night4 ,daylight has returned4 8,what can that moaning noise be80 ,a #ac-;inch shell has dashed against a magazine and blown it up6 ,the gunners are maimed1 suffocated1 or killed6 and the timbers are either carried away or left charred and tottering on the rock4 ,run and see the effect4 ,the magazine is a ruin1 the ground smokes and burns1 and the dead and mutilated are being borne away2 but there again are the sappers tearing through the smouldering frames and fallen planks1 examining the extent of the disaster and preparing for the restoration4 8,these men tho' few in number seem everywhere and in everything4 ,what can be their motto80 8,ubique quo fas et gloria ducunt60 8,that accounts for it40 ,at midnight on the #bnd ,may1 a sapper was putting a new face to the embrasure of the flank gun in ,no4 #h battery1 on the left attack1 when a round shot ploughed the crest of the parapet on its right flank and struck down ,lieutenant ,carter of the engineers1 killing at the same moment ,lieutenant ,curtis of the #dfth regiment4 ,the flying sand bespattered the workman but he was else unhurt4 ,quitting the embrasure1 he sought by his attention to lighten1 if possible1 the mortal throes of his officer4 ,in a few moments all was over1 and the sapper1 with grave sympathy1 bore away the body of that brave young man to the camp4 ,with the morning relief of the #crd1 #fj sappers were sent to the trenches1 who in addition to the duty of overseers laid platforms in ,no4 #ad and the #ba-;gun batteries4 ,sergeant ,philip ,morant1 while superintending on the right1 was slightly wounded in the shoulder by a rifle bullet1 which1 being almost spent1 bounded back after delivering the blow4 ,this was his first day in the trenches4 ,no4 #a battery on the left attack1 which was much cut up1 was completely renovated by thirteen sappers2 and four miners performed good service in blasting a communication to the ammunition caves4 ,in the ensuing night the advance boyau to rifle-pit on the right attack was prolonged and strengthened1 and a strong party of the corps worked with acknowledged energy in constructing ,no4 #ab mortar battery on the left4 ,some also were with a line party adding solidity to the broad parapet of ,no4 #h battery1 who1 however1 were subsequently removed1 as the clear moon1 shining in a cerulean sky1 exposed the men to an annoying fire of grape from the ,redan4 ,two nights later1 there were forty-three of the corps in the trenches2 twenty being scattered in the right works1 and twenty-three in the left4 ,a sortie on the left sap of the ,gordon attack interrupted the operations1 but the enemy was driven back without effecting any serious detriment to the works4 ,a heavy fire of shells was also directed against the #ba-;gun battery1 and though the casualties for the night amounted to #d killed1 #ah wounded1 and #b missing1 none of the sappers were touched4 ,at the time of the attack eight rank and file of the corps were in ,no4 #ad battery repairing embrasures1 #a in the second parallel making loop-holes and patching up the parapet1 #b in ,no4 #h battery replacing dislodged sand-bags1 and #b in the #ba-;gun battery filling up the chasms in the fourteenth embrasure and altering the features of the twentieth4 ,about an hour after midnight on the #hth1 sergeant ,drew had dismissed a working party under charge of second-corporal ,fraser employed in forming rifle-pits in advance of the third parallel4 ,retiring together1 they resolved to visit the caves known by the name of the 8,ovens10 then the post of the advanced picquet1 to see a communication1 which had been much talked of by the sappers1 cut through the solid rock by private ,simon ,williams1 by which an unexposed track was open from cave to cave4 ,they were dressed at the time in ,mackintoshes1 fur caps1 and long boots4 ,the officer in charge of the picquet at the 8,ovens10 apparently unaware that works were in progress in his front1 was struck with the intrusion of the visitors and captured them as spies4 ,speaking good ,english was no proof they were not ,russians1 and accordingly they were sent to the field-officer of the trenches1 ,lord ,west1 under a strong sergeant's escort4 ,trying to guide it by a nearer way than the one it was taking1 was received as a certain indication of their character1 for the guard fancied 8the spies0 were planning to beguile them into ,sebastopol4 ,indeed they had some misgiving that the two sappers were a couple of clever desperadoes1 ready for any cruel work that their evil natures might prompt them to perpetrate4 ,the escort therefore marched1 brimful of caution1 with the prisoners1 and were only too glad1 on reaching the goal1 to be rid of such a pair of suspicious adventurers4 ,on being confronted with his lordship1 he asked them many searching queries1 to which they gave remarkably accurate replies2 but the question of their identity was at length settled by ,captain ,armit1 the engineer officer on duty for the night who had just returned from the rifle-pits by another route4 ,of course they were at once released1 and many a good laugh was enjoyed at the pardonable blunder of capturing two honest sappers as ,russian spies4 ,water in the trenches had now become scarce2 indeed1 the cisterns in the #ba-;gun battery1 formed of barrels1 were dry4 ,this gave rise to the prudent precaution of sending the working parties to the lines with full canteens4 ,new wells were immediately sunk by the sappers in the quarries of the #ba-;gun battery1 and cans1 barrels1 and metal powder cases deposited in promising spots along the parallels1 to allure the springs to the desired outlets4 ,very limited was the area for exploring1 and the water therefore was never sufficiently plentiful to relieve the workmen from the necessity of filling their water-bottles prior to entering the batteries4 ,about a fortnight later1 the well in the second parallel on the right attack yielded a fair supply4 ,it was a sort of pool of ,siloam for the weary and thirsty1 and to shield them from casualty in their pilgrimage to it1 the assiduous efforts of #d sappers and #bj linesmen threw up a parapet with sufficient altitude1 to afford them convenient shelter4 ,during the darkness of the #ith1 a sortie was made by the ,russians which was gallantly repulsed by the guard of the trenches on the right4 ,the ,russians left many dead on the field1 while the casualties among the besiegers did not exceed #ac wounded4 ,there were #bj sappers in the right works at the time1 who1 as soon as the sortie terminated1 were doubled up to the left advance saps1 and before the coming relief1 replaced the gabions and sand-bags which had been capsized and plugged up all the gaps and shot-holes in the parapets4 ,that night a new communication was begun from the second parallel to the right advanced trench4 ,eight sappers were employed in heading the sap and lodging the gabions1 of which no less than #aej were firmly fixed2 and the cover obtained was such that the exertions of the workmen were justly praised4 ,the work was on the slope of a hill exposed to an oblique fire2 and though difficult to form the parapet at the extremity from the presence of rock1 it yielded at length to perseverance which was as constant as intrepid4 ,the tenth company under ,lieutenant-,colonel ,gordon and ,major ,stanton of the engineers1 were afloat in the #8,william ,jackson1' with the expedition to the ,sea of ,azof from the #crd to the #hth of ,may4 ,without attempting operations1 the troops were suddenly recalled1 and landing at ,balaklava on the #hth1 the sapper contingent marched two days later to their old places in the trenches4 ,rain set in on the night of the #ajth and turned the lines into wet ditches4 ,working parties1 furnished as usual1 persevered in vain to make way against the drenching storm and the strong wind that blew4 ,every step buried them over their shoe-tops4 ,returning to camp1 wet and miserable1 with soaked beards swabbing their breasts1 not a few seemed by their bemired appearance1 as if some catastrophe had rolled them in a marsh4 ,throughout the day of the #aath the rain continued to pour2 the mud had much increased1 and sheets of water stood in the batteries and parallels at places where hollows or uneven ground favoured such accumulations4 ,the soles of the embrasures were ankle deep1 and seams were made in the merlons and roofs of the magazines by the wearing flow of the rain4 ,the sappers and working parties again held their places in the batteries1 for nothing excused them as long as there was a chance of making progress1 however trivial4 ,much was attempted1 but little succeeded beyond replacing some overturned gabions and patching up rifts in some of the more important constructions4 ,sergeant ,kester ,knight1 and a small force of carpenters on the right attack1 toiled with exemplary zeal at one of the magazines of ,no4 #ad battery2 but their progress was at length interrupted by a considerable portion of the timber prepared for the work having been abstracted4 ,some of the beef barrels1 likewise1 wanted for revetments in other parts of the trenches1 were unhooped1 and the staves captured for camp uses by the working party4 ,strange that men should sacrifice to personal objects the very means provided to give efficiency and success to the operations for defending them6 ,on the night of the #aath no working party was provided the weather being fearfully stormy4 ,there were1 however1 #bd sappers1 heavily clothed in long boots1 overcoats1 and waterproofs1 dispersed in the right trenches under ,lieutenant ,graves of the engineers1 who worked through the darkness unsheltered from the rain4 ,one brigade was extended in the new communication on the right1 in front of ,no4 #h mortar battery1 blasting the rock and building the loosened boulders into the parapet2 another brigade was in ,no4 #ad battery1 attending to the magazines and embrasures and clearing the choked-up channels for the passage of the water into the ravine4 ,eight carpenters were engaged for awhile in laying platforms in ,no4 #ab battery1 but the rain fell with such heaviness1 that the spaces prepared to receive the sleepers were soon inundated4 ,in this extremity the men made furrows in the sloughy ground1 and thus drained the sites to permit them1 when the storm should abate1 to resume their tasks4 ,nothing1 it would seem1 was enough to induce the ,russians to seek repose2 rather1 indeed1 the presence of storms1 the more angry the better1 whetted their spirit for activity and assault4 ,two hours before midnight they opened a sharp fire of musketry1 accompanied by a cannonading of shells upon our works1 which was stoutly met by incessant volleys from the guard of the trenches and five guns in the #ba-;gun battery4 ,on the left attack1 where ,captain ,hassard was on duty1 there were only four sappers to carry out his orders4 ,but little could be expected from such initial means in such a supremely dismal night4 ,in about two hours1 however1 under a constant torrent1 they altered the flank embrasure of ,no4 #h battery1 to enable its gun to play into the extreme ,russian rifle-pit on the right4 ,just as they had finished1 corporal ,thomas ,kirkwood1 who had subordinate charge of the party1 heard the bustle of an approaching sortie4 ,communicating the intelligence to his officer1 ,captain ,hassard flew through the zig-zags and parallels and had the guard of the trenches in readiness to meet it4 ,this was barely accomplished when the enemy tore up the hill from the rifle-screens in the ,woronzoff ravine4 ,now they were near the parapet1 and about to enter at its most accessible points2 but so close and prompt was the resistance they received from the works that a hasty retreat was the consequence4 ,light balls1 thrown from a ,cohorn mortar in ,no4 #g battery1 discovered a second column pressing to the centre of the advanced parallel4 ,a few1 more daring than the rest1 even jumped into the trenches2 but the vigour of the besiegers pushed back the assault with severe loss to the enemy4 ,no4 #a battery opened on the quarries1 ,no4 #b on the ,redan1 and some effective rounds were fired from the flank gun of ,no4 #h battery by ,captain ,collingwood ,dickson of the artillery4 ,the loss sustained by the ,british was #a officer and #e men killed2 #a officer and about #cj men wounded4 ,the four sappers being unarmed1 were withdrawn to preserve them from danger4 ,where sand-bag revetments had been used1 the havoc committed by the tempest was general4 ,want of slope was the cause4 ,being early constructions1 they had not shared in the improvements which experience had subsequently introduced4 ,some of the works1 loosened by degrees1 fell down and encumbered the trench4 ,the surgeon's hut was a ruin4 ,sixty-four sappers were appointed to the trenches on the #abth ,may1 to make good the damages4 ,in a day or two the medical quarter in ,no4 #b battery on the left was rebuilt by #ag sappers2 the huts for the generals were repaired and strengthened2 the embrasures and magazines mended1 and all the revetments strongly bolstered up and properly battered4 ,the draining1 moreover1 was enlarged and considerable advancement made in all the details of the new batteries4 ,blasting rock on the left was a special feature in the day's labour4 ,twelve sappers were employed in the duty in ,no4 #aa battery1 and in front of the inner ammunition cave1 from which they also constructed a ladder to the shaft leading to the trench above4 ,showers were frequent during the day and heavier in the following night4 ,no working party was provided1 but #bj sappers under ,lieutenant ,drake1 who seemed to be invulnerable against inclemency1 were far away in advance draining the approach to the right rifle-pit in the ,gordon attack4 ,against the darkness and rain they endured with commendable resolution1 and though restricted by the storm in their exertions1 nevertheless afforded an instalment of relief to the screen4 ,a few of the most energetic and skilful also rebuilt1 in the #ba-;gun battery1 an embrasure which had been washed down by the rain4 ,so went on the works to the #aeth1 when private ,reuben ,wiles1 one of a few miners employed in cutting rock at the caves on the left attack1 in connection with the left boyau1 was wounded4 ,during the preceding night1 the heavy firing from the ,creek batteries had upset several of the gabions and made a wide breach in the parapet4 ,it was when passing this gap1 bearing gunpowder and fuses for blasting purposes1 that a round shot1 striking the broken angle of the trench1 tore away a sand-bag1 and threw it full at the chest of the miner4 ,wiles1 who was knocked down by the blow1 was also covered with a shower of stones2 which1 besides bruising him in different places1 made a gash across his nose1 contused one of his eyes1 and wounded him in the right knee4 ,a similar accident1 the following night1 wounded private ,edward ,r4 ,hodgkinson severely in the head4 ----- ,footnote #ahj3 ,some young officers--sportive yet enterprising--hearing of the nearness of the ,russians to our works1 paid a visit to the lodgment1 bringing with them loaded soda-water bottles prepared with fuzes4 ,as occasion served they lighted these improvisd grenades1 and threw them among the enemy's riflemen in the pit4 ,the effect was to increase the fire on the sappers and retard the work4 ,in self-defence the sergeant was compelled to report the annoyance1 and the ,general of the trenches gave orders that none should enter the pits except on duty4 ,a ,polish refugee1 belonging to a fusilier regiment1 also came to the screen under the auspices of the young officers aforesaid4 ,a hole was made for him to speak through1 and addressing the ,russians in their own language1 his jargon was discourteously treated with laughter and a few angry shots4 ,renewing the interview the fusilier1 after saying some extravagant things to induce the riflemen to desert1 concluded by intimating 8they were great fools to remain where they were40 ,another volley was the result of this candid but indiscreet communication2 and of course the ,pole was forthwith expelled from the trench4 ,footnote #aha3 ,this suggests the mention of a brief conversation which occurred one day between ,colonel ,shadforth and lance-corporal ,jenkins4 8,how is it10 asked the ,colonel1 8that so few sappers die80 8,they hav'nt time10 replied the corporal2 8there's too much work for them to do in the trenches60 ,a stiff glass of grog from the officer's canteen was the result of ,jenkins's rejoinder1 which would have been strictly true1 had the question been asked with respect to the primitive state of the sapper camp4 ,footnote #ahb3 ,sir ,john ,burgoyne in letter to the #8,times1' ,may1 #ahee4 ,footnote #ahc3 ,the means taken to preserve the engineer mules was referred to in the ,second ,report of ,sir ,john ,mc,neill and ,colonel ,tulloch to the ,war ,minister1 as an instance of what other troops might have done had they exercised common 8promptitude or ingenuity40 ,it afterwards became a vexed question1 and a ,court of ,enquiry1 conducted by seven distinguished ,general ,officers1 sat for many weeks at ,chelsea ,hospital1 to ascertain1 among other matters1 whether any blame was fairly attributable to the officers in chief command for neglecting the use of expedients to save the horses4 ,the enquiry terminated fully exculpating the officers4 #ahee4 #afth ,may-#gth ,june4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,the batteries--,stoical tranquillity in blasting rock--,round-hill or fourth parallel--,state of the works--,siege materials and expedients--,corporal ,william ,swann--,expedition to ,kertch--,second international communication--,no4 #ae battery on the right--,rope mantlets--,hospital caves--,companies reviewed by ,general ,jones--,french officers' opinion of the corps--,repairing right rifle pit--,arrival of ninth company--,progress of the works--,third bombardment--,bravery in the embrasures--,corporal ,stanton in the batteries of the second parallel on the right attack--,casualties--,first appearance of ninth company in the trenches--,the sailors--,voluntary resolution of ,corporal ,lockwood and his sappers--,the engineers--,inobtrusive devotion in an embrasure--,adam ,mc,kechnie--,death of ,captain ,dawson--,selection of old sappers for front duty2 their sterling exertions--,labours in the batteries2 platforms--,magazine blown up--,russian plan of extending their trenches--,capture of the quarries and white works---,the lodgment--,death of ,lieutenant ,lowry2 bravery of corporal ,stanton--,casualties--,lord ,raglan's approbation of the sappers--,infernal machines in the quarries4 ,by the #afth ,may all the batteries as far as ,no4 #ad on the right1 and ,nos4 #aj and #aa on the left1 were finished and provided with pieces of heavy artillery4 ,no4 #ad1 founded on a bed of rock1 was strongly built in the centre of the second parallel1 and the cheeks of its embrasures1 formed in the ordinary way with gabions and sand-bags1 were lined with hide-bags4 ,no4 #aj was partly revetted with stones2 and ,no4 #aa1 from the hard nature of the ground1 occasioned considerable difficulty in its construction1 inasmuch as mining--a tedious operation under fire--was constantly resorted to to procure cover4 ,it was chiefly revetted with casks and gabions4 ,the two latter batteries were also built in the second parallel1 the former to fight the barrack battery1 and the latter1 rising from a trench which run out at right angles from a backward bend of the parallel to the crest of a precipitous cliff1 raked the ,picket-,house ravine and the cemetery1 and plunged its shells into the works at the dock-yard creek4 ,soon after commencing ,no4 #aa1 the firing into it was very hot one morning4 ,corporal ,hollis had charge of #bjj men engaged in various details connected with its progress1 the bulk of the workmen being scattered over the shelving rocks of the ravine in rear1 collecting earth from the nooks and hollows to fill the sand-bags4 ,shells played on them from the bastion du ,mt and an unseen battery near the creek1 which killed three men and wounded four others4 ,grumbling at an exposure which was considered to be uncalled for1 #aej of them were withdrawn2 and as the #ej that remained scarcely cared to prolong a stay which cost them now and then a casualty1 it was pleasant1 amid so much hesitation1 to see one cool fellow doing his duty4 ,private ,clubb1 who was drilling a hole to blast the foundation for a platform1 was sitting behind a full gabion that blinded the neck of a partly-cut embrasure1 and being intended for a sea-service gun1 it had a genoullre only about a foot in height4 ,presently he was covered with earth by a shot which struck the gabion and passed a few inches over his head into the ravine in rear4 8,that's close shaving1 ,hollis10 said he1 looking up with a calm smile without losing his hold of the jumper2 and thinking the incident undeserving of any further notice1 he retained his seat and resumed the boring with as much unconcern as if he knew nothing of fear4 ,a batch of rifle-pits on the left attack1 commenced in front of ,nos4 #g and #h batteries1 subsequently became an extended series of screens1 spotting the ridge on its very brow1 each connected with the other by an approach1 which1 in time1 encircled the hill and formed a continuous line of intrenchment for musketry fire within fair range of the enemy's batteries and quarries4 ,as the nights were bright1 a heavy cross fire of shells and grape was constantly poured upon the sappers and workmen1 that rendered the operation as trying as perilous2 but it well repaid the trouble and courage exercised in its construction1 as the riflemen picked off the ,russian gunners1 and thus silenced some of the ordnance which cannonaded the trenches from the ,redan and barrack batteries4 ,the round-hill trench--an astonishing achievement of persevering skill and courage1 formed1 for the most part1 through rock at an extraordinary outlay of labour1 under very adverse circumstances and interruptions from the galling play of musketry and artillery--was designated the fourth parallel1 and though it was at no time armed with a battery1 it was mailed at all points with selected light troops4 ,every hour made obvious the necessity of hastening the termination of a struggle which had swallowed up an army in its checkered events4 ,the secret of success in a siege1 next to good generalship1 is expedition in the construction of essential works and attention to their efficiency4 ,this was ever borne in mind2 and though opposed by astounding obstacles1 never a day passed but a sensible addition was made to the vast network of trenches4 ,parallels and approaches now covered the hills1 and saps daringly progressed in front4 ,dingy pits filled with groups of prying and fatal marksmen studded the advances and flanks4 ,caves were augmented in size and number in the sides of the ravines to give safety to the gunpowder1 and shell-rooms were constructed to hold the combustibles4 ,all existing batteries were maintained intact and new works by degrees were thrown up in front to grapple with the sturdy formations of the ,russians4 ,as they were finished1 the masks which blinded the apertures were removed1 and heavy guns1 peering through them1 flashed on the enemy's works4 ,one hundred and sixty-five guns and mortars of all weights and calibres were in position1 and the average distance of the advanced batteries from the ,russian lines was1 on the right1 for #aa guns and #e mortars1 #cfj yards2 and on the left1 for #bj guns and #c mortars1 about #dfj yards4 ,many were the expedients introduced to supply the absence or deficiency of the usual siege materials1 or to take the place of established contrivances which had now proved their comparative uselessness4 ,the ,madras platform fully gave place to the ,alderson invention4 ,iron-hooped gabions were resorted to with increased favour for revetments1 but as it was found that the earth--when its moisture had dispersed--riddled through the hoops and lessened the amount of protection they were calculated to afford1 the precaution was taken of packing them with bags filled with sand or small stones4 ,wicker baskets1 which had held an immemorial reputation1 still maintained their fame1 but the constant drain on them had wholly impoverished the parks4 ,not a stick could be gathered in the vicinity to augment the supply1 and ,balaklava and the neighbouring heights and hollows were hopelessly explored for brushwood4 ,saplings for the purpose were therefore brought from ,karani and even from ,constantinople and ,sinope4 ,hide-bags now seemed to outvie with the canvas ones1 and sheets of tough bull's skin were picketed to the cheeks of the embrasures to save the gabions and fascines from taking fire4 ,nevertheless1 the sand-bag--the ancient ally of the brushwood gabion--stood its ground1 and to economize its expenditure1 beef and powder barrels1 casks1 and tubs were used in the shady parts of the works4 ,fragile things1 too1 were the sand-bags1 for they frequently burst by concussion or the influence of the weather1 and1 moreover1 required nice adjustment to make them lie effectively4 ,from the pressure behind they sometimes tumbled down4 ,the doctor's hut1 from this cause1 fell with a crash and more than astonished the busy occupants2 and to obviate the recurrence of similar disasters1 a greater slope was imparted to the parapets and walls4 ,two guns were spread over the space allotted to three1 which greatly enlarged the mass of the batteries4 ,the magazines were formed of a triangular shape as being less liable to injury than the quadrangular ones4 ,splinter proofs were raised in all the works to protect the artillerymen when not working at the guns and afford them shelter from the burning sun or pelting rain4 ,parados were erected in the batteries to shield the workmen and others from splinters and flying stones set in motion by bounding shot or bursting shells4 ,a crusade was also entered against banquettes except where indispensable for defensive positions4 ,in other situations they reduced the amount of cover which a safe parallel or communication should possess and subjected the besiegers to unnecessary casualty4 ,copying the ,russians1 loop-holes were made to the rifle-screens in the body of the parapet1 and the simple but hazardous employment of sand-bags for this purpose was in great part abandoned4 ,other refinements were also introduced by this time4 ,sun-shades and tentes d'abris were scattered in profusion through the works2 but however excellent were the conveniences thus afforded1 they did not escape an occasional removal1 to convert the props into firewood1 and the canvas into long under-gaiters1 waistcoats1 or towels4 ,corporal ,william ,swann1 who had distinguished himself at the battle of ,giurgevo1 was severely wounded on the #bjth by a grape-shot while in the trenches of the left attack4 ,his right leg being amputated1 his stamina went with it and he expired4 ,he had just been promoted to the rank of corporal for his activity and usefulness in the batteries4 ,at the same attack in the third parallel private ,neil ,campbell was killed on the #bast ,may by a round shot1 which carried away a portion of his head1 while building an abutment on the left of the traverse in ,no4 #ad battery4 ,private ,joseph ,finch working by his side1 with a bared breast1 was hit by a fragment of his comrade's skull1 which stuck like an arrow in his neck4 ,a division of the army sent to the ,sea of ,azof1 under the command of ,lieutenant-,general ,sir ,george ,brown1 to reduce the ,russian strongholds on the coast1 took with it #dc men of the seventh company1 who embarked in the #8,bahiana' at ,balaklava on the #bbnd ,may and landed at ,kimish-,corum in the neighbourhood of ,kertch on the #bdth4 ,captain ,hassard commanded the sappers1 with whom were ,captain ,stanton and ,lieutenants ,murray and ,drake4 ,lieutenant-,colonel ,gordon directed the engineering arrangements4 ,after assisting the ,land ,transport corps in landing and removing the stores and horses1 in which their services were most useful1 they burnt down the bullet manufactory in the suburbs of ,kertch2 threw up1 with the infantry1 a line of intrenchments from the sea to the centre of the position1 the ,french constructing the other moiety2 demolished several sea batteries commanding the channel of the ,sea of ,azof1 and made preparations by collecting stores and materials for an attack on ,anapa4 ,on the #bcrd1 at night1 was begun on the right attack a trench along the track which interposed between our right and the ,french ,inkermann left4 ,the old arm which some time before had been made to grasp the works of the allies1 was now enfiladed from the ,russian trenches in front of the ,mamelon1 and many men having been picked off by musketry in passing1 it was regarded as too unsafe for future use4 ,the work was divided into two portions4 ,eight sappers were allotted to the first1 and one hundred of the infantry1 with eight other sappers1 to the second4 ,it was a very exposed quarter1 and the men selected to take the lead1 accustomed to foremost duty1 knew well how to force the work with the least amount of danger4 ,the excavations were pushed on rapidly1 re-using from the old communication the gabions which revetted it4 ,a field-piece from the enemy constantly fired on the party1 without1 however1 interrupting the work or occasioning any casualty4 ,next night eight fresh sappers and one hundred linesmen were distributed in the communication1 who were exposed to so harassing a fire from the ,mamelon and other batteries1 that ,lieutenant ,james of the engineers had some difficulty in inducing the working party to go on steadily4 ,the sappers1 however1 urged a-head1 dropping gabion after gabion1 checked ever and anon by an excess of fire1 which caused them to stoop for shelter under the securer parapet4 ,in about an hour1 the workmen becoming cool1 they handled their tools with unexpected earnestness4 ,sixty-three gabions--all that were brought from the abandoned parallel--were staked4 ,thirty-eight of them were filled1 for which distance tolerable cover was thrown up4 ,great as was the cannonading it was singularly harmless2 but just as the party were about to leave the trenches1 a shell from a howitzer mounted in the works at the left of the round tower1 fell into the communication1 killing private ,richard ,walsh and wounding private ,george ,wood and another sapper1 as also two of the workmen4 ,each succeeding relief gave itself to the work with activity1 preserving the strictest discipline4 ,rock had often to be removed to deepen and widen the trench1 and it required at times more than usual caution and judgment in placing the gabions4 ,seldom were fewer than sixty fixed in prolongation of the work1 but as this was always done by the flying method1 the sappers were necessarily exposed during the whole distance4 ,in returning from the head of the work1 it was not an uncommon occurrence to find several of the gabions thrown down by projectiles from the ,mamelon4 ,here1 then1 was the greatest danger1 but not less expert than resolute1 the capsized baskets were speedily reset by the overseers and adjusted to the trace4 ,so went on the trench till the night of the #bhth ,may1 when the sappers1 with admirable coolness1 running along the remaining trace planted sixty-six gabions4 ,the last gabion entered a cutting through the old international communication--a part of it free from enfilade fire4 ,it was thus embodied with the new work and that night the confederate parallel was re-established4 ,on the #bdth was commenced ,no4 #ae battery on the right attack for three mortars1 by a brigade of sappers and #ajj men4 ,it was traced on the crest of the ,woronzoff ravine among some quarries1 by ,lieutenant ,james of the engineers1 #ej feet of which offered a natural revetment4 ,the remainder of the trace was marked by a lodgment of fifteen gabions4 ,good work was performed though the site was rocky1 and before daylight the parapet was well risen4 ,heaps of stones1 which were contiguous1 were built into it and both epaulments4 ,vigilant as was the enemy1 he did not discover the battery and it proceeded that night without molestation4 ,by the #bnd ,june it was ready to join issue in the struggle4 ,it was a solid construction2 the communication to it1 through an indurated soil1 was very strong2 and situated on the extreme left of the second parallel1 it was the only battery which1 for a while1 watched the road and ravine4 ,it1 moreover1 fired into the ,redan4 ,in numbers #g and #h batteries on the left1 mantlets of tarred cordage were suspended across the necks of the embrasures to mask them from the enemy4 ,this was1 apparently1 the first time of their employment in the ,british batteries4 ,simple as they were1 they fulfilled the object of their use4 ,each of the mats had a narrow cut at the bottom to allow the gun to run out and also a small opening for the artillerymen to take aim4 ,where all is rough and dependent in some measure upon experience acquired in hazardous situations1 and the quick adaptation of the commonest means to different ends1 the application of the rope mantlets was forcibly in keeping with the grim and rugged character of the trenches4 ,one of the hospital caves was in ,no4 #g battery which had been deepened and widened by the miners' art into a chamber of approved dimensions4 ,other huts there were in the trenches in no case exceeding seven feet in height1 but the capacity of one or more gave measurements of six by fifteen feet4 ,they were built after the fashion of magazines1 but so arranged as to admit more light for the surgeons on duty to carry out those primary remedies which the injuries of the wounded imperatively demanded4 ,major-,general ,jones reviewed the corps in the ,crimea on the #beth ,may4 ,seven companies passed under his inspection4 ,one1 at the time1 was with the ,kertch expedition4 ,thinned by the casualty of war1 sickness1 death1 and invalids1 the sapper force then paraded1 scarcely exceeded #djj bayonets4 ,the major-general's impressions of the inspection and his opinion of the services and character of the sappers were eulogized in a report to ,sir ,john ,burgoyne4 8,it affords me10 writes the general1 8great pleasure to be enabled to state1 that the appearance of the men was most satisfactory1 and more so than might have been expected after the severe trials they had to undergo during the severity of the winter1 and their constant and very laborious duties in the trenches since ,october last1 and which they have performed with a zeal and readiness which reflects the highest credit upon them4 ,their conduct has1 with few exceptions1 been exemplary4 ,the officers attached to the several companies evince a strong desire to have them in the best state of efficiency1 and pay the greatest attention to the interior economy1 c4 ,it is surprising that the discipline of the companies should be so good as it is1 considering the disadvantages the men labour under from the frequent change of officers attached to them4 ,the eleventh company has had seven commanding officers within a few months4 8,no medals10 concludes the general1 8have been sent out for the royal sappers and miners for distinguished conduct4 ,the strength of the corps serving with the army is equal to any regiment of the line1 and1 therefore1 the sappers and miners should be considered entitled to the same number1 at least1 as have been sent out for a regiment2 and by the conduct of so many men who have distinguished themselves1 there will not be any difficulty of finding men entitled to them under the terms of the royal warrant40 ,a ,french officer of high rank who had served before ,sebastopol and possessed opportunities of studying the organization and soldierly attributes of the ,british army1 communicated his opinions of the service to a brother officer at ,paris4 ,publicity was given to his views in a free translation by a retired ,british officer in the #8,daily ,news4' ,that concerning the engineers and sappers appeared in its columns--strangely enough--on the very day the inspection just noticed was made1 and forms an apposite counterpart to the handsome acknowledgment of ,major-,general ,jones4 8,i will begin10 says the writer1 8with the ,english engineers1 a corps which1 from what ,i have seen of its working1 can never have been excelled and seldom equalled in any army in the world4 ,the education of the officers1 the training and intelligence of the men1 the activity of the whole corps1 and the manner in which they carry on their works1 are fully equal to the same qualifications in our own regiments of engineers4 ,of the courage of these troops ,i need not speak--they are like the rest of the ,english1 brave almost to a fault4 ,if ever there was a corps of which a nation should be proud it is that of the ,english engineers1 or sappers and miners as the men are called1 whilst the regiment itself and the officers are called the royal engineers40 ,on the #cast at night the sappers on the right were thus dispersed4 ,eight in ,no4 #ae battery2 six in the #ba-;gun battery taking down one of the naval magazines injured by a shell bursting on it2 and four in the new right boyau4 ,after the working party had left the trenches1 the sappers1 sent in advance to the right rifle pit1 restored before day-break1 the parapet which had been thrown down by the fire of the enemy1 and also effected indispensable repairs in the communication leading to the field-gun emplacement4 ,between the #bdth and #cast only one casualty had occurred--private ,george ,clubb wounded in the right hand by a round shot when repairing an embrasure4 ,june1 the ninth month of the siege1 had arrived1 but the end of the struggle was still distant4 ,many a hard day's work and many a furious fight was in store for the antagonists4 ,difficult and harassing as was the enterprise and frightful the carnage that month after month had occurred1 there was no ground for the confederates to be dismayed1 no reason for lessening that ardour1 which1 if steadily persevered in1 was sure to win the game4 ,as the works were spreading1 it was clear that to carry them on with expedition and success a reinforcement of sappers was essential4 ,appeals1 not without anxiety1 were made for them1 which were met by efforts of corresponding solicitude4 ,the ninth company1 almost reorganized1 sailed from ,liverpool in the #8,resolute' steamer on the #ith ,may and landed at ,balaklava1 #aah bayonets strong1 on the #dth ,june4 ,captain ,dawson1 of the engineers1 commanded it4 ,several men were in it who had served through the ,kaffir war and were present in that murderous razzia which swept off half the detachment in the ,konap ,pass4 ,the kind of warfare suited to contend with a barbaric race and to which they had been accustomed1 was ill adapted for the scientific and open field hostilities practised by civilized nations4 ,the sapping attainments1 therefore1 of the company fell short for a time of the requirements of the siege4 ,added to the right attack it passed a day or two in camp and then defiled into the trenches4 ,considerable advancement had been made in the ,british works1 in which an average of about sixty sappers for the day duties and forty for the night accompanied the several reliefs to the trenches4 ,on the #ast while laying gabions in the left advance sap on the right attack private ,john ,wright was killed by the explosion of a shell4 ,a magazine in the #ba-;gun battery being damaged by the enemy's fire six zealous men were turned into it to render it serviceable4 ,this they achieved in the open day amid the bursting of shells2 and the powder was replaced before nightfall4 ,a couple of sappers also assisted to make good the repairs to the picket-house battery2 others improved the tub revetment round the shaft of the ammunition caves2 others fixed additional chevaux-de-frise across the ,woronzoff road to block up the ravine2 and a moving force repaired by night the breaches which daily were made in the various batteries4 ,these were cleared of broken gabions1 shattered bags and loose earth1 and the embrasures were again finished with visages so stern and solid they seemed as if no harm had ever befallen them4 ,nos4 #ab1 #ac1 and #ad batteries were hourly growing into the required stature4 ,no4 #ab was on the curve of the second parallel at a point from whence issued a rocky communication to ,no4 #aa4 ,nos4 #ac and #ad1 with ,no4 #h between1 were situated on the crescent of the third parallel1 and communicated with ,no4 #ae on the right and #g on the left4 ,the circuitous trench or fourth parallel was strengthened in parts by a double gabionade1 and everywhere the sappers and line miners were blasting the rock to obtain stones for cover4 ,on the #eth at night a solitary sapper mounted the roof of the magazine in ,no4 #ad battery on the right attack1 cleared away some superabundant earth1 and after he had completed the service proceeded to one more dangerous4 ,it was the right rifle pit in advance of the third parallel4 ,the parapet had only just been thrown down by a round shot and wounded a man4 ,the next shot might have wounded him1 for the screen was accurately in range1 but no consideration was so paramount as the execution at all hazards of a necessary restoration4 ,warily1 and by degrees1 he filled up the gap while the fire was upon him1 and before day-break finished his fatiguing task4 ,it was arranged among the generals to make another assault preceded by an uninterrupted cannonade of some hours' duration4 ,accordingly at three o'clock on the afternoon of the #fth began the third bombardment4 ,the ,french opened with a crashing array of ordnance1 and the ,british had #aeh pieces of artillery in vigorous play1 to which the ,russians replied from more powerful armaments in the ,mamelon1 ,redan1 the barrack and upper garden batteries1 and those also from the town and creek4 ,admirably was the fire maintained4 ,projectiles of every weight crossed in showers1 but so dense was the smoke--resting like storm-clouds on the terrible scene--that neither side could take better aim than what the flashes of the guns afforded4 ,at dusk the cannonading waned on both sides1 at which time the enemy confined his demonstration to a few guns only4 ,all the ,russian works were much injured1 the batteries broken up1 and parapets and embrasures1 in part1 demolished4 ,those of the ,british1 on the contrary1 presented effects so disproportionate as to make the contrast between them and those of the besieged almost marvellous4 ,nos4 #i and #ad1 two contiguous batteries1 seated on the swell of the second parallel on the right attack1 however1 fared less fortunately than the rest3 they were knocked into strange shapes and three of their guns were disabled4 ,shot and shell flew into them so accurately that the revetments fell as if shaken by an earthquake into hopeless ruins4 ,all else stood nobly up1 escaping with only trivial injuries1 which a little sagacity and expertness in the sappers soon made sound and efficient4 ,there were told off for the batteries and trenches this day twenty-eight sappers for the right attack and sixty-one for the left1 who gave attention to the damages as they occurred1 and also in blowing up the rock in the new advanced trenches4 ,even while the bombardment was at its highest the miners were busy in the approaches to the fourth parallel1 turning with tedious process the jumper in the rock1 loading the holes which had been sufficiently deepened1 and firing them one after another in open day4 ,eight other sappers were employed in rebuilding the electric telegraph station in one of the dismal caves on the right attack4 ,all the men behaved with steadiness in their several duties1 and some showed so much confidence and daring in re-forming the shattered embrasures1 despite the firing1 that their names were brought to the notice of ,lord ,raglan4 ,these were corporal ,joseph ,j4 ,stanton1 second corporal ,samuel ,cole1 and private ,alexander ,mc,caughey1 to whom was presented by his lordship's order1 a donation of two pounds each in acknowledgment of their gallantry2 and subsequently each was honoured with the badge of a silver medal for 8distinguished service in the field10 accompanied by gratuities of ten pounds each to the two former and five to the last4#ahd ,corporal ,stanton had to look after the batteries of the second parallel on the right attack1 having under him a small party of the ,buffs and two sappers of the ninth company1 none of whom had been in the trenches before4 ,his superintendence was therefore irksome and laborious4 ,by his steadfastness and the vigour of his actions1 he gradually dissipated their hesitation1 and following where he led1 they assisted to remove obstructions from the embrasures1 particularly the broken hide mantlets stuffed with wool1 which1 with their fastenings1 had dropped across the openings and choked up the gorges4 ,moving from battery to battery1 ,stanton was repeatedly in the embrasures and even where the mantlets were sound1 cut them down with a strong arm--for he was a powerful man--as the advantage of their retention as shields was far outweighed by the terrible hazards of clearing them away should they fall in the embrasures4 ,while these deeds were in progress1 showers of grape and groups of shot and shell poured into the batteries causing accidents of a very singular character4 ,a shell came over into ,no4 #ac battery1 and striking another shell which was being loaded1 an explosion took place wounding the captain and the sergeant of artillery engaged in the service4 ,the right gun of the battery had become useless from one of its trunnions breaking2 and so to prevent unnecessary casualty one of the sappers filled up the neck of the embrasure with a mask of sand-bags4 ,while so employed a shot just passed over his head and entered the disabled gun sticking fast in the muzzle4 ,narrowly1 on two occasions1 he escaped during the day1 but his comrade was severely wounded in the head by the bursting of a #aj-;inch shell4 ,among the troops the casualties were considerable1 but in the sappers three only were wounded3-- ,colour-sergeant ,alexander ,m4 ,mc,leod--slightly1 in the head1 by a shell splinter4 ,private ,john ,peterson--slightly1 in the face and head1 while blasting4 0 ,john ,patterson--severely4 ,for the two attacks there were fifty sappers provided at dusk to shore up the works and mend the breaches in the parapets during the night4 ,some of the troops who occupied a dangerous post in front to guard the trenches fell asleep1 and thus failed to fire into the embrasures of the ,redan4 ,this arose from a misconception of orders4 ,it is worthy of record1 nevertheless1 to show how cool were those brave men who1 only a bow-shot from danger1 as if in undisturbed possession of an ,english barrack-room and unaffected by care1 reposed on the banquettes4 ,the working party on the right attack in ,no4 #i battery evinced great want of spirit in the measures necessary to repair it4 ,a ruinous fire had broken it up and knocked down its embrasures4 ,much exertion was needed to make it equal to the struggle1 and the party quitted at the time for relief1 without having made that progress which it was calculated would result from the number of men appointed to make good the damages4 ,the corporal of sappers in charge of the workmen who was consequently involved in their inactivity1 was subjected to the penalty he merited4 ,lieutenants ,james and ,somerville were the engineers responsible for the restorations on the right1 and they had under their orders thirty-two sappers4 ,half of the number had been taken from the ninth company newly arrived from ,england4 ,this being their first time in the trenches they scarcely understood their duty in the impromptu way in which war teaches it2 but yet1 they left the advance that night with approbation4 ,corporal ,david ,simpson of the ninth company1 was conspicuous for his tact and coolness in mending an embrasure at grey light in the morning1 while shells fell wide of the devoted man who filled up the gap4 ,lord ,raglan awarded him two sovereigns in token of his satisfaction4 ,throughout the night the cannonading was continued principally by vertical fire and additional damage was done to the works2 but1 with few exceptions1 the injuries were repaired1 and all the embrasures supplied with sound gabions and sand-bags before daybreak4 ,even the batteries which kept up their fire were attended to1 and the shattered baskets and tubs1 and the torn hides and sand-bags1 were replaced during the intervals of the several rounds4 ,no time was lost1 no exertion withheld1 to give an appearance to the general works of freshness and strength4 ,the sapper carpenters repaired the various platforms in the #ba-;gun battery and the roof of the right magazine of ,no4 #i battery1 which1 struck by a shell1 was much shaken4 ,alexander ,montgomery1 the sergeant in executive charge of the sappers on the right--who had served in many a fight as a military adventurer in maintaining the royal cause both of ,portugal and ,spain against insurgents ranked on the side of powerful pretenders--was commended by ,major-,general ,jones for his zealous conduct and intelligent assistance to his officers4 ,a party of sailors thrown into the trenches worked exceedingly well4 ,indeed1 without their help the repairs to the #ba-;gun battery could not have been completed4 ,the man-o'-war's-man labours in his own way1 and does it with so much heartiness that1 however singular and incautious may be his modes of proceeding1 he achieves his end in time4 ,five of the seamen were wounded1 but none of the sappers1 though equally exposed1 were hurt4 ,just as the sappers were paraded at the engineer hut in the first parallel to return to camp1 an artillery officer appeared and represented that the embrasures of ,no4 #aa battery--the only work which raked the picket-house ravine--needed immediate attention4 ,the news was not pleasant to men who had performed a fatiguing night's labour4 ,feeling the hardship of this extra duty1 the engineer officer was disinclined to order any of his sappers to undertake the repairs1 and so1 calling for volunteers1 his wishes were instantly met by several willing men offering for the service4 ,such unhesitating renunciation of themselves was deservedly applauded4 ,corporal ,joseph ,lockwood1 lance-corporal ,samuel ,varren1 and privates ,john ,jaffray and ,charles ,carlin1 passing from ,no4 #e by the trench which rounded ,no4 #i1 pushed onwards by the continued communication into ,no4 #aa1 and leaped into the embrasures4 ,in about two hours1 with such old materials as they could find1 they patched up the shapeless cheeks in as solid a form as the urgency of the occasion permitted4 ,the repairs were necessarily of a rustic character1 for wooden and iron gabions1 sandbags1 fascines1 earth1 and loose stones--the available litter of the battery1 in fact--were all employed in tinkering the breaches4 ,from the moment the ,russians perceived the sappers in the openings1 a steady fire of ,minis was maintained against them1 and a couple of furious shells burst in their rear2 but they passed untouched from the trenches1 and their exertions and resource were acknowledged by ,major-,general ,jones in brigade orders4 ,the works of the adversary which had been uprooted by the fierceness of the besiegers' fire were rebuilt and rearmed in the night4 ,there were some1 however1 which seemed to totter on their bases4 ,wondrous must have been the energy employed to give completeness to such a series of extensive formations as comprised their defences4 ,there was1 let it be acknowledged1 a ,vauban in the fortress4 ,todleben was he1 an ardent and skilful general and engineer1 whose genius made him equal to any pressure and capable of compassing any amount of devastation4 ,we1 too1 had ,vaubans1 disciples of the most approved military masters2 and the solid field structures founded by their talent and directed by their skill and sleepless industry1 prove their worthiness to rank with the best engineers of any country4 ,it only wanted this unprecedented siege to make clear that which1 for forty years1 was an open question4 ,no working party was furnished for the left attack on the #gth4 ,there were1 however1 #ed sappers in the trenches who mended the embrasures and threw up the rock by mining in different places in the third parallel4 ,private ,walter ,conning1 a delicate man but of robust purpose1 was noticed by ,major ,bent for his calm activity while mending an embrasure in ,no4 #d battery on the left attack4 ,his duty was to attend to the repairs of the platforms2 but as these were in a serviceable state and he did not choose to remain idle1 he leaped into an embrasure and assisted his comrades to rebuild it4 ,while doing so he was struck down by a spent shot which knocked him from the aperture against the traverse4 ,this self-imposed employment1 an instance of unobtrusive devotion1 coupled with his uniform steadiness and zeal in working the advanced trenches1 gained for him promotion and the decoration of the ,military ,war ,medal of ,france4 ,adam ,mc,kechnie--a private--was no less conspicuous in ,no4 #i battery repairing with sand-bags two embrasures which had been knocked to pieces4 ,a blaze of fire was upon him during the whole time1 but he continued his exertions for more than two hours with a bearing so manly1 that ,lieutenant ,oldfield of the royal navy and his seamen1 looked on with as much admiration as surprise4 ,among those who were the most praised was private ,andrew ,fairservice4 ,he is stated to have been 8exceedingly active in repairing embrasures under heavy fire20 so much so1 indeed1 that his valour and perseverance gained him the honour of a 8distinguished service0 medal and a gratuity of five pounds4 ,for the right attack the numbers detailed--about forty--were told off to their posts by sergeant ,donald ,mc,farlane4 ,captain ,dawson of the engineers1 the officer on duty1 was killed early in the morning in the #ba-;gun battery4 ,he was the captain of the ninth company and this was his maiden tour in the trenches4 ,in little more than two hours after leaving the camp he was borne back dead1 his head having been shattered by a round shot4 ,incessant repairs to the embrasures and parapets kept the sappers constantly exposed1 and they toiled with all the ardour for which they had now become famous4 ,some men of the ninth company in the #ba-;gun battery were unequal to the hard work of the embrasures1 and ,captain ,peel of the navy urged the necessity of sending some old sappers--meaning men who had been at the siege from the commencement--to be allotted to the duty4 ,second-corporal ,george ,h4 ,collins and a brigade of eight men were at once sent to the front1 and so incessant were their labours1 they were never clear of the embrasures for five minutes during the ten hours they served in the battery4 ,all day long the sun was hot and burning1 the sky clear1 and not a man that thrust himself into the shattered apertures could reckon for an instant on his safety4 ,not a shadow was thrown to conceal him from observation1 and he trusted to his agility to escape1 when the 8look-out man0 warning him of approaching shot or shell1 gave him the chance of making a desperate leap from the opening4 ,most assiduous were the carpenters in strengthening the platforms1 for the continued friction of the guns in their heavy and irresistible recoil injured not a few of them4 ,a platform on the right of the #ba-;gun battery required in haste for an effective piece of ordnance was rapidly refitted2 but before the mortar could be shifted on it1 a #ac-;inch shell from a battery in rear of the ,redan struck the flooring and broke it in pieces4 ,in the afternoon1 the strongest and most secure magazine on the right attack was blown up4 ,it was on the left of the #h-;gun battery4 ,a shell plunged through the roof and bursting1 all that remained of the magazine was a smoking ruin4 ,private ,john ,heaton who was returning to his party after mending a platform at a distance1 was killed by the explosion and not an atom of his remains was ever discovered4 ,privates ,george ,wright and ,stephen ,gossage were wounded by fragments of the scattered timber4 ,on hearing the report--ominous of loss both of material and life--the ,russians jumped on their batteries and parapets1 and1 intimating their joy at the calamity by a fiendish yell1 quickly disappeared behind their revetments4 ,wherever the ,russians had established screens1 they opened communications to them1 and then connecting each with the other1 so formed a parallel4 ,one of this kind stretched its length #aej yards in front of the ,british trenches which was nightly strengthened1 widened1 and improved4 ,the line1 extending from the ,mamelon to the ,quarries1 formed the enemy's exterior defence1 beyond which except the rifle-pits he was never able to advance4 ,as the besiegers flung out their boyeaux and breasted them with batteries or filled them with sharp-shooters1 the ,russians1 equally pushing1 spent their arts and energies in rendering their works both formidable and inaccessible4 ,this advanced parallel having greatly annoyed the besiegers and laid many a brave section low1 a combined attack was determined on1--the ,french to assault the ,ouvrage ,blancs and the ,mamelon2 the ,english1 the ,quarries and its appended works facing the left of the right attack4 ,at about six in the evening--just as the sun was setting--the assault was made by half a battalion of infantry from the light and second divisions headed by ,lieutenant ,lowry of the engineers and a small party of royal sappers and miners4 ,the whole were commanded by ,colonel ,shirley4 ,divided into two columns of #bjj each1 the half battalion dashed on to the flanks of the ,quarries1 and supported by a reserve of #fjj men1 fought nobly against odds which threatened to overwhelm them4 ,a tremendous cannonade had swept the ,quarries until a few minutes before the encounter1 when all the batteries turned their venom on the ,russian lines and broke them up one after another4 ,repelled once1 the assailants soon recovered themselves and drove the ,russians before them2 but1 contending against an enemy almost invincible1 the stormers again and again were forced back4 ,at this moment1 ,lieutenant-,colonel ,tylden of the engineers1 who had a working party of #hjj men under his orders1 let loose his armed pioneers1 and three-fourths of them rushed into the quarries--those impregnable hollows1 hemmed in by walls of rock and paved with broken stones and boulders--to share in the contest4 ,this timely help1 giving fresh vigour to the assault1 the stormers1 renewed in spirit1 bravely seconded the stern efforts of the reinforcements2 and a withering musketry1 close and telling1 struck down their antagonists to the earth1 leaving chasms in their masses which a stream of troops from the ,redan as quickly refilled4 ,swoop following swoop levelled section after section1 succeeded by a temporary wavering which augured a retreat4 ,the quivering1 however1 passed1 and the enemy yet stood in the pits which so long had shielded them and worried the assailants as if the last man intended to die in the ambuscade4 ,already the immolation showed how desperate was the strife2 the ,russians at length1 were well nigh exhausted2 but a few minutes more1 and the besiegers1 struggling over the debris of old explosions and amid rocky traverses and huge fragments of stone1 pressed the enemy's columns at all points and drove them bewildered into the ,redan4 ,the ,ouvrage ,blancs and the ,mamelon by this time were gallantly taken by the ,french4 ,as soon as the seizure had been accomplished1 ,lieutenant-,colonel ,tylden moved up from the right-ravine communication his working party of #bjj eager men led by a few sappers with corporal ,joseph ,j4 ,stanton4 ,there was no confusion2 no complexity of detail2 and at once1 under ,lieutenant ,elphinstone of the engineers1 the lodgment was commenced1 while the zigzag from the quarries1 to connect with the left advanced sap adjoining ,egerton's rifle-pits1 was opened under ,captain ,wolseley of the #ijth regiment1 assistant engineer4 ,every nerve was strained to perfect the works before morning2 the trenches were quickly reversed2 and the earth and stones belonging to the old revetment were built into the new parapet which was faced with gabions1 #bjj of which1 all that were brought in by the working party1 were laid by ,lieutenant ,elphinstone1 corporal ,stanton1 and the sappers4 ,bold efforts were ineffectually made by the ,russians to regain their loss1 even carrying away1 in their desperate prowess1 some of the lumbering gabions2 but the victors1 indisposed to yield an inch1 retook the baskets and held the ambuscade with intrepid tenacity1 while the working party1 saved by the vigilance of the stormers from material interruption in their exertions succeeded1 before the arrival of the new relief1 in giving to the lodgment and communication sufficient cover for immediate defence4 ,all this being effected in a dark night1 with thick dangers around1 was creditable to the endurance and industry of the officers who directed and the soldiers who toiled4 ,captain ,browne of the engineers had the general superintendence of the works under ,colonel ,tylden4 ,lieutenant ,lowry1 a young officer1 led the storming party most gallantly and was killed while rallying the men after having been repulsed4 ,he was carried away by some sappers1 who1 working on the parapet of the quarries saw him fall4 ,his sword was delivered to corporal ,stanton1 of which he made good use4 ,a ,russian was outside1 behind a gabion1 bent on his knee4 ,observed while in the act of levelling his musket1 ,stanton waved the sword1 and with one blow struck him down4 ,lieutenant ,elphinstone and corporal ,stanton were working side by side at the time1 but the former was unaware of his danger till the deadly act of the latter had removed the cause4 ,lieutenant ,anderson of the #ifth regiment1 assistant engineer1 was wounded early in the night4 ,the sappers present in the storming were about #ab1 divided between the two assaulting columns2 #dj were with the reserve battalion and the working party1 and other brigades were distributed to the batteries4 ,the casualties among the parties were eight wounded3-- ,second-corporal ,peter ,luxton--severely1 in the head1 by grape-shot4 ,private ,william ,mc,donald--dangerously1 by fracture of skull1 from gun-shot4 ,he died of his wounds4 0 ,william ,r4 ,collings--dangerously1 in left leg1 by rifle-ball4 ,he had crept up the open and was in the act of stretching the tape by which to place the line of gabions to connect the zigzag from the quarries to the left advanced approach1 when the ball entered below the swell of his leg and issued at the knee4 ,he died of his wounds4 ,lance-corporal ,robert ,young--severely1 in the right arm1 in ,greenhill battery4 ,private ,walter ,conning--slightly1 in the hip4 0 ,samuel ,dines--slightly1 in the head1 by a rifle ball1 while entering an embrasure of the #ba-;gun battery4 0 ,alexander ,hosie--severely1 in the throat1 by splinter of a shell1 while in the #ba-;gun battery4 0 ,peter ,slade--severely1 in the head1 in ,no4 #i battery1 left attack4 8,notwithstanding10 wrote ,lord ,raglan1 under date the #ith ,june1 8the frequency of the endeavours of the ,russians to regain possession of the quarries1 and the interruptions to the work to which these attacks gave rise1 ,lieutenant-,colonel ,tylden was enabled to effect the lodgment1 and to establish the communication with the advanced parallel2 and this redounds greatly to his credit and that of the officers and men employed as the working party2 and ,i cannot omit this opportunity to express my approbation of the conduct of the sappers throughout the operations40 ,with remarkable skill the quarries had been entrenched by the ,russians and novel schemes adopted to render them successful against an assault4 ,about twenty yards in front of the works there were hidden dangers intended to throw advancing columns into hopeless confusion4 ,it was well that the troops had no knowledge of their presence or they might have shrunk from an attack which yielded them such important advantages4 ,entering the quarries by the flanks1 they were preserved from calamities that awaited them had they made the attack direct4 ,cubical boxes1 filled with gunpowder1 were buried in the ground with glass tubes attached to them containing an explosive composition4 ,delicately adjusted1 though roughly constructed1 these infernal machines only required the tread of hasty feet to produce combustion and blow up the stormers4 ,luckily1 no accident occurred during the attack2 and although forty or more of the boxes had subsequently been extracted from the soil1 only two or three1 bursting by pressure1 occasioned any accident4 ----- ,footnote #ahd3 ,gunner ,burke1 of the royal artillery1 also assisted in repairing an embrasure under the heaviest fire in ,no4 #ad battery of the right attack1 and ,lord ,raglan rewarded him1 like the sappers1 with a present of two sovereigns4 #ahee4 #hth ,june-#ahth ,june4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,repairs to the works--,death of corporal ,fraser--,conduct of private ,orr--,improvisd church--,perseverance in the quarries--,segmental trench in front of them--,successful exertions of the miners--,yenikale--,cape ,st4 ,paul--,detail of sappers furnished for the trenches--,completion of defences in the lodgment--,casualties in a party mending a trench bridge--,state of the works--,platforms--,what is an embrasure8--,destruction of one--,its repair--,casualties--,a tolerated grumbler--,generous conduct of corporal ,lockwood--,fourth bombardment2 preparations for assault--,vigorous conduct of sergeant ,anderson in repairing the electric wires--,and of corporal ,borbidge in renewing a platform for a sea-service mortar--,first storming of the ,redan--,chivalric behaviour of private ,head--,casualties--,conduct of the sappers in the assault--,volunteer services of sergeant ,drew and corporal ,jenkins--,they rescue some of the wounded--,so also does private ,ramsay--,brigadier-,general ,eyre's column in the cemetery grounds--,valiant behaviour of corporal ,baker--,general casualties--,death of ,lord ,raglan4 ,no time was lost in making the most of the position won by the gallantry of the besiegers2 but on the #hth ,june1 owing to the exhausted state of the troops from the labours of the previous night1 no working party could be provided for the right attack4 ,fifty-two sappers1 however1 took their places as usual in the lines1 repairing embrasures1 improving the cover of the quarries1 and deepening the communications to them4 ,to preserve their energies1 they were employed in four reliefs of four hours each throughout the day4 ,very heavy was the firing from the ,russian batteries during the first relief1 occasioning many casualties among the guard of the trenches and harassing though not interrupting the workmen4 ,on the left there were #aej linesmen and #ch sappers scattered over the trenches1 restoring demolished embrasures and parapets1 and re-roofing magazines torn up by shells4 ,while thus employed in ,no4 #aj battery situated on a central projection of the second parallel1 second-corporal ,james ,fraser--a fearless young non-commissioned officer--was killed4 ,fraser was working in an embrasure--a mere crag1 so complete was its disruption--patching up the left cheek with sandbags1 while corporal ,mc,eachern was reconstructing the right one4 ,the firing on the battery was very fierce1 but the two corporals1 stript to their trousers and shirts1 toiled away with dauntless perseverance4 8,never mind the rascals10 said ,fraser1 with an encouraging smile1 8we'll finish it in spite of them40 ,such was his determination2 but a few moments after1 he was blown from the embrasure by a round shot1 which carried away his right arm and the whole of his breast and ribs1 exposing his quivering heart4 ,mc,eachern heard the shot pass and felt the heat which its velocity imparted2 and on turning round to see how his comrade had fared1 he saw him doubled up on a pile of projectiles and the gunners and workmen gathering up his remains4 ,mc,eachern had seen too many such catastrophes to slacken his energies1 and so resuming the work as if nothing had happened he left it only when the cheeks were finished4 ,private ,john ,malcolm1 an hour after1 was sent into the same embrasure to clear the sole1 as the gun in its rear could not be sufficiently depressed to fire with advantage4 ,stripped to the work1 he was shovelling away the debris1 when a splinter from a shell struck him severely on the head4 ,at the instant1 he fell from the aperture to the platform1 and the next moment a shower of fierce stones fell on him1 fretting his flannel shirt as if a rasp had torn it up and wounding him in both shoulders4 ,in the night following there were #ei sappers in the front1 who were succeeded next morning by #ga men4 ,many laboured at the different batteries and privates ,john ,sykes and ,william ,orr1 in charge of ,no4 #aj battery1 left attack1 were named to ,lord ,raglan as having behaved with conspicuous zeal and coolness in removing the debris of broken gabions and split-bags from the disfigured embrasures and rebuilding the cheeks4 ,so heavy was the fire at the time1 that one gun was disabled in the battery and some of the artillery carriages injured4 ,general ,jones was an eye-witness of the manly way in which ,orr entered the embrasures between the rounds of fire1 and of his unruffled exertions to clear the soles and mend the revetments2 and when the general had it in his power to mark1 in a substantial manner1 his appreciation of the private's intrepid demeanour1 he obtained for him a 8distinguished service0 medal and a gratuity of five pounds4 ,before nightfall the lodgment was made completely defensible1 and a chevaux-de-frise was fixed1 in the shape of a half moon1 by a few sapper blacksmiths1 some distance in front1 to protect the working parties from sudden assaults4 ,it was about this time that the companies1 in the midst of their exertions and trials1 eked out sufficient leisure from their camp duties to show their reliance upon that religion which alone could sustain and console them in vicissitude and peril4 ,the edifice they erected in which to offer up their devotions was characteristic1 and the following account of it1 transcribed from the #8,daily ,news1' gives a fair view of the details of this improvisd and unique military cathedral3-- 8,one among the many interesting objects in the ,british camp before ,sebastopol is the ,sappers' church1 #8right attack1' where the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,taylor officiates4 ,its structure affords an excellent example of the adaptation of local circumstances to a particular object4 ,it is built wholly of siege apparatus2 but these are neither injured nor rendered unfit for their ultimate purpose2 on the contrary1 the materials are so arranged that they are only in store1 as it were1 ready for use as soon as required4 ,the articles employed in the construction have been scaling-ladders1 gabions1 fascines1 timbers ready cut and shaped for gun-platforms1 a few planks1 and some pieces of rope4 ,two scaling-ladders locked into each other at the top1 so as to give and derive mutual support1 form1 at certain intervals1 the columns which separate the aisles from the body of the church1 and bear the roof4 ,the framework of the outer wall is made by long upright timbers1 which lean against the summits of each set of ladders respectively1 and are secured by cords4 ,across these a few joist-beams are lashed1 and the outer wall of gabions1 though thicker at the base than above1 in a great degree rest against these horizontal supports4 ,to form the wall the gabions are placed end to end1 one above the other1 until they reach the height of the roof4 ,nothing can be more agreeable1 during the heat of the day1 than the sensation produced by the air entering through this gauge-work of twigs2 it passes freely1 but is so sprinkled1 as it were1 in its passage--its force is so broken1 that1 however strong without1 it fails to cause any unpleasant disturbance within4 ,the sun's light is broken with an equally pleasing effect1 for the rays which find their way in are so refracted and disturbed1 that all glare and dazzle are prevented4 ,the roof is made by the platform timbers laid between the tops of the ladders on each side1 and at right angles to these the fascines are laid in regular rows1 until a complete covering is formed4 ,the roof is light1 admits of course of free ventilation1 and gives a perfect protection against the direct rays of the sun4 ,at the end opposite the entrance into this truly military church1 a semicircular sweep is given to the gabion wall1 and in the recess thus formed several sacks stuffed with straw are arranged1 to form a reading-desk and kneeling-cushion for the preacher4 ,planks are laid on each side from ladder to ladder1 resting at a convenient height on the lower rails1 and these benches are appropriated for the use of the weak and convalescents from the hospital2 the other soldiers stand during the service4 8,when the ,union-,jack has been thrown over the primitive reading-desk above mentioned1 and the clergyman is in his usual robes1 and the engineers and sappers are filling the space in their military costume1 all seems so appropriate and in such harmony1 that should a visitor be among the number of the congregation1 he soon ceases to feel the peculiarity of the place1 and forgets1 while engaged in the service1 that he is not in one of the ordinary churches1 with its stoned walls and steepled roof1 in his own mother-country4 ,now and then the attention of the listener to the 8mission of peace and good-will among men0 may be distracted for a moment by the heavy thunder of a gun1 or the bursting of a shell2 for the ,sappers' church is on one side of the ravine leading to ,careening ,bay1 and since the ,russian redoubts and ,french works have been established on the heights above1 such sounds have become frequent on all days1 and at all hours of the week4 ,but the sappers themselves know that their yard is out of range1 though only just out of it1 and habit in this1 as in other matters1 produces its usual effect4 ,the gun is discharged1 the shot whizzes through the air1 and the shell explodes2 but the sounds1 if heard1 are not heeded1 for the attention is otherwise occupied40 ,by the #ajth ,june1 on which date there were #id sappers in the front1 the batteries were all in admirable order1 another screen overlooking the ,woronzoff road was finished1 and the lodgment and its communications looked grim with details which promised to be formidable when completed4 ,on that day1 fifty men of the line had been thrown into the quarries to assist in converting them to the besiegers' will2 but after a while1 so accurate and fierce was the fire upon them from a mortar and a gun on the right of the tower1 that the party was necessarily withdrawn4 8,whistling ,dick10 from the mortar alluded to1 was doing its best to thin the workmen2 but luckily its terrific presence was unaccompanied by any serious disaster4 ,still the sappers1 twelve in number1 were retained at this dangerous spot2 and working away amid descending shells bursting in all directions and splinters driving even into obscure angles1 they strengthened the parapet by building stones into the revetment1 made loopholes1 and continued the formation of the banquette4 ,at three o'clock in the afternoon1 ,captain ,browne of the engineers1 persevering in his endeavours to work the lodgment1 sent other fifty men into it who laboured in the quarries till regularly relieved4 ,more than fifty casualties occurred in and about the quarries during the day2 among these was private ,william ,lang who was dangerously wounded by a shell which carried away his arm4 ,a group of his comrades1 who were near at the time1 threw themselves down to avoid its splinters4 ,awful moments followed1 each expecting1 but hoping to escape the death that seemed inevitable4 ,fortunately the shell buried itself in the earth1 then fizzed in paroxysms for a few seconds1 when1 grinding further into the soil1 the fuze providentially was smothered4 ,another sapper1 name unknown1 was wounded in the left attack4 ,seventy men of the corps were in the trenches during the night of the #ajth scattered over the works of the two attacks4 ,the lodgment1 still offering occasion for anxious solicitude1 progressed with energy and a new trench was formed on a segmental trace in front of the quarries1 taking the captured ambuscade as the base of the figure4 ,the spring of the bow issued from the right of the lodgment1 then1 bending away in an arch1 abutted on the left of the quarries4 ,the trench was clear of the salient of the ,redan1 but intersected the ,malakoff abattis at a point where a gap had recently been made by a round shot from the besiegers4 ,all the gabions1 #ahj in number1 which lined the excavation1 were staked and filled before the morning4 ,not a shot or bullet came in the direction during its progress4 ,twelve sappers were appointed to this new trench1 who1 receiving the gabions from the line1 placed them on the sweep of the curve with a rapidity and sprightliness so marked1 it seemed as if the men were chasing each other to the goal4 ,the workmen were chiefly of the #aith regiment1 by whom1 and a party from the light division1 about #ahj in all1 the gabions were filled4 ,next day there were #ajc sappers in the lines1 and #gd at night4 ,at daybreak on the #abth1 there were #ha men in the front4 ,considerable exertions had been made in mining on the left attack1 principally in the round-hill parallel1 where1 stopped by rock at every step1 not a move could be made ahead1 till by great bodily exertion1 and patient coolness against inevitable personal risks1 the obstruction was blown away4 ,laborious and fatiguing as were these duties1 they were executed with no abatement of care2 and it may be mentioned that from the first1 out of thousands of blasts fired successfully throughout the works1 and many more which failed in critical situations1 only two accidents by mining had occurred4 ,a more striking proof of the proficiency of the men need scarcely be adduced4 ,the sufferers were private ,john ,stancombe who lost the sight of one of his eyes1 and lance-corporal ,william ,eastley who was severely wounded by a stone of about #ad pounds weight striking him in the back4 ,the former was blown up1 and receiving the blast full in his face1 blood poured from a hundred punctures1 and when the wounds were healed1 his skin was thickly speckled with blue marks as if elaborately tattooed by some unskilful mariner4 ,leaving a party of fourteen rank and file at ,yenikale1 the remainder of the company with ,sir ,george ,brown's expedition re-embarked on the #aath ,june under ,captain ,hassard and landed at ,balaklava on the #adth4 ,lieutenant ,anderson was located at ,yenikale with six sappers1 and ,captain ,stanton and ,lieutenant ,drake proceeded with the rest to ,cape ,st4 ,paul4 ,the works to defend these captured positions were commenced respectively on the #aeth and #ahth ,june1 the ,french superintending one portion1 the ,english the other1 both assisted by strong parties of ,turks1 sometimes as many as a thousand a-day at each fort4 ,at ,yenikale some old houses were pulled down which furnished timber for the works1 and when this source failed1 planking and nails were obtained from some stranded vessels in the channel4 ,the lines consisted of a cordon of trenches with a strong lunette in rear and a series of rifle-pits in front4 ,the stockades1 platforms1 and the folding loopholed gates of the lunette were chiefly executed by the sappers1 who1 after the #adth ,july1 worked in concert with the ,french in continuing the covered way on the right to the sea4 ,on the #dth ,august1 ,lieutenant ,anderson and his sappers reappeared in the trenches before ,sebastopol4 ,at ,cape ,st4 ,paul the intrenchments1 extending more than a thousand yards inland1 abutted on bold precipices overhanging the sea4 ,following the contour of a broken country1 the knolls embraced in the lines became so many salients armed with one or more field-pieces4 ,strong works were thrown up in advance of the main trenches to flank them1 and rifle-screens were constructed on eminences to command access to the wells1 which1 situated about #abjj yards in front of the works1 were open to hostile interference4 ,the hard nature of the soil in some places prevented the digging of ditches1 and to counteract the defect1 escarpments were erected about #ab feet high4 ,a considerable portion of the redoubt at the extreme inland angle of the trenches was built with rough stones1 faced by hewn blocks of a softer kind1 accumulations of which were found already dressed and fit for use4 ,around ,st4 ,george's ,hill huge boulders encumbered the trenches1 which in time were borne up by manual strength and built into the parapets4 ,thunderstorms frequently occurring1 the rains beat down portions of the earthen cover1 which were renewed1 though at great labour1 with less yielding expedients4 ,a mamelon1 too1 was wholly cut away to insure completeness in the defences1 and the isolated battery on the promontory of ,akbornou1 standing up with a cold and truculent aspect1 was levelled to the rock out of which it sprang4 ,at that point was thrown up a bastioned trench by the #gast regiment to protect the right of the position4 ,the sappers1 eight in all1 first under ,captain ,stanton1 then ,lieutenant ,drake1 superintended the construction of the several works1 and returned to ,sebastopol in the middle of ,december4 ,corporal ,mc,kimm and lance-corporal ,r4 ,crawford ,cowan1 two excellent sappers both of whom had been named with honour for their gallantry at the siege1 were with the party4 ,at night on the #abth1 ,lieutenants ,elphinstone and ,graham traced the first portion of the fifth parallel facing the right flank of the ,redan4 ,they had with them second corporal ,george ,h4 ,collins and private ,moncur1 two smart and reliable sappers1 to whom the executive superintendence of the work was intrusted4 ,after completing the trace1 #g other sappers and #abj of the line commenced a boyau from the most advanced trench in front of the quarries4 ,fifty-six gabions were laid and filled in this approach1 and then the sappers run along the new parallel with fifty other gabions1 placing ten more at the extremity of the series1 with a short obtuse angle backwards1 to screen the linesmen while filling the baskets and forming the parapet of the new work4 ,alarms twice occurred which caused the workmen to retire4 ,collins1 indisposed to yield to a questionable danger1 went some distance to the front to ascertain if there existed any reason for it2 but seeing nothing to justify the retreat1 he encouraged the men to return and they readily resumed work4 ,the relief had been in the trench some time when the second interruption took place4 ,again ,collins restored confidence by mounting the parapet and there remaining till the ill-founded fears of the linesmen had subsided4 ,both parties1 nevertheless1 worked very well and obtained excellent cover4 ,the sappers were on duty at this new sap for seventeen hours without relief4 ,the following detail shows the force of sappers furnished by night and day for front duty during the period comprised in the table4 ,ever-varying circumstances caused the number to fluctuate1 so that with each party it was hardly possible to afford a stronger contingent of overseers than was marched at daybreak and at dusk into the trenches3-- ,attacks4 ,no4 of ,officers on ,duty4 ,men4 ,night #abth ,june ,right #dh ,lieuts4 ,elphinstone and ,graham4 ,left #cc ,capt4 ,belson and ,lieut4 ,donnelly4 ,day #acth 0 ,right #dj ,capt4 ,browne and ,lieut4 ,darrah4 ,left #fc ,major ,chapman1 #bjth regt41 assist4 eng4 ,night #acth 0 ,right #dj ,lieut4 ,fisher4 ,left #cb ,captain ,jesse and ,lieut4 ,neville4 ,day #adth 0 ,right #dd ,lieuts4 ,james and ,somerville4 ,left #fe ,capt4 ,penn1 ,r4,a41 assistant engineer4 ,night #adth 0 ,right #dj ,capt4 ,de ,moleyns and ,capt4 ,wolseley1 #ijth1 assistant engineer4 ,left #cf ,capt4 ,armit and ,lieut4 ,c4 ,g4 ,gordon4 ,day #aeth 0 ,right #dj ,lieuts4 ,graves and ,graham4 ,left #di ,lieut4 ,donnelly4 ,night #aeth 0 ,right #dj ,capt4 ,browne and ,lieut4 ,darrah4 ,left #cd ,capt4 ,belson and ,major ,chapman1 #bjth4 ,day #afth 0 ,right #dj ,lieut4 ,elphinstone and ,major ,campbell1 #dfth1 assistant engineer4 ,left #db ,lieut4 ,neville4 ,night #afth 0 ,right #dj ,lieuts4 ,murray and ,fisher4 ,left #ce ,capt4 ,jesse and ,capt4 ,penn1 ,r4,a4 ,day #agth 0 ,right #cb ,lieuts4 ,murray and ,fisher4 #dd ,lieuts4 ,james and ,somerville4 ,left #bd ,lieut4 ,c4 ,g4 ,gordon4 ,night #agth 0 ,right #ab ,capt4 ,wolseley1 #ijth1 assist4 engineer4 ,left #bc ,capt4 ,armit4 ,day #ahth 0 ,right #bj ,capt4 ,de ,moleyns4 ,left #bd ,capt4 ,armit and ,lieut4 ,jones1 #dfth1 assistant engineer4 ,during these few days1 as an assault was in contemplation1 the line workmen were active and pushing4 ,rather strong parties of sappers superintended them1 who also cut and formed the embrasures1 and took the lead in the new trenches where the skill of craftsmen was indispensable4 ,the lodgment was now wholly completed1 communications to it were perfected1 and a boyau1 issuing from the left of the quarries1 had been thrown up with almost daring impertinence for about #abj yards towards the ,redan4 ,the gabions were lodged by some sappers in so ready and firm a manner it seemed as if they possessed a genius for such enterprises4 ,far from being reckless1 they advanced1 though diligently and coolly1 by prudential efforts2 and thus effected1 so to speak1 their own deliverance2 while the line1 less calculating the danger of their work and less of course accustomed to it1 were struck down in rather serious numbers4 ,a new battery1 ,no4 #af1 for three #cb-pounders1 and one for four mortars1 ,no4 #ag1 also rose up in the vicinity of the lodgment4 ,rapidly they were completed with magazines1 platforms1 and traverses1 and the guns and mortars1 drawn at night to their positions by the track from ,egerton's rifle-pit1 were promptly placed on their beds1 armed with gunners1 and worked with more or less fury as occasion served against the enemy4 ,when all was done the half-moon chevaux-de-frise of spikes was withdrawn from the front and piled up in the lodgment4 ,on one of these nights ten men of the infantry under a sapper were sent to repair a bridge over which the ammunition was usually conveyed to the batteries in the third parallel4 ,the bridge spanned the fourth boyau a little in rear of ,no4 #ac battery of the left attack4 ,sergeant ,drew set the men to work2 but as the shelling was warm on the spot the party asked to be removed4 ,it was of some moment to repair the smashed timbers1 and the sergeant urging the men by an appeal to their courage to resume the work1 said he would visit them again in ten minutes4 ,he reappeared within the time appointed1 but the whole party had decamped4 ,going in quest of them1 he found that two of the men had been severely wounded1 and the rest were carrying them on stretchers to the rear4 ,looking abroad on the works which now spread over many miles of ground1 meshed by cross-trenches in all directions1 it was obvious that nothing had been omitted which it was in the nature of foresight1 resource1 or exertion to have executed4 ,in every battery the revetments had been strengthened or rebuilt2 the gabionades improved or restored1 and cheeks1 merlons1 traverses1 magazines1 and every imaginable desiderata attended to with spirited pertinacity4 ,the usual expedients for field constructions had long since began to fail1 but now their deficiency was largely felt4 ,still never at a loss for schemes1 the engineers applied all sorts of agencies1 regarding nothing as crude or trivial1 to perform in emergencies effectual parts in the great siege4 ,iron and wooden hurdles1 powder-boxes and ammunition-cases1 were thus pressed into the service to do the work and stand the wear of better contrivances4 ,frequently molested by riflemen and shelled from the batteries1 the sappers and pioneers held their posts with unflinching constancy1 and each succeeding night saw the restoration of the day's havoc4 ,even in the glaring sunlight the most essential repairs were executed1 while shot and shell were dropping around and ,mini bullets were pinging over the parapets and thugging into the slopes4 ,a rifle-screen on the right attack was erected in one night on the very edge of the cliff to sweep the ravine1 which harboured in its cavities the ,russian sharpshooters4 ,it was difficult of access1 but to lessen the danger of reaching it1 a species of approach was formed to protect the light troops while driving into the pit4 ,ten men of the line prepared the screen superintended by a sapper4 ,the #ba-;gun battery1 as of old1 received material help to make vigorous and solid its vast proportions and to mend its long inventory of damages4 ,it was the head-quarters for the right-attack1 from whence the working parties1 guided by the sappers1 filed off to their appointed duties4 ,the batteries on ,greenhill1 the picket-house1 and those in the foremost parallels1 were also attended to with equal promptitude and maintained in a state remarkably efficient4 ,none laid the platforms or built the magazines1 splinter-proofs1 c41 but the sappers4 ,everything1 indeed1 which came under the denomination of artificers' work1 was executed by them4 ,the fixing of platforms was only second in importance1 as far as hazard was concerned1 to the formation of the embrasures4 ,repeatedly the carpenters were called upon in broad daylight to render them serviceable4 ,relaying sprung sleepers or planks1 and renewing cleets or bolts broken by the violence of the fire or a tearing recoil1 were frequently attended to whilst the siege was at its highest2 and the only protection which the carpenters received under such circumstances was the scanty cover of a shallow genouillre1 with perhaps a sapper or two in the gorge busy mending the cheeks of a shivered embrasure4 ,in former sieges the laying of a platform under fire was held to be an act of great personal daring2 but in this wonderful enterprise1 it was so much a habit of the sappers to see to this particular detail1 that it passed among occurrences as a common matter4 ,what is an embrasure8 ,so much has been said about it1 it needs the question2 and the answer may not be misplaced here4 ,look at one while the battle rages4 ,it is a formal cut in a mound of earth1 taking the shape of a wedge1 with the broad end to the enemy1 the narrow to the platform4 ,the narrow end is called 8the neck10 and possesses just width enough to admit a man or the muzzle of a gun4 ,it then extends to the front for more than twenty feet with a widening orifice1 ten or twelve feet broad at the greatest expansion1 which is designated 8the mouth40 ,bold men stand in rear of the opening and equally bold are they who work4 ,with some certainty the range is known and but few shots or shells miss their mark4 ,a ball of weighty metal strikes the embrasure1 and makes a crevice to its centre1 scattering the sand as in a sirocco4 ,another comes and gashes a well-formed cheek1 blows away an angle or a shoulder1 and topples into the space below1 broken hide-bags from the crest and the earth that covers them4 ,the concussion of our own guns assists to loosen the work and the hot fire of the artillerymen dries up the gabions rendering them less susceptible of resistance4 ,these1 ere long1 woven with so much compactness1 are broken up and strewn as in a wood-yard1 and fascines unband and yield their bundles to choke up the gorge4 ,one slope after another loses form and splay1 fissures appear1 stones rock and fall1 and the structure totters on a few fragments4 ,still it bravely holds up in its ruggedness against a storm of fire4 ,another well-directed shell is delivered and its splinters knock everything to pieces4 ,the feeble props at length are torn away1 and all above1 like an avalanche1 slides upon the sole1 which heaving with its own weakness gives way1 and in part crumbles into the ditch4 ,necks1 cheeks1 and throat--all now have disappeared2 and of the outline of that stern formation1 nothing remains but a distorted mouth1 with the broken wattle of gabions and the stakes of fascines sticking confusedly out along its extended jaw2 and there1 too1 is the remnant of a sand-bag1 caught upon a bending twig1 waving lazily with the wind as if begging a truce4 ,who will dare stand among the ruins8 ,here comes a sapper followed by another from behind a traverse to survey the desolation4 ,well is it that night approaches to cover the adventure4 ,it is more than dusk already4 ,into the breach they vault with fluttering hearts1 for no panoply guards them2 no helmet1 no cuirass1 protects them4 ,soon the emotion passes and the calmness of extremity prepares them for the worst4 ,each has his cap pressed down on his brow1 and his greatcoat--pegged or pinned in front1 with perhaps a solitary button to connect the breasts--is girdled with a couple of well-worn belchers or a piece of cordage4 ,removing the debris1 they build up the faces with fresh materials handed to them by some constant linesmen4 ,now a gabion is fixed and others are forced into position in quick succession4 ,sand-bags are crushed into the baskets till they creak1 and others1 laid row on row1 crown the work4 ,care is taken to give the necessary slopes to the cheeks to prevent them tumbling down4 ,all the interstices and crests are made solid with rammed earth and bags1 and not a nook or chink occurs but something is found to jam into it to make it whole4 ,upon the merlon toils another sapper strengthening it with stones and earth handed to him by his assistants in the battery4 ,perspiration drops like rain over his beard1 and1 driven by his strong energy through every pore1 moistens the rags which cover him from the night damp4 ,some bales of hides being brought1 feeling makes up for the want of vision in so dark a night1 and the cheeks are at length covered with hairy skins4 ,prudence has adapted their use as well to aid in preserving the embrasures1 as to save them from flaming during the rapidity of our own fire4 ,now the sole of the opening is being improved and sloped4 ,up to the front the comrades push4 ,so far are they away you scarce can see them4 ,deadly missiles fly onward and around and ,mini bullets with a wheezing noise spend their force in the parapet4 ,who's touched8 ,neither4 ,one however has had a ball through his cap4 ,still on they work with strength somewhat abated1 but no deterioration of spirit1 till a couple of gabions1 struck behind by a shell1 are forced outwards and knock down the operators4 ,the fall of one is awkward1 for his head overhangs the trench and the shelving slope of the sole threatens to shoot him headlong into the ditch4 ,catching at a stake he breaks his descent and wriggling back into the aperture1 crawls to the spot where his exertions were interrupted4 ,joined by his comrade just rising from beneath a pile of broken sand-bags they recommence the restoration4 ,fair excuse this for suspending the work but undismayed they persevere4 ,eventually their toils end2 their work is completed2 and after six hours' exposure1 they quit the scene uninjured4 ,it is otherwise in the next embrasure1 for one is mown down by a shot and the other badly wounded4 ,such is the fortune of war4 ,with all this danger1 and though the fire from the ,russians for the period comprised in the above table was fierce and destructive1 the following men only were killed and wounded3-- ,june #adth--,private ,john ,mc,roberts--wounded dangerously1 died next day4 0 0 ,john ,murphy--wounded severely in the head1 by rifle bullet1 while in the quarries4 0 #aeth--,lance-corporal ,george ,peter--wounded in the head and ear4 0 #aeth--,lance-corporal ,stephen ,daft--wounded severely in the left arm by grape-shot4 0 #afth--,private ,william ,smale1 wounded dangerously1 died next day4 ,he was struck when working in the advanced trench approaching the ,redan4 ,tall1 stalwart1 and strong1 few sappers were more active in the trench than he2 few more skilful2 and he bore the scar of a severe wound sustained by him at the siege on the #adth ,april4#ahe 0 #agth--,corporal ,william ,james--killed by a shell which struck him in the chest4 0 #agth--,private ,thomas ,patterson--wounded severely in the right shoulder by gun-shot4 0 #agth--,private ,james ,clyde--wounded dangerously1 died next day4 ,for several days each embrasure in the fighting batteries had its sapper who was held responsible for its efficiency4 ,it so happened1 in ,no4 #g battery1 on the #agth of ,june1 a gabion had been knocked from the cheek and fell across the mouth of the aperture4 ,in other respects the embrasure was sound enough4 ,the artillery would not fire as long as the obstruction remained1 and called upon the sapper--a young one--to remove it4 ,thinking the operation was needless1 as it did not interfere with the line of fire2 and if it did1 that a single discharge would blow it out1 he declined to incur the risk4 ,corporal ,lockwood who was in charge of the sappers in the battery1 concurred in the propriety of the refusal1 but leaped himself into the embrasure and threw the gabion into the ditch4 ,the full blaze of day was on him1 and as he bounded back to the platform1 he was followed by a string of rifle balls which whizzed into the opening and harmlessly struck the cheeks4 ,twelve days cannonading1 sometimes warm1 sometimes lessened to an insignificant demonstration1 had1 it was considered1 so weakened the enemy's works1 it was decided to assault the ,redan and the ,malakoff on a great anniversary day--the #ahth of ,june4 ,at one o'clock on the morning of the #agth the fourth bombardment began1 just prior to which a brigade of carpenters had traversed the different batteries and examined and repaired all the platforms1 while the remainder in both attacks1 filled up holes and chasms in the parapets1 and left every part in excellent condition for the fight4 ,at that hour there were #gb sappers in the trenches1 who were relieved at night by a small party of #ce men divided between the two attacks superintending a force of #gjj men4 ,on the #ahth before a ray of light had broken the darkness1 #dd sappers were in the lines1 with #ajj men to assist them on the left1 and six only on the right4 ,whatever further repairs required were quickly executed1 and the necessary scaling ladders1 pickaxes1 and shovels1 laid out in the first parallel of the ,gordon attack for the use of the columns then parading for the assault4 ,during the night ,captain ,du ,cane of the engineers1 in charge of the field electric telegraph1 directed sergeant ,anderson to sleep in the office at head-quarters1 and be ready by two in the morning to accompany him and the staff to the trenches for the purpose of sending any messages from the telegraph cave which ,lord ,raglan might wish to despatch4 ,he had barely turned in to take the little repose allowed him1 when a mounted hussar arrived from ,sir ,george ,brown in command of the light division1 bearing information to the effect1 that the electric wires were cut and no communication could be held with head-quarters4 ,sergeant ,anderson at once tried the instrument in the office and found the line incompetent4 ,it was about ten o'clock4 ,not a moment was to be lost2 but it was a question whether it was possible by the hour named for the attack1 to renew the lines4 ,in an important point like this1 there was no room for speculation4 ,much depended upon tact and quickness4 ,the captain felt most anxious about it1 and ordered the serjeant to test the line and repair it immediately4 ,lamed by a fall from a horse the sergeant was unequal to the exertion of running on foot1 and so mounting the hussar's charger1 he bounded off and arrived at the light division camp just as the stormers were mustering for the assault4 ,borrowing a lantern he threaded the line from the station1 carefully examined the wires1 and at last came upon the breaks which had occasioned the interruption4 ,the wires had been cut accidentally by round shot or shells4 ,with corporal ,truscott he finished the lines a few minutes before the storming columns moved to the assault1 and enabled ,captain ,du ,cane1 who was well pleased with the prompt energy of the sergeant1 to report to ,major-,general ,jones the re-establishment of the required communication4 ,no4 #ac battery of the left attack1 armed with #ac-;inch mortars1 had fired on the ,russian works with tremendous results1 but its efficiency was1 in time1 impaired1 by the destruction of one of its platforms4 ,it was of great moment to renew it1 and corporal ,borbidge and six carpenters commenced the work at four o'clock in the evening while the battery was still in action4 ,a naval mortar required a ponderous arrangement of sleepers and planks to sustain it1 for1 with an ordinary charge of gunpowder1 it has been known to make a vertical jump some six inches high and reach the stand again with a crushing jerk sufficient to shake the structure in every part4 ,to meet concussions of such violence the platforms for sea-service mortars were invariably of the strongest kind4 ,that constructed by ,borbidge and his sappers--the type of many more--had1 for its foundation1 three transverse sleepers measuring ten inches deep and eight broad4 ,above them were laid1 longitudinally1 six beams eight inches wide and eight in depth1 to which was spiked the covering consisting of massive planks nine inches in breadth and four deep4 ,at the sides1 ribands or stays of proportionate strength were bolted to the flooring1 and when all was completed the platform spread over an area ten feet square4 ,this however gives but a faint idea of the amount of labour employed in producing it4 ,after collecting the timber--principally old joists and rafters from ruined houses--it took those seven men1 using their best skill and exertions1 thirteen hours to complete it6 ,the darkness increased the difficulties of its construction1 and prepared as it was under a fire of some intensity with blazing shells dropping and bursting around them1 the service was advanced to the dignity of an example for future imitation4 ,it was ready for action at five o'clock on the morning of the #ahth of ,june4 ,corporal ,borbidge had the reputation of being a brave man4 ,he was the tallest sapper at the siege1 approaching in height six feet four inches1 and the doubled-up positions into which he was forced by the peculiar exigencies of his work1 did not in the least affect a stature which was admitted to be perfect in straightness and equipoise4#ahf ,to the ,french was assigned the attack on the ,malakoff2 to the ,british that on the ,redan4 ,four columns of the latter were formed up2 the first to enter the left face between the flanking batteries2 the second the salient angle of the work2 the third the re-entering angle formed by the face and flank2 and the fourth1 moving towards the ,woronzoff ravine1 to enter the right flank of the ,redan4 ,to each column was added a brigade of eight sappers and four carpenters laden with crowbars1 sledge-hammers1 grapnels1 axes1 and powder-bags for removing abattis1 palisades1 or any other obstacles which might oppose the onward dash of the stormers1 and also to blow down gates and barriers4 ,the right column to scale the re-entering angle was formed up in the trench leading out of the right of the quarries in the following succession under the command of ,colonel ,yea of the royal fusiliers3-- #ajj rifles1 #ast battalion--skirmishers ,under ,lieut4 ,fisher1 #h sappers and miners ,r4,e41 with sergeant #d carpenters1 carrying cutting tools1 ,john ,landrey of the powder-bags1 c4 royal sappers and #ej rifles1 each with a wool-bag miners4 #fj rifles1 carrying ladders ,under ,lieut4 ,graves1 #fj seamen ditto ,r4,e4 #djj storming party ,under ,capt4 ,jesse1 ,r4,e4 #hjj supports #b brigades of sappers for the lodgment ,under ,lieut4 ,somerville1 ,r4,e4 #djj working party1 carrying #bjj pickaxes1 #bjj shovels1 and as many gabions4 ,the other columns were marshalled in similar sequence in the foremost trenches1 but it may be well to add the names and duties of the officers allotted to the left column1 appointed under the command of ,major-,general ,sir ,j4 ,campbell to attack the right flank of the ,redan4 ,lieutenant ,murray1 to lead skirmishers and sappers with sergeant ,john ,coppin4 ,lieutenant ,graham1 to lead the parties with wool-bags and ladders4 ,major ,bent1 to lead the storming party and supports4 ,lieutenant ,c4 ,g4 ,gordon1 to control the working party with two brigades of sappers4 ,obedient to the signal1 about half-past three o'clock in the morning the right column debouched from the quarries1 the skirmishers opening out in good order and advancing steadily on the ,redan4 ,the spaces between the files exposed the sappers to a heavy fire1 but they pressed forward led by ,lieutenant ,fisher1 preserving their narrow rank compactly4 ,bravely moved the rest of the column headed by ,lieutenant ,graves1 but the weight borne by the ladder parties did not admit of a dashing approach2 the more so1 as the seamen and rifles had to cross with their burdens1 two old ,russian trenches before they could lay hold of the skirts of the wool-bag party4 ,lieutenant ,fisher1 nevertheless1 strode on at a confident pace1 not too hurried1 his sappers at his side1 under a shower of grape and musketry2 and on gaining the abattis1 halted to receive the strength of the ladder party1 as well as the stormers and supports4 ,standing longer inactive than he expected1 swept by grape from the ,redan1 ,lieutenant ,fisher's party threw themselves down to await the moment when the column could rush forward1 unclogged1 to the assault4 ,interrupted by ditches1 the riflemen and sailors bearing the ladders could only scramble forward4 ,at every step they were smitten by unerring volleys and with them fell the ladders4 ,all this time ,lieutenant ,fisher maintained his post with invincible command4 ,to stand against a storm of fire with a bared breast was not an easy virtue1 yet his men wavered not4 ,looking back with some anxiety to watch through the dim grey light the progress of the seamen and rifles1 he could not see a single ladder4 ,minutes past and no help reached him2 his men were falling fast and his straits increasing4 ,emboldened by the apparent hesitation which had held back the column1 the enemy sprang upon their parapets and fired upon the little force which had the temerity to reach the barricade4 ,crouched as the men were under the boughs of the abattis and doubled up in shell-holes1 they were somewhat saved from its fierceness1 but every moment augmented the chances of their not returning4 ,cool and lion-hearted1 the young engineer was everywhere among his parties commending their bravery and endurance2 and sergeant ,landrey1 nobly assisting his officer1 encouraged by his conspicuous example and his cheers the dislocated files of the forlorn hope4 ,still the ladders were unseen2 the stormers were yet in rear1 and1 at length1 as no means for scaling the ramparts were with the advance and its numbers were reduced to a handful1 ,lieutenant ,fisher1 seeing no officer present senior to himself1 reluctantly1 but wisely1 retreated with his men to the trenches4 ,a beautiful instance of valiant humanity occurred in the retreat4 ,seeing a wounded officer lying near the abattis with a shattered leg1 ,lieutenant ,fisher1 assisted by a sailor1 carried him some distance4 ,already fatigued by his exertions at the storming1 he was soon exhausted1 and private ,jesse ,head1 pushing out from a piece of broken ground in which he had sheltered himself1 took charge of the helpless grenadier and bore him into the trenches4 ,so grateful was the officer for the devotion shown to him1 that he offered the gold watch he wore to private ,head1 who1 with the generous feeling of a chivalric soldier1 refused the gift4 ,the officer was shot through the leg below the knee4 ,he was a very tall fine-looking man1 belonging to a grenadier company of1 it is believed1 the #ccrd or #cdth regiment4 ,meanwhile1 the left column1 under the command of ,sir ,john ,campbell1 moved out of the trenches to attack the right flank of the ,redan4 ,the skirmishers went boldly forward followed by ,lieutenant ,murray of the engineers1 leading the sappers and carpenters with destroying tools and powder-bags4 ,all edged well to the left taking a sort of cart-track winding along the broken crest of the ,woronzoff ravine4 ,close upon them were the ladders under ,lieutenant ,graham1 who had in his party two able leaders1 corporal ,paul and private ,perie4 ,the sappers with this column belonged to the left attack and were less acquainted with the characteristics of the ground than those on the right4 8,who of the sappers here know anything of the ground80 asked ,lieutenant ,graham4 8,i do1 sir10 cried ,perie1 with an impatience that evidenced his desire for selection1 8,i know every inch of it20 and he was accordingly appointed to head the sailors with the ladders4 ,the hindmost spur of the hill was reached when tremendous peals of musketry and grape from the ,redan1 flanks1 and creek batteries1 made the skirmishers falter4 ,here they halted1 lying down for a few minutes to spring onwards when the fire should lessen4 ,lieutenant ,murray early fell severely wounded4 ,though agonising with pain he declined1 after sergeant ,coppin and private ,mole had bound up his shattered arm1 to be borne away by his men1 and so alone and unaided he walked in a sinking state to the trench and soon after expired4 ,his place was instantly supplied by ,lieutenant ,graham4 ,tall1 commanding1 and collected1 vigourous in purpose and brave in danger1 he took the direction of the contingents4 ,it was now that ,lieutenant-,colonel ,tylden rushed to the front to impart by his presence1 spirit and confidence to the skirmishers4 ,barely had he approved of ,lieutenant ,graham storming the salient instead of the flank of the ,redan than a grape-shot passed through his thighs and took from the crisis an engineer1 whose valour and exploits blazon history4 ,the truly generous neglect their own safety in the humane wish to administer relief to those who suffer4 ,lieutenant ,graham first on the spot1 raised him from the ground2 and sergeant ,coppin with private ,ewen of the eighth company1 both of whom more than once had proved their devotion to their officers1 carried the colonel to a sheltered spot under a ledge of rock at the side of the ,woronzoff ravine and there laid him down4 ,faint as he was from the loss of blood he would not retain the sergeant2 and so dismissing him to his party1 ,ewen remained to soothe the colonel by his attentions1 and later in the day to assist four or five sappers in bearing him from the nook to the camp4 ,seeing no chance of an opportunity to make the flank1 the skirmishers rose from the holes into which they had crushed themselves and retreated to the advanced trenches in the quarries4 ,some time was spent in filling up the blanks in the ladder men1 who1 as soon as the bearers were paired1 were impatient to proceed4 ,corporal ,paul was now strictly enjoined by ,major ,bent not to permit the ladder men to move a step forward unless orders were given for renewing the assault4 ,it was difficult to fetter the impetuosity of eager men2 but corporal ,paul1 an imperturbable sapper1 displayed so much cool discipline himself1 that gross indications of rashness were immediately restrained the moment his measured voice was heard among them4 ,once indeed for the exactness with which he carried out his orders1 he was likely to have been bayoneted by a brave but inconsiderate comrade4 ,paul was not the man to flinch from any attack1 or to repel one by a force as irrational as that which threatened him2 and so simply lifting his finger1 as if that were sufficient to ward off the thrust1 the exasperated man1 sobered by the corporal's composure1 averted the weapon and both1 at the proper moment1 went on with the ladders4 ,in the same order as before1 the stormers again advanced--this time to scale the salient of the ,redan4 ,when the ladders had passed to the front of the advanced trench1 the skirmishers had moved so much to the left1 that the sappers and escalading parties were much exposed4 ,lieutenant ,graham now halted the sailors and riflemen to allow the skirmishers to rectify their position1 and shelter in degree the sappers1 woolsack men and escalading parties2 but the firing on them continued so terrific1 the skirmishers1 valiant as they were1 could not effect the movement2 and the whole1 by order1 after standing for ten minutes bared to a ceaseless cannonade1 were withdrawn into the advanced trench4 ,hopeless as it was to push on with so small a front1 the struggle nevertheless could not be abandoned save on the gravest grounds2 and arrangements were again made by ,lord ,west1 who commanded the storming-party1 to essay the assault4 ,yet a third time the skirmishers re-formed with a front increased by a detachment of the #egth regiment led out by one of its captains1 who soon fell4 ,the sappers1 too1 were drawn up with their axes1 grapnels1 and powder-bags1 so also were the woolpack men1 and the seamen and riflemen with the ladders4 ,steadily and firmly they advanced met by a crashing and annihilating fire4 ,every step onwards was retarded by shocks which made the stormers desperate4 ,a few more bounds were attempted1 succeeded by another halt that showed the enterprise was impossible2 and swept back by a continuous roll of musketry and shells no troops could withstand1 the daring men who thrice threw themselves before the enemy1 reeled back into the trenches defeated4 ,but few of the stormers succeeded in reaching the abattis4 ,of the sappers1 there were at least four or five who gained it1 or nearly so4 ,coppin and private ,mole1 belonging to the party with destroying tools1 made the barricade to the left1 while corporal ,paul and ,perie went directly to the front4 ,all bent themselves behind knots of rock1 or dropping into shell-holes or hollows1 fired away with all the coolness of riflemen1 such ammunition as they could collect from the pouches of the killed and wounded4 ,when it was evident the day was lost1 sergeant ,coppin1 directed by ,lieutenant ,graham1 ran to the front to command the skirmishers to retire4 ,his mien was that of a calm man and a fearless soldier4 ,he first communicated the orders to the officer in command of the rifles1 and then to the sergeant of the #egth1 as the captain who had led them to the front was killed4 ,coppin was thus one of the last men to return to the trenches4 ,paul and ,perie were afterwards awarded distinctions1 which but a minimum of their comrades attained4 ,besides a gratuity of ten pounds and a medal for distinguished service1 ,paul was promoted to the rank of sergeant and received the ,legion of ,honour2 while ,perie1 an unlettered man but a first-class sapper and leader1 was decorated with the military war-medal of ,france 8for valour and discipline40 ,coppin1 though it was not his good fortune to obtain a badge to show his merit1 was1 by the voice of his comrades1 as brave and ready a sapper as ever toiled in the trenches4 ,among the sappers with the right column there were five casualties3-- ,private ,thomas ,mc,neil killed4 0 ,joseph ,barnes ,lance-corporal ,joseph ,maycock1 wounded in the head ,both were struck by ,private ,samuel ,spear1 wounded in the left knee rifle-balls1 and died of their wounds4 0 ,edward ,pearson1 wounded in the hand4 ,private ,mc,neil1 when found next day1 was under the abattis riddled with balls4 ,he was a good and an ardent soldier1 and his comrades spoke in high terms of his bravery on all occasions4 ,as already shown1 he had his jaw broken in a strange manner on the #crd ,april4 ,captain ,jesse1 who hastened to the front to ascertain the complexion of affairs1 was shot through the head while speaking to ,lieutenant ,fisher4 ,lieutenant ,graves was also killed4 ,three sappers with the left column were put hors-de-combat3 ,private ,robert ,eadie--killed by a round shot which went through his chest and knocked him to pieces4 ,he was with the ,staff at the time bearing signal flags4 0 ,john ,perie--wounded in right side1 by rifle bullet4 0 ,william ,preece--wounded slightly4 ,two casualties occurred in the column under ,general ,barnard1 placed in position on the right of the ,woronzoff road1 viz3-- ,private ,william ,rollings--killed by the blow of a shot which rolled over a precipice on his neck and broke his spine4 ,he was knocked a few yards down the hill1 8where10 an observer has written1 8he sat as if asleep with his face turned up1 but he was stone dead40 0 ,aaron ,tickell--wounded severely2 leg amputated1 and died ,december1 #ahee4 ,sergeant ,william ,dobbie--wounded in the right shoulder by a spent #cb lb4 shot4 ,he was the sergeant in charge of the sappers in reserve4 8,i must not conclude10 wrote ,lieutenant ,fisher1 8without bringing under your notice the very gallant conduct of sergeant ,landrey1 whose steadiness in the advance1 and exertions in cheering on the men were most praiseworthy40 ,lieutenant-,colonel ,tylden1 being unable to report on the operations of ,lieutenant ,fisher and his sappers1 ,colonel ,gordon supplied the omission4 8,the officers of engineers and men10 he wrote1 8attached to this column1 performed their duty in a brave and devoted manner4 ,the non-commissioned officers and men bravely followed their officers1 and were foremost among the assailants4 ,sergeant ,landrey particularly distinguished himself40 ,in awarding high praise to the naval brigade for their noble behaviour with the ladders1 ,lieutenant ,graham acknowledged 8the steady conduct of the party of sappers under sergeant ,coppin of the fourth company10 and drew attention to the valiant behaviour of private ,john ,perie4 ,alluding to the latter at another time1 ,lieutenant ,graham wrote1 8he was invaluable to me on that day1 as he followed me everywhere1 and was always ready when ,i wanted anything done40 ,his cool determination in taking a message to ,lieutenant ,murray in front during the thick of the fight1 and returning with an answer1 was one of the instances which called for ,lieutenant ,graham's special commendation4 ,when the assault was over1 a naval officer1 seeing a wounded man lying exposed in front1 asked for assistance4 ,with his natural brusqueness1 ,perie said to ,lieutenant ,graham1 8,i'll follow you1 sir60 ,all three bounded over the parapet and brought in the injured man4 ,had further help of the kind been needed they would have humanely exercised it4 ,the front fortunately was clear2 and so1 anxious to prevent the chance of anything falling into the hands of the enemy1 they threw themselves again over the parapet1 and lugged into the trench some ladders from the open4 ,the devotion of ,perie to his brave leader was the more remarkable1 as he had already been wounded by a rifle-bullet in the side4 ,major-,general ,jones also made this record to the credit of the corps3 8,the royal sappers and miners continue to distinguish themselves by their gallantry and good conduct40 ,under ,lieutenant ,neville of the engineers and ,captain ,penn1 ,r4,a41 ,sergeant ,thomas ,r4 ,drew and #cj sappers1 with destroying implements and powder-bags1 were detailed to act with ,brigadier-,general ,barnard's division1 which1 having marched across the ,woronzoff ravine and halted under the cliffs1 was to move forward and capture the ,barrack ,battery as soon as the ,redan and ,malakoff had been taken2 but the utter discomfiture of the two columns placed this subsidiary attack in the category of impossibilities4 ,while the assault was still at its highest1 corporal ,jenkins obtained permission to go to the front to watch its desperate phases4 ,he was accompanied by sergeant ,drew4 ,keeping close under the beetling rocks1 which in a measure shielded them from the gusts of fire that struck the steep and broken sides of the ravine1 they at length reached the left flank of the advance trench1 where for a while they looked at the doubtful strife1 and returned to report its progress4 ,again they moved to the quarries by the rough unbeaten track they had previously traversed1 guiding ,lieutenant ,neville and ,captain ,penn4 ,a short reconnaissance determined ,lieutenant ,neville to send ,jenkins with a message to ,general ,barnard4 ,off he started1 and communicated to the ,general the information he had been commissioned to convey4 ,colonel ,waddy of the #ejth regiment1 who had been appointed to lead the stormers of ,general ,barnard's column1 expressed a wish to go to the front to see the aspect of affairs1 if any one would show him the road4 8,follow the sapper60 said ,jenkins1 using the phrase of the trenches2 and ,colonel ,waddy1 glad of the offer1 run along under the brows of the rocks1 whither the corporal conducted1 and found himself in less than ten minutes safe in the quarries4 ,a few glances put him in possession of intelligence he did not expect to learn2 the attack was failing2 the scenes he witnessed were untoward and disheartening1 but he still had hope of doing some service to retrieve the fortunes of the day4 ,placing himself again under the guidance of the corporal1 the rough route by the hill-side was speedily retraced2 and the colonel1 boiling over with desire and anxiety1 proposed to lead out the stormers at once without waiting the accomplishment of those operations which were considered essential before the secondary attacks should commence4 ,but the orders for the movement of the column were too explicit and imperative to admit a deviation without special directions from the ruling authority1 and so ,colonel ,waddy had not the honour on this great occasion to 8do or die40 ,jenkins now rejoined the officers in the quarries4 ,this was his third march over that toppling hill-side1 almost suffocated with dust and fatigued with a restless foot1 which for six hours and more had been in active motion4 ,before this time the fate of the day was irrevocable2 the cannonade had ceased1 the stormers had retired1 the open was clear1 but a murderous crossfire of musketry still played on our works4 ,seeing a wounded man of the #egth regiment struggling in front of the ,quarry batteries1 ,jenkins and ,drew volunteered to bring him in4 ,to this ,lieutenant ,neville assented1 and in broad daylight they bore him to the trench1 resigning their charge to a party of the #egth in the rear4 ,the poor fellow had been deeply struck in the right thigh and ankle and was torn with stones and splinters4 ,a little later they saw other men lying exposed with bad wounds on the reverse of the advance trenches4 ,with a broken stretcher1 the sergeant and ,jenkins carried away one after another into safe cover4 ,this was a service of supreme risk1 and many of the defeated stormers who filled the trenches1 pale with enervation and panic1 possessed nevertheless sufficient self-command to make their surprise obvious4 8,look at those mad sappers60 said they1 envying the courage they feared to exercise2 but the humane non-commissioned officers1 heedless of the taunts that assailed them1 never slackened their hand till there was no longer a necessity for their exertions4 ,again ,jenkins pushed into the ravine by the old track4 8,a corporal of sappers came along the hill-side from the direction of the ,redan10 wrote ,lieutenant-,colonel ,sir ,james ,alexander1 #adth regiment4#ahg 8,i asked him what was the news of the assault from the trenches of the right attack8 ,he said1 #8,bad news1' and in a few words he told of the disastrous events of the morning40 ,the corporal alluded to was ,jenkins4 ,seeing a comrade1 private ,rollings1 killed and huddled up on the slope with a broken neck1 he begged ,lieutenant ,neville's sanction to bear him away1 as no sapper had yet been buried in the trenches4 ,his request being granted1 he1 with the help of three volunteers1 carried the dead sapper on a scaling-ladder across the ravine to the first parallel of the left attack1 from whence he was removed to camp and honoured with a soldier's funeral4 ,equally conspicuous was private ,george ,ramsey in his endeavours to succour the wounded4 ,he too belonged to ,lieutenant ,neville's party1 and crept along under the rocks till he made the open4 ,it was a wonder with so hot a fire of musketry that he escaped4 ,he first removed a wounded sailor who had pushed himself into a rifle-pit2 and afterwards1 with the assistance of ,lieutenant ,hallowes of the royal navy1 then mate of the #8,wasp' steam-sloop1 and a few men1 he bore away on a scaling-ladder softened with wool taken from the sacks of the stormers1 a brave rifleman who was struck down with severe wounds near the abattis4 ,the cool bravery of these three sappers was brought to the notice of ,major-,general ,jones by ,lieutenant ,neville1 who recommended them for distinguished medals4 ,they 8succeeded under a very heavy fire10 he reported1 8in rescuing the bodies of several wounded men of the #egth regiment lying out in front of the ,redan40 ,the column under ,brigadier-,general ,eyre was directed to push down the picket-house ravine past the cemetery into the rear of the ,barrack ,battery1 and there co-operate with ,general ,barnard in its capture4 ,this column bore on with an irresistible front into the grounds near the graveyard1 but were locked in among some houses of the suburb1 beyond which it would have been more than madness to proceed4 ,as it was1 they held the position until evening under a harassing fire1 and retreated with the loss of no less than #ca officers killed and wounded1 as also the ,brigadier struck in the head4 ,of second-corporal ,william ,baker1 third company1 who went forward with this column1 a more than passing notice may be permitted4 ,he was on duty in the third parallel1 and left it without orders1 declaring at all hazards he would that day enter the town4 ,but how brittle is human intention6 ,armed with his carbine and a full pouch of ammunition1 he joined the #chth regiment2 and losing sight of the fact that he was not in charge of a working party in the saps1 cheered on the men with the inspiriting cry1 8,now1 my boys1 follow the sapper60 ,in the excitement of the moment he caught up the expression1 because it had become a settled by-word of the trenches4 ,on went poor ,baker1 heedless of those who followed1 and he was killed in the ravine beyond the grave-yard4 ,disembowelled1 wounded in the breast1 and with a broken leg1 he lay for a time in great pain4 ,he was seen to wave his hand as if entreating assistance1 but so thick was the firing up the valley from the crow's-nest and garden batteries1 none dared to pass into it to help the corporal in his last agonies4 ,the casualties in the ,english troops this day were very great4 ,both officers who led the columns on the ,redan were killed4 ,in addition to the engineer officers already named1 ,major-,general ,jones was wounded in the head by a grape-shot2 and his ,brigade-,major1 ,captain ,bourchier1 received a slight contusion in the arm4 ,the ,french1 in their imposing but unavailing attacks upon the ,malakoff1 lost #b generals1 #cg officers1 and #aedd men killed1 wounded1 and missing2 while the ,russians in their sturdy defence1 achieved a victory at a sacrifice which counted thousands of killed and wounded4 ,no less than #gig fell dead in the various works1 and #digi were wounded4 ,it was a terrific struggle and a memorable failure4 ,already weakened by disease1 ,lord ,raglan1 ill able to bear the defeat1 survived it only a few days4 ,a warrior1 trained under the ,duke of ,wellington1 possessing in the highest degree habits of calmness1 patience1 and controlling perseverance1 he was the fittest general in the ,english army at the time to bear the responsibility of a great and critical command2 and the distinguished talent and bravery with which he conducted it1 gaining three brilliant battles and sustaining a violent siege for seven months with only one drawback--that which cost him his noble life--his career as a commander-in-chief in a great war1 will1 in after time1 meet the honourable reward it merits from impartial history4 ,general ,simpson1 the chief officer of his lordship's staff1 succeeded to the command4 ----- ,footnote #ahe3 ,unexceptionable as a sapper and an ,ajax in strength and stature1 ,smale was nevertheless a grumbler by nature4 ,this trait in his character was well-known to both officers and non-commissioned officers2 and as in this state he invariably worked the hardest1 it became a habit with many to endeavour to provoke his indignation4 ,one day ,lieutenant ,graves1 who was afterwards killed at the siege1 felt it no compromise of position--the intercourse between officers and subordinates in war being more easy and unrestrained than in peace--to question in a jesting manner the usefulness of the second company4 ,this was a subject he knew would ruffle ,smale's plume4 8,look here10 said he1 addressing the growler1 8,i have heard you boasting of the sapper qualifications of the second company1 but from what ,i have seen of the men belonging to it1 ,i can't say much in their favour40 8,eugh60 mumbled ,smale1 clutching his pick and shovel1 8the second company took ,bomarsund1 and you couldn't take ,sebastopol without it40 ,so saying he walked into an embrasure1 and with the coolest activity patched up its shattered cheeks4 ,this was the way poor ,smale dealt out repartee4 ,his retorts were all harmless1 but usefully demonstrative4 ,footnote #ahf3 ,borbidge was never sick during the siege4 ,for eight or ten days he was at ,sinope collecting timber for huts4 ,with this exception he was never from the front4 ,but few sappers were oftener on duty than he1 for his good health and usefulness passed him into the trenches seldom less than six times a week4 ,it is melancholy to add1 that this fine soldier was drowned on the #fth ,december1 #ahef1 at ,rochester1 when employed in the demolition of the old bridge4 ,the wind was squally1 and while crossing a plank in a heavy ,french great coat1 a sudden gust carried him into the eddying river among the shore piles4 ,he was an excellent swimmer1 and as soon as he had got his head above water1 called lustily for a rope2 but1 before it could be thrown to him1 or boats could push to his assistance1 he was borne away by the current and sank about sixty yards from the bridge4 ,footnote #ahg3 #8,united ,service ,magazine1' ,september #ahef1 p4 #bc4 #ahee4 #ahth ,june-#afth ,july4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,condition of the batteries2 their repair--,alarm of a sortie--,noble intention of four comrades to recover the body of corporal ,baker--,strategic occupation of the rifle redoubt behind the cemetery--,interchange of civilities between the ,russian and ,english truces--,capture of a memento--,escape of ,lieutenant ,donnelly and lance-corporal ,veal--,lodgment in the cemetery--,a sortie frustrated--,destruction of the rifle redoubt--,no4 #ah battery1 right attack--,perils in the saps in advance of the quarries--,progress of the works--,re-occupation of the cemetery--,the stone double sap2 corporal ,j4 ,t4 ,collins--,the two ,dromios--,industry of the miners--,progress of the works and repairs--,even during a storm--,advance of the chevaux-de-frise up the ,woronzoff ravine--,sappers annoyed by light balls--,difficulties in executing the works--,demolitions in the rear parallels--,the ,picket-house--,approach to the cemetery--,wooden bridge--,general officers' hut--,abstraction of gabions by the ,french--,gallantry in pushing the sap from left advanced parallel1 right attack--,night details--,no4 #ae battery1 left attack--,obstacles to success in commencing the fifth parallel1 right attack--,trenches in the cemetery--,progress of the works--,conduct and exertions of the engineers and sappers4 ,by the enemy's fire1 a number of embrasures had been seriously damaged or demolished1 and their early fall was ascribed to the unsubstantial manner in which they had been built under the superintendence of some young and inexperienced sappers fresh from ,england4 ,the works which bore the brunt of the fight were the #ba-;gun battery and ,nos4 #ac1 #ad1 and #ag on the right attack4 ,the first had ten embrasures in ruins1 while the remaining batteries scarcely retained a vestige of resemblance to their original construction4 ,at night there were #bj sappers on the right1 and #bb on the left1 assisted respectively by working parties of #ajj and #bgc men4 ,many of the damaged embrasures were rebuilt before morning2 a passage was widened round the traverse in ,egerton's pit for the passage of guns1 and a number of gabions which had been thrown down or fractured during the bombardment were replaced in the zig-zags leading to the quarries1 and in the saps issuing from them4 ,the platforms which had been stoutly laid resisted with firmness the violence to which they had been subjected1 and the magazines withstood an exasperated cannonade with remarkable success4 ,several scaling ladders which had fallen with their intrepid bearers in the unavailing assault1 and many of the abandoned woolsacks were removed2 and it was due to the endeavours of a few spirited volunteers1 that about twenty-five men1 found on the field disabled by frightful wounds1 were carried to the trenches4 ,at midnight there was an alarm of a sortie among the ,french in front of the ,mamelon1 which rapidly spread to the quarries4 ,a brisk play of projectiles took place on both sides1 in which the men in the rear trenches heartily joined4 ,without a real object to deserve such warmth--for the ,russians had not left their works--they necessarily fired at random1 and some of the workmen in the foremost trenches were wounded from our own missiles4 ,a wounded sergeant of the #crd division had crept into the lines next day1 and reported that a corporal of sappers was still alive in the garden4 ,four of his comrades--corporals ,william ,donald1 ,john ,medway1 ,samuel ,varren1 and ,robert ,j4 ,fitzgerald1 all of the third company--with a nobleness of feeling that did them infinite credit1 agreed1 though not on duty1 to go out and bring him to camp4 ,accordingly they pushed into the trench in front of the caves1 and seeing1 by the aid of an opera lorgnette1 that ,baker was motionless1 they were desired by ,lieut4 ,donnelly to defer the attempt1 as a truce would shortly take place1 which would enable them to recover the corporal without peril or molestation4 ,major-,general ,eyre wanting support1 was compelled to leave the cemetery he had gallantly taken on the #ahth4 ,conceiving that circumstances favoured a bloodless appropriation of the rifle-pits near the cemetery1 ,lieutenant ,donnelly secured the services of these four men to accompany him2 and while he collected twenty volunteers from the #bjth regiment1 private ,fitzgerald was sent away to get ten riflemen4 ,communicating his orders to the officer commanding the covering party of the rifle brigade1 the number of men were soon made up2 but before ,fitzgerald arrived with the detachment1 ,lieutenant ,donnelly had gone with his party from the left of ,no4 #aa battery down the ravine to the garden1 where1 as the firing was hot1 he and the volunteers were obliged to lie among the grass and fruit trees till a momentary lull gave them an opportunity of moving cautiously to some suburban houses1 among which they dodged1 and then crept on all-fours to the wall of the cemetery1 where they concealed themselves4 ,meanwhile ,fitzgerald leading the riflemen1 started from one of the boyaux behind ,no4 #g battery1 and dashing down the hill under a close fire--for all were exposed--they reached the garden wall nearest to our trenches4 ,it was some five or six feet high1 built of dry rubble stone1 behind which1 as they were blown by their fleetness1 they halted to take breath4 ,relieved by a brief stay1 ,fitzgerald1 the first to spring over the wall1 was followed by the rifles1 like bloodhounds in full chase2 and redoubling their speed1 raced onwards under an incessant rattle of musketry1 stopping not till they had joined ,lieutenant ,donnelly at the cemetery wall4 ,another move was now made to the head of the ravine1 where ,lieutenant ,donnelly placed four men in the first pit1 and pushed on to a more commanding pit on a green knoll2 but1 unable to occupy it1 he distributed his volunteers1 for safety1 among some trees and old walls in the neighbourhood4 ,while these dispositions were being enacted a truce was agreed upon1 which turned the young officer loose on the little ,mamelon1 around which he placed his detachment as sentries4 ,the ,russians regarding the pits as in our possession1 did not ascend the mound1 but an officer1 disinclined to yield the spot1 passed the sentries2 and after scrutinizing the locality with speculative curiosity1 returned to his men4 ,the four sappers then went in quest of ,baker4 ,when found1 he was dead1 and had been so for some hours4 ,he was1 therefore1 borne away to camp4#ahh ,at last the melancholy duty of giving a rough and unceremonious sepulture to the many dead was accomplished1 and ,lieutenant ,donnelly descending the mound1 moved to the nearest rifle-pit1 as did also lance-corporal ,james ,veal1 who bore the white flag4 ,whilst standing near the pit1 shrouded by the sacred truce1 two rifle shots1 and shortly after1 a score or two of ,minis were aimed at them4 ,this angry attack was no doubt occasioned by the report of the officer who forced the sentries4 ,it was useless now to wave the banner to seek protection under colour of the truce1 and as little hope for their lives was left them1 they depended upon the tact they could exercise to effect their escape4 ,lieutenant ,donnelly jumped over the parapet1 and as he ran1 a constant fire1 which would have appalled many an older head1 neither made him falter nor stay his course2 and he reached the trenches1 as if an egis had shielded him1 without a stroke4 ,veal remained in the pit1 assailed by an incessant shower of grape and ,minis1 shot and shell1 which made gaps in the screen that covered him4 ,there he stood till the darkness fell2 when stealing unperceived from the danger he had for so many hours outlived1 he scrambled ahead as best he could1 and picking his way through the suburbs and gardens1 hastened up the hill-side to the #e-;gun battery in the first parallel1 with the same scathless fortune as his officer4 ,this strategic episode opened up new advantages which were instantly turned to account by the besiegers4 ,strong parties were sent into the cemetery grounds to extend the lodgment as far as the vineyard wall4 ,a communication was likewise opened to it1 in part1 from the fourth parallel4 ,near the vineyard1 however1 the ,russians burnt down some houses1 which enabled them to see into the position and worry the workmen4 ,in the night of the #aith1 corporal ,lockwood had with him a party deputed to a portion of the duty4 ,from the left of ,no4 #g battery1 which overhung the ravine in rear of the caves1 he marched along the side of the hill1 and1 diving into the valley1 entered the cemetery through a door-way in the stone boundary wall4 ,his men threw up a parapet from the wall to some rifle-pits2 another party under corporal ,william ,donald1 continued the trench from the pits1 which afterwards became the left portion of the fifth parallel2 and a third party under corporal ,george ,h4 ,collins1 worked from the fourth parallel down the hill to meet the trench opened by corporal ,donald4 ,these three parties were superintended by sergeant ,coppin4 ,the firing on the cemetery and the new trenches was fierce and constant2 grape and shells fell in incessant showers2 and in corporal ,lockwood's party alone1 no less than fourteen men were killed and wounded before day-break4 ,in the face of so much hostile activity1 with sheets of flames from the burning village lighting up the work1 it was not an easy matter to labour1 but yet the sappers and linesmen persevered for a time in placing and filling no less than eighty gabions4 ,at last the working party1 among whom so many casualties had occurred1 decamped1 leaving their tools behind them1 which were carried away by the sappers1 who returned twice to the deadly trenches to complete the removal of the stores and the muskets of the killed and wounded4 ,for a few nights the work continued under circumstances of great peril4 ,flights of bullets were levelled at the workmen from musketeers1 who1 having crept up among the smouldering houses in the vineyard1 and sheltered themselves in unseen positions1 calculated too truly--from their previous occupation of the place and their foresight--where the besiegers would be appointed to toil4 ,in the night of the #bast it was hardly possible1 except at a prodigal loss1 to employ more than twenty men and three choice sappers in the lodgment4 ,covered by a party from the #dth foot under the command of ,captain ,dowbiggen1 who had judiciously posted his guard to make the most of any sudden attack1 the workmen repaired the breaches in the trench1 and filled as many gabions as it was found practicable to stake4 ,the linesmen and sappers were directed by ,lieutenant ,c4 ,g4 ,gordon of the engineers4 ,a body of ,russians advanced with a cheer towards the cemetery from the vineyard and threatened by their strength to annihilate the little party2 but their fire having been returned with more warmth by the guard than was anticipated1 the ,russians1 doubtlessly possessing a delusive notion that the cemetery was held by a powerful force1 retired without personally contesting an occupation which would have ended to their credit4 ,that the gallant bearing of the party had deceived the enemy is almost proved by the fury with which it was plied4 ,during the whole night four mortars played on them from the garden batteries2 and frequent shots and grape raked them from the ,creek and ,barrack batteries causing among the steadfast sentries and the industrious sappers and workmen about twenty-two casualties4 ,it behoved the engineers to proceed with caution in so fatal a spot1 and if they could not readily adapt the cemetery to their own purpose1 to make it inoperative to the enemy4 ,at the time1 the sacrifice of life in working it was more than the advantage of its retention2 and it was1 therefore1 determined to destroy the position and evacuate it4 ,quietly and quickly were the entrances from the ,russian works into the pits filled up1 and other depredations committed to nullify communication with the cemetery and little ,mamelon behind4 ,in the night of the #bbnd1 in order to extend the demolition1 five sappers under ,lieutenant ,neville of the engineers1 crept into the rifle redoubt above the cemetery with destroying implements4 ,it was a covered loop-holed ambuscade made up of old doors and window-shutters4 ,no time was lost1 for the duty was one of imminent risk4 ,mounting the work1 the sappers threw down about thirty-five feet of the splinter proofing1 and1 hurling it into the ditch1 concealed it from observation by a covering of earth4 ,so hard and zealously did the sappers work under a heavy fire of grape and shells1 that their names were recorded for the notice of ,lord ,raglan4 ,second-corporal ,george ,henry ,collins1 and privates ,david ,muir1 ,william ,goddard1 ,john ,ford1 and ,william ,eddy1 were the men engaged in this intrepid demolition4 ,the operation was repeated the next night by four sappers under second-corporal ,trimble1 who worked for four hours filling up the old ,russian trenches1 while a rattling musketry1 intermingled with crashing projectiles1 scarcely checked the vigour of their exertions4 ,though not wholly destroyed1 the ambuscade was abandoned1 marked only by one trifling wound among the men and the breaking of a shovel helve in the hand of the industrious man who was using it4 ,when the night of the #beth had well advanced1 ,captain ,belson1 unaware that the screen had been relinquished1 told off a working party to augment the ruins2 but finding it unoccupied by a guard1 he distributed his men to the general trenches1 and went on with corporal ,stredwick and a few cool sappers to complete what human energy had not time as yet to accomplish4 ,there was no cover1 except what the few standing grave-stones offered1 and even this was questionable from the many sharp-edged fragments which1 chipped from the slabs at every stroke of shot or shell1 fell among the party4 ,a heavy fusillade from sharpshooters in the screens made the situation of the sappers very critical4 ,they worked1 nevertheless1 with a manliness that gave a noble aspect to labour2 parapets were thrown down1 ditches filled in1 and timbers dislocated2 but at length1 as a sortie was apprehended--of which there were unmistakeable indications1 for the enemy was seen moving up in broken bodies to the little ,mamelon--the sappers were withdrawn by ,captain ,belson from the enclosure without even a scar to tell of their endurance and danger4 ,it was a lucky escape1 for a few minutes after1 the ,russians were in the pit4 ,a new battery--,no4 #ah--;for six heavy guns was reared under many difficulties1 to rake the middle ravine and throw its metal into the ,redan and the ,malakoff4 ,it was built on the swell of a trench a little in advance of a group of zig-zags and lateral excavations issuing from the second parallel of the right attack4 ,the work was commenced on the #bcrd ,june1 and does not appear to have been wholly completed till the #gth ,july4 ,strong parties worked in it at each relief1 and when finished1 its revetments1 standing up in the most solid and approved forms1 resisted with some tenacity the crashing cannonade brought to bear upon it4 ,in the advance trench on the right of the quarries1 the sappers1 for three or four nights1 had to watch with more than usual solicitude in making way against the perils which threatened them4 ,it was good work to place as few as twenty-six gabions in this exposed situation1 for the moon shining brightly in the heavens discovered to the enemy the true character of the progress effected2 and being within about #cjj yards of the ,russian batteries1 it needed that the men entrusted with the operation should be as collected and brave1 as resolute and dexterous4 ,as the moon rose with its meek but tell-tale face1 the four sappers were obliged to quit the head of the sap and retire where the cover was thick1 to protect them from the projectiles1 which frequently overturned the baskets2 but when the luminary was dimmed by a passing cloud1 which made the gabionade appear indistinct1 the sappers rushed forward1 reset the overturned gabions1 and staked as many more as the duration of the obscurity permitted4 ,in this way was completed a line of initial revetment extending to about #de feet4 ,no pickaxe could be used or blasting resorted to in the vicinity of the sap4 ,the gabions were1 therefore1 filled by fits and starts with earth gathered at a distance1 brought to the work by thirty linesmen4 ,on a subsequent night the sky was almost cloudless1 and the moon gleamed with so much clearness1 that the danger of working the sap was as great as if conducted at noon-day4 ,there were four sappers in the advance and fifty of a working party4 ,when only a gauzy cloud moved between them and the moon1 the former1 bounding as from a lair1 leaped a-head with the gabions and employed the transient intervals in giving them a place4 ,their exertions were carried on in paroxysms1 and a night's vigilance and ardour only counted the lodgment of nine gabions6 ,so fearful was the risk of achieving even this trivial progress1 that none but sappers could be confidently allotted to it4 ,the line was1 nevertheless1 beneficially tasked in strengthening the cover of less exposed works4 ,activity was the order of the trenches4 ,proud instalments of progress in every direction showed how well the men toiled1 and how expeditiously they converted the enemy's formations into terrible constructions for the future siege4 ,on the right1 the quarries1 far in advance1 were turned into formidable defences4 ,they were strong by nature but vastly improved by art4 ,the high gabions and flour barrels which faced the enemy's revetments1 were made to serve similar purposes in the besiegers' works4 ,those quarries became the park for the front1 in which was erected the engineer hut--scarcely bullet-proof--from whence orders were dispersed with cool despatch by the officers charged with the execution of the several works4 ,from thence issued the fourth parallel--partly a ,russian entrenchment--which cut up the hill and extended as far as the middle ravine2 while approaches shot out daringly in front from the left of the old ambuscade in hazardous contiguity to the ,russian lines and pits4 ,against the incessant firing of clear-sighted sharpshooters it was difficult to stand and persevere2 yet on went the sap1 sneaking stealthily forward like a huge snake1 till branching off on either hand1 it stretched its length in another parallel in front of the ,redan4 ,three boyaux1 cut on the crest of the hill in advance of the quarries1 led to the fifth parallel2 which1 pushed along by energetic men1 joined an abandoned ,russian trench that breasted the left flank of the ,redan1 and run along ridge and glen to the famed ,mamelon4 ,old magazines evincing signs of decay were revived1 new ones constructed1 and traverses1 platforms1 and the unending appurtenances of a gigantic siege1 were made1 repaired1 or reformed4 ,instances of instability in the batteries had occurred1 which caused the embrasures1 c41 to be rebuilt by experienced hands4 ,the #ba-;gun battery had past its day as a dept4 ,it was no longer the heart of the system1 communicating life by its supplies to the arteries of the hills4 ,stupendous as it was1 it lost everything but vitality1 and the importance it had once acquired was now possessed by the quarries4 ,the weather had settled with intolerable heat1 and a blazing sun beaming in a sky of unbroken blue1 bronzed the lean faces of the workmen1 and1 sweating their spare frames1 affected the stamina of all4 ,a thunderstorm interposing1 cooled the air and moistened the rock4 ,it was an auspicious visitation1 for it lessened the oppression and parching to which the workmen were subjected4 ,the rain fell in torrents1 and gushing down the ravines in floods1 tumbled over balls1 fragments of shells1 and clods like so many cascades4 ,young trenches were inundated and older ones in some places covered with water ankle deep4 ,fears were entertained for the stability of the works and the efficiency of the drains1 but when the tempest had ceased1 so little was the damage done to the batteries that the necessary repairs were executed in a few hours4 ,the water channels1 on the contrary1 were much impaired and became one of the chief difficulties in conducting the siege4 ,at this period the number of the corps available for trench duty was #cea only4 ,the sick present were #aaj and those at ,scutari1 c41 were #ea4 ,the force detached to different places to carry out the multifarious services for which sappers were constantly demanded was #afj4 ,the total strength in the ,crimea and in ,turkey1 as these details show1 was #fgb of all ranks4 ,on the left attack the ,mamelon ,vert above the ,cemetery having been taken by the ,french1 the post in the graveyard which had been abandoned was reoccupied in the night of the #bgth by a ,british picquet to protect the right of the allies4 ,the works in it were speedily turned and traverses constructed to ward off the firing from the ,flagstaff batteries2 while the enemy1 confined within the main line of his defences1 scarcely dared pit a rifleman beyond the chain4 ,a brigade of sappers followed by a working party descended the side of the ravine warily pushing on gabion after gabion1 and then trenching along its bottom and driving through rocks and unsheltered ground1 at length reached a wall through which a breach being quickly made1 on went the trench in the direction of a lone house in the valley1 and in time was extended by blasting to the cemetery4 ,by the #bgth of ,june1 the covered-way1 termed by the sappers the 8stone double sap10 to protect the two large caves or 8ovens0 where a strong day picquet was posted1 was completed4 ,like a terrace it run along the slope of the picket-house ravine among steep and jutting rocks1 for about #cjj feet1 and was hollowed1 every inch of it1 by mining4 ,its face was between three and four feet high of solid rock1 and above was placed a revetment of gabions1 powder-cases and bread-bags filled and backed by fragments of stone blown up in the blasts and macadamized4 ,sand-bags were also used1 and earth brought from the rear was shovelled among the stones to make the mass compact4 ,to protect the trench from enfilade1 six traverses of rock were formed as the work proceeded2 but a bold one1 seven feet in altitude1 facing the mouth of the first cave1 pushed across the trench for #bb feet1 and possessed a breadth adapted to the object it was intended to serve4 ,a curved continuation of the trench1 stretching up the hill for #ajj feet1 rounded the second cave1 whose enlarged mouth opening on the ,russian batteries required strong cover to shield the chamber from the enemy's fire4 ,a parapet was therefore risen like a butt1 some #af feet broad at the crown1 which stood well against grape and shot and averted dangers it seemed incapable of meeting4 ,the revetment started from a foundation of rock built up to the necessary height with sand-bags4 ,subsequently it was thickened with earth and stones six feet broad1 and faced inwardly by a row of large beef barrels crammed with rock and clay and crested by sand-bags4 ,the caves themselves were connected by a cutting effected by four hard-working sappers under lance-corporal ,simon ,williams4 ,two cut from one cave1 two from the other1 descending on either side into easy soil to avoid the rock4 ,where the latter occurred1 it was removed by points and hammers4 ,the passage1 about #bf feet through1 was five feet six inches high and three feet three inches wide1 and was completed in ten hours4 ,a free communication was thus open from one to the other without the necessity of passing into the trench4 ,avenues were opened from the covered-way to the rear1 and forward by a long arm1 which1 joined to a succession of saps like so many prodigious limbs or joints1 skirted the ridge overlooking the ravine1 and then connected with the fourth parallel4 ,the approach from the caves to the communication leading to the parallel was by a natural opening in the surface of the hill1 widened into a man-hole by the jumper and mining4 ,at its base there were five or six stairs hewn out of the rock1 on which was super-added an oaken ladder slanting to the top of the shaft2 the entrance to which was screened by a semicircular revetment of beef barrels loaded with stones4 ,this covered-way was of great importance1 extremely difficult of execution1 and as hazardous as laborious in working it4 ,when finished1 it was so perfect a cover1 that the picquet quartered in it sustained a daily fire with impunity4 ,corporal ,joseph ,t4 ,collins under ,major ,bent1 was its plodding and steadfast overseer4 ,he had with him six picked sappers and three miners of the #fhth regiment1 who were specially allotted to the task4 ,more than three months were spent in its accomplishment1 during which1 and the forming of the correlative communications1 corporal ,collins was daily in the trenches4 ,in that time many a bullet whizzed near him1 and many a shell burst1 splintering the rock and tearing down the barrels and sand-bags in his front and rear1 but he neither dropped his head nor slackened his hand4 ,ardent1 cool1 and efficient1 his example and exertions were of undisguised advantage in the prosecution of the sap1 and his resolution to be compassed by no obstacle had the effect of establishing among his comrades a spirit to persevere and succeed4 ,once only was he struck while driving the sap4 ,a blast went off unexpectedly1 setting a shower of stones in motion1 one of which hit him above the eye1 and another1 of crushing size and weight1 hurtled past his breast4 ,at last he was overtaken by a serious wound4 ,on the #bnd of ,july he was passing through ,no4 #ad battery left attack1 when a rifle bullet pierced his thigh and took him from the trenches4 ,three months1 save one day1 #ahth ,june1 when he was granted the luxury of a little extra repose1 he was daily under a fire of varying fierceness1 and for his intrepid conduct in the 8stone double sap10 coupled with other conspicuous acts of skill and fearlessness1 he received two steps of promotion1 was granted a gratuity of five pounds1 decorated with a 8distinguished service0 medal1 and also with the star of the ,french ,legion of ,honour4#ahi ,hourly the assailants encroached on the area which separated them from the besieged1 beset in their industry by strange and incessant difficulties4 ,almost within hail of the ,russians1 the miners day and night carried out their tedious labours4 ,as many as forty sappers were frequently thus employed in the advanced parallels and boyaux4 ,a number of the line1 between #hj and #ajj--practical quarrymen--afterwards joined them1 who1 directed by experienced corporals of the corps1 worked with unwearied exertion4 ,in sets of threes they carried out the operations1 one turning the jumper while the others struck it blow for blow as in a smithy with hammers of about seven pounds' weight4 ,the constant clashing of these heavy tools1 which could even be heard at the camp1 made the lines as alive with din and rattle as an arsenal1 and brought on the miners a fire at time so furious1 that to see them1 amid casualty and death holding to their employments1 was a scene not to be surpassed by any spectacle of endurance in the trenches4 ,excavations cut by the pickaxe or blown into trenches by blasting1 completed1 so far1 a series of communications which1 like so many ligatures1 tied together the several works in front and rear4 ,elaborate with entrenchments and batteries1 the ground with its mammoth parallels1 subordinate approaches and passages1 places d'armes1 rifle pits and screens1 appeared like a vast labyrinth puzzling to the last degree2 but to provide against chances of miscarriage1 the engineers and sappers1 forming a corps of guides1 so led the workmen by night and by day1 that few parties failed to reach the sites where they were appointed to toil4 ,yet with all this duty and peril1 only two sappers were wounded between the #aith and #cjth ,june4 ,these were sergeant ,philip ,morant severely in the right cheek1 the ball passing through his nose and escaping from the other cheek2 and corporal ,james ,douglas slightly in the head4 ,the former who was the sergeant of the trenches on the right attack was working in the quarries when struck2 the latter had just told off a brigade of sappers and #bjj of the line to the works4 ,july found the siege a fixed employment1 increasing in magnitude and approaching nearer to the ,russian batteries4 ,on the #ast1 there were #bd sappers on the right and #eg on the left blasting in the fourth parallel1 as also in ,no4 #ae battery and the reserve ammunition magazine4 ,with these they carried out various services in connection with batteries #ac1 #ad1 and #ae1 situated on the third parallel1 which1 from their prominence1 shared largely in the hostile attention of the ,russians4 ,their parapets which had been riven and loosened by the cannonade and washed down by the rain1 were raised and strengthened2 and their cheeks insufficiently sloped when originally built1 were taken down and reconstructed2 terrepleins were also formed in them and new magazines reared1 with passages cut round the sites2 while a strong body of miners improved the old road communication from ,no4 #e battery in the first parallel to ,no4 #i--the left end battery--of the second parallel4 ,on the right1 ,nos4 #ad and #ah batteries had large parties appointed to them4 ,the latter1 a new formation1 had no less than #afj men shovelling earth on the parapet1 and eight sappers fixed the frames and splinter-proofs to its magazines4 ,no4 #ad1 occupying nearly a central position in the second parallel1 had two of its embrasures cut and formed by the sappers4 ,others were widening approaches and communications1 draining the second parallel1 making a rifle pit in front of it1 constructing sea-service mortar platforms on left of the #ba-;gun battery1 repairing the parapet in the left communication to ,no4 #ah battery1 and removing revetting stores from ,no4 #f battery in the first parallel to the new works in front4 ,the working parties consisted of #fjj men2 and though shelled with some briskness during portions of the day1 all left the trenches unharmed4 ,next day at dawn1 #ef sappers1 chiefly miners and carpenters1 were sent into the foremost trenches on the left to blast the rock and lay platforms in the new batteries4 ,they were unassisted by the line workmen1 for a drenching rain confined them to camp4 ,as from waterspouts the torrent fell1 choking up the channels1 inundating the works1 and beating down some of the more fragile batteries4 ,in such weather it was out of the question to continue the mining2 but every man though wet and smoking with heat1 exerted himself in clearing the standing water from the different formations4 ,on the right attack there were #caj men in the trenches during the storm with #bh sappers under ,captain ,de ,moleyns4 ,the second relief1 at #c o'clock1 gave #bjj men with #bj sappers1 while the numbers furnished for the left attack were #djj under ,major ,chapman1 assistant engineer4 ,in the following night #hjj men1 guided by #bd sappers1 were sent into the right attack1 and #aej of the infantry and #be sappers into the left4 ,the chevaux-de-frise in the ,woronzoff ravine1 which did good service in checking the advance of the enemy's riflemen1 was now moved from its original position to one in line with the memorable quarries1 so that the rear works were not likely to be attacked by ,russian columns stealing up the valley4 ,a banquette was also made behind the iron barricade for a row of sharpshooters to pick off the artillerymen serving the ,russian guns4 ,the firing on various parts of the works was heavy through the night1 and bouquets of shells were discharged with no better effect than slightly wounding three or four men1 one of whom was private ,thomas ,luscombe4 ,on the #dth at night1 four sappers and fifty men in the right portion of the trench in front of the quarries1 pushed the sap to the right and widened and deepened the passage that led to it4 ,two light balls sent among them fell so near1 one in front the other in rear1 that1 enclosed for nearly a quarter of an hour within a blaze1 they were compelled to bend under the low parapet to save themselves from the effects of a furious shelling4 ,relays of grape succeeded1 intermingled with ,minis1 all striking the work but none injuring the workmen4 ,stout as was the opposition no less than twelve gabions were fixed by the sappers1 and more would have followed1 but the moon1 appearing with a steady light uneffaced by driving clouds1 caused the party to be withdrawn from the trench4 ,as cover could not be procured with sufficient expedition in the saps1 earth was brought in baskets from a distance to make screens for the miners whilst blasting the rock4 ,excessive was the labour necessary to form the foremost trenches1 and the perils attending the exertions of the miners1 who made head against extraordinary difficulties1 were only mitigated by wiles which experience and vigilance had taught them to employ4 ,it was a subject of astonishment how the rock--that giant obstacle which appeared in every trench--could1 in the face of a keen enemy1 be thrown up and worked into solid mounds of parapet4 ,a passage was cut that night in a novel manner with as much design and self-possession as on an ,english railway4 ,one party descended the hill1 the other forced up from the valley2 and though the labourers encountered no end of trials from the obtrusion of rock1 they effected a junction1 building as they proceeded1 a parapet two feet six inches in height4 ,the miners were brawny fellows--each1 in truth1 a ,hercules4 ,nothing overmatched their strength and industry2 every foot driven in advance was full of interest2 and in a few nights more1 an uninterrupted communication of #bej yards with sufficient cover was completed from the left of the round hill parallel into the sombre graveyard4 ,this parallel was a wonderful work4 ,its most advanced point was a place of arms4 ,from its form and strength it was called by the sappers 8the double elbow40 ,jealous of the gradual development of our colossal system of saps and batteries1 the enemy poured streams of grape and canister into the advances1 causing many casualties4 ,hand balls in groups of forty or fifty thrown from mortars1 were added to the roll of deadly agencies employed to pick off the miners4 ,no longer of use1 the old engineer hut in the first parallel was pulled down and the barrels which made it splinter proof1 were turned to account in improving the revetments of ,nos4 #ad and #af batteries on the left attack4 ,the picket-house battery1 ,no4 #f armed with three heavy guns and three #aj-;inch mortars1 posted on the ,french side of the ravine1 was also demolished1 and its serviceable materials used in the advanced works4 ,the battery took its name from a deserted residence that stood in the glen a little below it1 and which1 from the commencement of the siege was occupied by a picket4 ,the picket-house1 known as such1 par excellence1 was situated on the crest of the ,woronzoff ravine to the rear of the #ba-;gun battery4 ,it was first the look-out place of the generals1 and lastly the rendezvous of officers and amateurs of all countries2 but even that interesting quarter yielded to the devastating necessities of the siege and was razed to the ground by some sappers4 ,its rafters1 planks1 and doors1 torn by many a shell1 were converted into platforms and splintering for magazines and huts4 ,by degrees the walls were removed1 chiefly for building hospitals2 and fragments of wood1 turned into articles of taste1 were retained by the curious as memorials of the picket-house4 ,nothing was left of that celebrated structure1 associated with so many exciting reminiscences1 but the crumbled vestiges of its humble stateliness designated by the ,french 8,la ruine des ,anglais40 ,corporal ,lockwood on the #gth had charge of fifty men and three sappers forming a parapet with stones in the communication leading from the fourth parallel to the graveyard4 ,the sappers attended to the building of the wall and the line handed to them the blocks and fragments4 ,in time not a stone could be found not even as large as a walnut2 and in order to keep the builders at work1 the corporal spread a few of his party over the hill side in front to collect materil4 ,in this situation they were uncovered4 ,just then a fire-ball dropped among them1 and on came discharges of grape and shells which struck down the corporal wounding him severely in the right thigh by the splinter of a shell4 ,about this time the sapper carpenters built a wooden bridge across the communication from the fourth boyau to ,no4 #ad battery on the left attack4 ,the battery rose out of the centre of the third parallel1 and the approach stretched obliquely across the hill4 ,this and one or two other similar constructions were the only instances during the siege of bridges being thrown under fire4 ,the ramps formed out of the solid rock were blasted and shaped by six miners4 ,indeed the entire communication1 about sixty feet1 was driven through rock with no little skill4 ,on the right the sapper carpenters erected a splinter-proof hut for the general of the trenches in the new zigzag from the left of the second parallel4 ,the struts and timbers were strong and braced1 to resist1 as far as contrivance could ensure safety1 the shocks of heavy projectiles4 ,its roof was formed of fascines resting on rafters1 thickened by three layers of sand-bags with earth riddled in among them to fill up the vacuities4 ,the hut was nine feet six inches long by six feet broad and about seven in height1 with a passage into it just ample enough for a good sized man to enter4 ,there was no royal road to safety2 no means of isolating this interesting quarter from the chances of danger4 ,sunken as it was1 bringing its roof only a few feet above the level of the trench1 and protected by traverses and parapets1 splinters of shells and large shot were lying in its environs in dismal corroboration of the fact that the siege was no respecter of persons nor recognised any spot as entitled to the privilege of escape4 ,seeing a collection of gabions idle1 some ,french soldiers of the #bjth and #bgth regiments of the line1 carried off about a hundred from the store and broke them up for firewood4 ,private ,calderwood in charge of them1 failing to make his bad ,french understood1 remonstrated with the depredators by an extravagant display of gesture and grimace4 ,the allies were humourous and treated the appeal of the irate sapper with more risibility than was agreeable4 ,lieutenant ,darrah of the engineers appearing1 he spoke of the abstraction to one of their officers1 telling him the gabions were ,british property2 and as if to add weight to his assertion1 pointed out the unarmed soldier who had charge of them4 ,without attempting to excuse the appropriation1 the ,french officer shrugging his shoulders1 merely observed1 that as the sapper had no carbine to show the nature of his authority1 he could not be regarded as a sentinel2 and so the gabions were borne away to cook ,french soup6 ,next night #b privates and #ej of the line were deputed to the right advance of the ,gordon attack1 who1 in the face of light-balls and grape1 staked no less than #gi gabions4 ,under the circumstances this was a feat in war4 ,nevertheless1 from the briskness of the fire1 there was an unwillingness to continue the sap1 and the private in charge withdrew the party for a time to the left advanced trench1 reporting the arrangement to ,lieutenant ,graham1 who indisposed to spare the labour of a moment from the work1 repaired himself to the spot4 ,no sooner had he and the sapper arrived1 than a shot bounded before them1 and scattering the stones with great force1 wounded ,lieutenant ,graham so severely that the trenches for a while were deprived of his services4 ,the fire on the party in its new position1 being still unrelaxed1 the line-officer who commanded felt it his duty to take his men away1 telling the sapper left in charge1 that he regarded the place too perilous for line-men to work in4 ,inferentially1 it was not too dangerous for sappers2 but as a solitary individual could not hope to do much in so exposed a situation1 he was removed by the assistant-engineer1 ,captain ,wolseley1 #ijth regiment1 to other work in the foremost trenches4 ,private ,bernard ,murray was this night wounded in the right hand1 and next day privates ,james ,mehan in the right ankle and ,peter ,mc,nulty slightly by rifle bullets4 ,the last had done good service in repairing an embrasure under fire at the request of a naval officer2 and besides being in brigade orders for his conduct was given a donation by ,lord ,raglan4 ,on the night of the #ajth1 #ah sappers provided for the ,gordon attack were told off to the following works under ,captain ,cooke of the engineers and ,major ,campbell1 #dfth1 assistant-engineer3-- ,sappers4 ,men4 #c #bjj-- new trench in front of ,no4 #ah battery2 placed and filled #adc gabions4 #a #ch-- building #ah battery4 #a #da-- building traverses in #ai battery1 and trenching an approach to it4 #a #ba-- carrying platforms4 #b #ej-- left advanced trench2 placed and filled #ad gabions and improved old part of trench4 #b #hj-- right advanced trench2 placed and filled #db gabions1 and connected the cutting with end of new wall4 #d #fj-- wall in continuation of right advanced trench2 built it up four feet high and two feet six inches thick1 grape proof4 #c #ij-- turning the advanced ,russian trench into a parallel1 in which considerable progress was made4 #a #bj-- excavating for small arm ammunition magazine and engineer hut4 ,the above detail1 taken with all its precision from the diary of the siege1 may be regarded as the type of employment and distribution of the sappers at this era of the struggle4 ,about this time was finished ,no4 #ae mortar battery in the third parallel4 ,it was commenced on the #bdth ,june1 under the foremanship of second-corporal ,james ,hill1 who since the middle of ,may had been employed as one of ,major ,bent's permanent day overseers4 ,the way to it1 from ,no4 #ad battery1 was driven through rock when occurred a good stiff clayey soil1 upon which the new formation was founded4 ,wholly built of earth accessible at the spot1 without a single sand-bag to assist its solidity1 it was reckoned to be the boldest construction on the left attack4 ,stretching along the trench for #bjj feet1 with a parapet about #aj feet deep and #bf to #cj broad1 it covered an armament of twelve #aj-;inch mortars1 which were fed from three strong magazines and a shell-room4 ,free from the annoyance of cross-fires1 there were no traverses in the work2 and it was remarkable that during its progress only three shells pitched into it in day-time4 ,one killed a line-man at the mouth of a magazine1 another burst in the distance1 and the third passed between ,major ,bent and the corporal4 ,it was near enough to be alarming1 but both were instantly prostrate1 and on exploding the splinters flew high above them4 ,when the battery opened fire1 the earth shook down in various places1 especially at the angles2 to remedy which powder-barrels were added to the revetment4 ,no work perhaps throughout the siege cost less labour in repairs and less casualties than ,no4 #ae battery4 ,on the #adth ,july was commenced the fifth parallel of the ,gordon attack on most intricate ground4 ,the pioneers were horribly exposed to a cannonading from the ,redan1 ,garden batteries1 and ,bastion du ,mt4 ,hours of dogged labour failed to show an excavation which was worth the trouble of calculating its dimensions4 ,earth was collected with as much care as flour in a famine and brought on men's shoulders from a distance to give quality to the cover4 ,every stone dislodged by the miners1 treasured as if it possessed intrinsic value1 was pitched into the gabion or added to the parapet behind4 ,upon the tier of gabions forming the revetment1 sand-bags were laid in courses as fast as they could be delivered by the line4 ,the trials of this foremost work were incalculable2 the placement of every gabion was opposed1 and every inch of progress furnished its obstacles4 ,on one occasion several of the baskets were thrown down and not a few were broken and rendered useless4 ,difficult to labour under such circumstances1 most of the working party were withdrawn2 but all the breaches nevertheless were made good before the morning at a cost of two sappers and six of the line wounded4 ,blanched bones buried for years in the ,russian cemetery turned up in the excavations1 took their places in the parapets with blocks of rock1 broken tombstones1 shattered coffins1 and consecrated earth4 ,it was not a time to care about memories1 or removing marks fixed with hallowed care to point out the sites of favoured remains1 but an innate feeling of reverence for the dead prevented the sappers and workmen1 as much as in them lay1 from disturbing the dread repositories of the dead or defacing the memorials1 rude as many of them were1 which filled the graveyard with melancholy records of the departed4 ,this consideration for the relics of poor humanity did not produce among the workmen any false sentiment with regard to the living2 and on every side powerful works and engineering stratagems were in operation to weaken the vigour and hauteur of a brave but insolent enemy4 ,ceaseless perseverance drove on the works and sustained valour kept the men at their posts4 ,one trench after another was added to the vast net-work of defences1 which1 crowding on the edges of the hills1 descended the valleys as if pushed down by some capillary law4 ,in this way the glens were crossed more than twice with saps4 ,new approaches were thrown out in front like so many antenn striving to clutch the enemy's works4 ,still the progress was slow1 for the oolitic rocks out of which the hills were formed obtruded everywhere1 defying from their hardness all arts but those of blasting4 ,rifle-pits on the right were constructed on the very rim of the hill in front of the fourth parallel1 to which they were connected and each to the other by long zigzags and passages4 ,one built in a secluded nook or gorge commanded the chevaux-de-frise which stretched across the ,woronzoff road4 ,about this time the use of hay-band hurdles was resorted to with fair success as screens to the embrasures1 to cover the artillerists at the guns4 ,the pressure in front for materials caused some of the field-battlements in the rear to be dismantled1 and the stores and armaments to be employed in the new works1 while a few coopers augmented the stock by recovering the staves of broken casks and rehooping1 them with iron4 ,so well1 indeed1 were the extensive and complicated requirements of the siege attended to1 that ,major-,general ,jones1 a close observer of the exertions of his force1 commended it in these encouraging words on the #afth ,july4 8,the officers of engineers and the men of the royal sappers and miners continue to perform their duties in a very zealous manner40 ,none flinched1 none evaded his allotted labour2 but many1 from the 8great heat of the trenches10 and the constant recurrence of a hard and fatiguing duty1 were worn out or laid up and consumed by fevers4 ,truly wasting was the season1 very light breezes only being astir to mitigate its oppressiveness4 ,strong hot winds at times1 and heavy thunderstorms with frightful lightning playing above in angry forks or blazing sheets1 told of its sultriness4 ,genial showers1 however1 now and again occurred to relieve it1 which had the effect1 in some degree1 of refreshing the men1 and giving an inspiriting spur to the flagging energies of overtasked industry4 ----- ,footnote #ahh3 ,a ,russian officer who could speak ,english fluently had charge of a searching party to collect the dead4 ,entering freely into conversation with an officer of the #adth foot1 he expressed a hope that the day would soon come when the belligerents would again be cordial friends4 ,warming with the occasion he asked the officer and his men if they were disposed to make any exchanges with him as pledges of the interview and probably hereafter of recognition4 ,corporal ,r4 ,jasper ,fitzgerald of the third company1 was specially spoken to by the ,russian2 and feeling in his pockets to meet the wishes of the inquirer1 mentioned his regret that he had nothing to offer except a penny4 8,let me see it10 said he1 and ,fitzgerald at once presented it4 8,ah60 exclaimed the ,russian officer with evident pleasure1 8,it's one of old ,george's6 ,if this is a fair exchange you are welcome to it40 ,and the good-natured officer handed ,fitzgerald a handsome silver devotional cross4 ,to the ,british officer he gave a silver snuff-box4 ,in the peregrinations ,fitzgerald felt it desirable to make to increase his acquaintance with the locality1 thinking it not improbable he might soon have a 8job0 there1 he entered a house near the cemetery1 and not wishing to quit it without some memento of his visit1 nothing apparently turned up for acceptance more valuable or less portable than a sofa6 ,a burly sailor and he shouldered the huge piece of ,russian furniture and stumped away with it wonderfully tickled with the idea of the fun it would occasion when they reached the trenches2 but while jogging on1 an alarm being given of the termination of the truce1 the bearers instantly dropped the 8family seat0 and run for their lives4 ,the alarm proved to be a false one1 and ,fitzgerald and the jolly ,tar1 having like coursers retraced their steps to recover the spoil1 found that swifter feet than theirs had taken a fancy to the prize and vanished with it4 ,footnote #ahi3 ,the corporal belonged to ,captain ,brine's company4 ,with a warm appreciation of military merit1 the lady of the ,captain presented ,collins with a miniature legion of honour1 in order to impress the ,queen1 when she reviewed three of the ,crimean companies at ,aldershot1 with a more adequate notion of his services than would have been conveyed to ,her ,majesty had he only worn the ribbon of a chevalier4 ,at that time the ,french decorations had not been issued to the troops4 ,he had a brother with him in the ,crimea1 so exactly like himself in face1 figure1 and speech1 it was perplexing to say which was ,joseph which ,george4 ,the old story of the two ,dromios1 to a certain extent1 was acted over again in their persons4 ,both were useful and brave2 neither more so than the other4 ,joseph obtained all the honours which a gallant soldier could claim and to which he was fully entitled1 but ,george seemed to have been totally eclipsed1 no one could explain how1 by his brother4 ,joseph1 indeed1 was considered to be ,george1 and ,george the veritable ,joseph2 and so in this 8,comedy of ,errors10 ,george1 by the misfortune of resemblance to his brother1 was lost among the undecorated4 ,it is almost a marvel to add1 that ,joseph1 though a first corporal1 wearing orders that none of his rank had obtained1 deserted from the corps soon after landing in this country from ,sebastopol4 #ahee4 #agth ,july-#beth ,august4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,trials in carrying on the works--,fifth parallel1 right attack--,detachments and statistics--,spirited conduct of corporal ,ross--,neglect of non-commissioned officers--,trench dress of the line--,shifts of the miners to form the parallels and approaches--,siege minut--,trenches flooded--,a sergeant1 in the absence of an engineer officer1 in charge of the lines--,casualties--,sortie by the ,russians--,sergeant ,docherty examines the chevaux-de-frise--,overseers of the miners--,the carpenters--,renewal of the chevaux-de-frise demolished in the sortie--,casualties during a moonlight night--,exertions of sergeant ,jarvis and party2 the sailors--,strange sensation produced by the blow of a shell splinter--,resources for field-work purposes--,progress of the trenches and batteries--,removal of the right attack sappers to the camp of the left attack--,they thus escape a subsequent catastrophe--,fifth bombardment--,cost of a whiff of tobacco--,activity of the sappers in the batteries and works--,anecdote of a new comer visiting the works--,no4 #ag battery1 left attack--,corporal ,jenkins1 the master carpenter of the left attack--,the white-banded cap--,fifth parallel1 right attack--,breaking ground from it for the last approach to the ,redan--,workmanlike industry and vigour of corporal ,ross in the sap--,corporal ,william ,baker1 #gth company--,progress in the advanced trenches2 sergeant ,hale of the guards2 corporal ,stanton--,prolongation of fifth parallel1 right attack--,effects of wounds4 ,in the trenches were distributed1 on the #agth ,july1 a working party of #eej men superintended by #ig sappers4 ,of the latter1 #gc were on the left where the mines demanded the skilled employment of men used to blasting4 ,several carpenters were detailed to the platforms and magazines1 and others were sprinkled singly to the different works1 embrasures and traverses4 ,the majority were in advance prolonging the parallels and blowing up the rock4 ,on the right attack1 corporal ,george ,luke was killed4 ,a first-class miner and sapper1 he was of signal service in the trenches1 and his steady conduct throughout the siege added to the credit he had received for his exertions at ,bomarsund4 ,in the night an old ,russian trench1 which by degrees had been reversed1 was connected with the fifth parallel on the right attack by #aa sappers and #bjj men1 while #d of the corps and #ajj linesmen joined the approach from the left of ,no4 #ai battery to the fourth parallel4 ,these junctions were both effected under ,lieutenant ,brine of the engineers4 ,of the fifth parallel1 a moiety was formed wholly of rubble masonry4 ,lacking gabions and revetting materials1 the stones thrown up in blasting were the readiest means of forming the parapet4 ,this rubble mound1 forming a line of trench for about #dej feet1 and stretching along the brow of the hill to the left of a hollow in the rock1 which had acquired in official description the designation of the 8little ravine10 was completed and backed in with earth by the #bhth ,july4 ,being so near the enemy's works1 and disturbed by daily showers of grape1 shell1 c41 the construction of this stone parapet formed one of the curiosities of the siege4 ,both attacks were hourly approaching nearer to those extraordinary structures it was hoped every day to storm4 ,it still required time to render the preparations complete for the dnouement4 ,the ever present rock1 covered only by a few inches of soil1 greatly increased the trials of the workmen4 ,sacrifices of energy and strength were made in its removal that ended in casualties unknown in former wars4 ,the siege was one continuous battle2 yet it was more than strange1 considering the ferocity of the cannonade1 that comparatively so few casualties occurred4 ,engines to destroy human life in the most approved methods were complete among the ,russians2 still they did not scruple to resort to the uncivilized use of horse-shoes and scrap-iron to mow down the assailants4 ,so close were the parallels to the enemy's works1 that1 on a clear day1 a finger could easily be discovered above the parapet4 ,where the cover was scanty1 it was a virtue to double up one-self into a cramped position and labour like a giant4 ,the miners and sappers in every contortion of body1 wheedled themselves under cover and stole onwards with insidious certainty2 but to preserve a strict concealment was not an easy matter4 ,for ambitious men the times were tempting2 opportunities seemed to impel one forward1 or to unbend one-self into an erect posture in delivering a blow2 for1 intent on progress1 the mind forgot dangers1 and it was just then that the ardent man let his head or his arm appear above the parapet1 or his leg stray beyond the last pitched gabion1 when he was struck down4 ,it was different1 however1 at night1 when all were alike veiled by the darkness4 ,works then were commonly prosecuted on the open in front of batteries1 on the tops of merlons and magazines1 and the crests of parapets4 ,experienced sappers after dusk seldom sought to shield themselves by the sap-roller or mantlet4 ,a check to their progress1 it was almost always cast aside to be used by men who feared to go ahead without it4 ,private ,rowland ,nicholas was struck severely in the right foot while working in the fifth parallel of the right attack1 and died of his wounds4 ,the firing was more true than severe and eight casualties occurred in this parallel during the night4 ,there were nine companies in the ,crimea on the #bast ,july1 each of reduced strength1 giving a total of #fgh sergeants and rank and file4 ,of these there were #ig detailed to the following places3-- ,sergts4 ,corporals4 ,bug4 ,privates4 ,total4 ,st4 ,paul near ,kertch4 #j #b #j #ab #ad ,scutari #b #c #j #ba #bf ,balaklava #b #f #j #bb #cj ,the monastery #j #j #j #b #b ,telegraph stations #a #a #b #aj #ad ,head-quarters of the army #a #b #j #h #aa ---- #ig ,otherwise employed1 and as batmen #e #j #a #cc #ci ---- ,total #acf ---- ,at ,st4 ,paul the detachment conjoined with the ,french and ,turks in raising defences for the protection of the post4 ,the men at ,scutari attended to the artificers' work in the hospitals and barracks1 many being foremen1 and sergeant ,william ,sargent overseer4 ,this non-commissioned officer was soon after discharged and appointed civil foreman of works at that great invalid dept4 ,corporal ,rinhy was the military foreman1 and a most energetic and useful man he was found4 ,other non-commissioned officers were detached to the hospital-stations on the ,bosphorus as overseers4 ,sergeant ,barnard was at ,pera1 sergeant ,lynn at ,kulalee1 corporal ,cann at ,ismid1#aij and corporal ,j4 ,t4 ,collins1 after leaving the trenches in consequence of his wound1 was appointed sapper superintendent in the island of ,proti1 where the ,russian prisoners were confined1 and for whose accommodation huts were erected and an old ,greek monastery converted into an hospital4 ,at ,balaklava the detachment superintended the removal and erection of the huts at the camp and elsewhere1 and fulfilled various duties in relation to the stores1 wharves1 and defences2 while the party at the monastery and with the telegraph were busy in carrying out the details of that interesting field adjunct4 ,those at headquarters were employed in offices and as orderlies4 ,sappers were appointed btmen from the impossibility of retaining civil servants with the officers1 and thus a rule had been broken1 which for forty-four years had been adhered to without infringement4 ,of the remaining number on the rolls1 there were #ij men sick in camp1 and #ei dispersed in invalid ships and in the hospitals on the ,bosphorus4 ,taking all these details into account1 there were only #cic fighting-men left for trench-work1 which will at once show how hard must have been the duties of that half-battalion4 ,as1 moreover1 there were other indispensable services in camp which could not be relinquished1 it followed that the usual routine of the companies necessarily appointed the same men to the trenches every other day or intervening night2 and this1 continued without intermission for months1 amid varying vicissitudes of weather1 of fearful exposure and untold hardships and suffering1 gives an aspect of sapper character and endurance which few will be slow to eulogize4 ,indeed several of the non-commissioned officers charged with particular services1 were every day in the trenches and sometimes even at night4 ,nor should it be omitted to observe that the extreme heat of the season had so enervated the men1 that none but the most acclimatized and inured to fatigue could bear up against its exhausting influence4 ,thinned1 therefore1 by disease1 hard work1 long vigils1 and night damps in the trenches and mines1 the numbers of the sick fluctuated to such an extent1 that the proportion above stated was at times considerably overshot4 ,the reinforcements which arrived from ,england to fill up the places of casualties almost to a man fell sick from these causes1 and many wanting sinew and hardihood were removed as invalids from the camp without seeing the trenches4 ,there were some works in the advance which required a nice appreciation of intention on the part of the operatives to carry them into effect4 ,of these the connection of an approach with a parallel1 and one trench with another1 were among those which called for particular circumspection4 ,expert men were invariably selected for those duties1 whose wariness greatly mitigated their risks4 ,few appeared to be more skilful in these employments than their comrades1 but on the night of the #bast1 corporal ,john ,ross1 untiring1 patient1 and intrepid1 pushed on like a master in the sap1 and connected1 under showers of grape1 enough to disturb the equanimity of the sternest coolness1 the fourth parallel with an old ,russian rifle-pit in front4 ,it will help to elucidate the business of a sapper to describe the process by which the corporal accomplished this service4 ,with #bjj men and a couple of privates of his own corps1 he was sent forward1 after dark1 to trace and form an approach between the fourth parallel and the ,russian advanced trench4 ,halting his men in the parallel1 each bearing an intrenching tool and a gabion1 he moved to the front with his two sappers and traced the zig-zag4 ,without losing a moment he returned to the party1 and to prevent confusion1 led them from the trench in single file4 ,as each man arrived at his place1 one sapper staked the gabion1 and the other instructed the workman with respect to the space to be left for a berm and how to act in forming the parapet4 ,so pushed on the line of gabions1 till the end one touching the rifle-pit1 approached within forty yards of the ,russian trench4 ,all the way the ground was solid rock4 ,to make up for this disadvantage the corporal sent to the dept for baskets and had the earth brought up a distance of sixty or seventy yards4 ,so spiritedly was everything done through his own laborious example1 that the gabions were not only filled but cover sufficient was obtained for the miners to work in the approach the next day4 ,to a brisk musketry fire the party was exposed the whole time1 but the darkness of the night favoured the exertions of the corporal and his men1 and they left the boyau without casualty4 ,corporal ,ross's conduct in effecting the junction was noticed in brigade orders1 and considered so deserving of reward that ,general ,simpson ordered him to be paid a gratuity of two pounds4 ,private ,james ,lacy of the ninth company was also noticed for his zeal in the work4 ,next day private ,nathanial ,gillard1 a rough but hardy miner1 was killed in the advance trenches on the right attack4 ,while no instance of applause in which the merits of the men are concerned have been omitted1 it would be unfair to hide any indiscretions which may have subjected any of them to censure4 ,these pages would be incomplete if commendable deeds only were paraded and the objectionable ones suppressed4 ,well is it1 however1 that no case of cowardice has occurred in our ranks1 although instances of natural timidity were sometimes discovered4 ,neglect in the trenches amount to offences among the sappers which in other corps would not be entitled to more than ordinary notice4 ,a flagrant instance occurred on the night of the #bbnd ,july4 ,very little work was done though the party was large4 ,a sharp fire was maintained upon the linesmen which made it difficult to keep them to their tasks4 ,greatly as this may have operated in retarding the works1 the indolence of the workmen was chiefly attributable to the carelessness of the non-commissioned officers of sappers in charge1 who added to their heedlessness a disregard of orders repeatedly given them4 ,lying down in the trenches1 the parties idled away their hours under the apparent sanction of the overseers1 and the names of three non-commissioned officers seemingly unimpressed with the importance of their responsibility1 were mentioned to ,general ,simpson4 ,on the #beth the linesmen appeared in the trenches in a brown linen fatigue suit1 like so many storehousemen from a sugar refining establishment4 ,unrestrained by stout cloth and tight sleeves they worked with obvious energy4 ,this novel dress had also the advantage of enabling the engineer to distinguish the workmen at a glance from the guard of the trenches1 and of assisting the sappers to look after their parties and prevent attempts at straying or shirking4 ,on the left three more rifle-pits were sunk in sheltered spots to command positions from which danger threatened4 ,in broad daylight the blasters carried out their duties in the communication leading to the ,french picket near the cemetery4 ,many sappers were pushed into the foremost trenches of both attacks1 who blew out the rock with a spirit that suffered no abatement1 though the same men for many successive days had given their exertions in removing impediments which nothing but mining could reduce4 ,impossible to get earth in those difficult trenches1 it was even scraped from the face of the rock1 and picked out of crevices and indentations in which the sweeping wind or the rushing torrent had lodged it4 ,soil carried from the rear was husbanded in diminutive heaps1 and shovelled at night on the incipient works4 ,clay also was gathered for the purpose and borne in baskets to the front4 ,walls of loose stones were formed in short lengths along the different traces to protect the sappers in their progress4 ,without this temporary expedient they could not have advanced4 ,where their lives were imminently imperilled1 the trench was not thrown forward by day1 but was simply deepened or widened by numerous small explosions4 ,the boulders and stones thus loosened were worked unsquared into the parapets at dark1 and all vacuities stuffed with clay or earth4 ,so effectual were the efforts of the blasters1 it was ascertained that one sapper in daylight upheaved enough rock to occupy nine men for four hours at night in giving it a lodgment in the parapet4 ,in the valleys the besiegers had penetrated to some old walls and crazy structures1 which formed the buildings of a wild and scattered suburb4 ,all these were made to serve their uses1 either as parts of the trenches1 or in furnishing materials for platforms and magazines4 ,a few brigades of carpenters having the run of the batteries1 took pride in the efficiency of their labours4 ,in the front parallels sand-bag loop-holes1 and others of wooden troughs after the ,russian fashion1 were built to scour the ravines4 ,the latter never obtained favour with the ,british riflemen1 because the smoke moved lazily from the tubes and precluded the chances of seeing the effect of the fire4 ,shot-holes were plugged up in all the parapets1 and breaches mended in places of arms4 ,unfinished works1 and embrasures ruptured by the enemy's shot and shells1 necessitated considerable attention2 but as revetting materials had reached their utmost limit of scarcity1 the ,turks and ,sardinians helped by their labours to meet the deficiency4 ,gabions made by the former were slack and ricketty1 fit only for secondary uses1 while those put out of hand by the ,sardinians were everything that could be desired4 ,new batteries with ample magazines were formed on rocky sites and others powerfully enlarged4 ,no4 #ah battery1 on the right attack1 was armed on the morning of the #bfth ,july with seven #ac-;inch mortars1 three of them being sea-service ones4 ,the work spread out in great length in the first demi-parallel1 nearly to the crest of the middle ravine4 ,some of the earliest batteries wore an appearance of age and even permanence1 for spots of scanty verdure grew upon their slopes1 and rank herbelets sprang from shot-rents and seams4 ,the soil had solidified1 and tearing shells had less effect upon them than younger constructions2 still the repairs they needed were generally of some magnitude1 because they were assailed by the heaviest ordnance1 of the largest calibres and weightiest missiles4 ,for several days heavy showers diversified the obstacles of progress and attack4 ,fortunately the works suffered little1 but some of the low parts of the trenches were flooded4 ,the increase of mud1 deep as it was1 was barely regarded as a difficulty1 although every tramp buried the leg to the swell and played annoying pranks with boots and shoes inadequately secured with thongs or laces4 ,this was far from pleasant1 and consequently efforts to avoid the pools were carried to an extravagant pitch by many1 who1 sooner than soil a badly-polished boot or draggle in mire the legs of an old pair of trousers1 risked their lives by mounting the reverse of the trench in passing to their duties4 ,all these discomforts were however speedily relieved1 and eventually in great part removed1 by cutting tunnels through the rock and forming channels by chisel and jumper along its face4 ,on the #bhth at night1 ,major ,campbell of the #dfth regiment1 assistant engineer1 was wounded in the back and obliged to retire from the right attack4 ,sergeant ,philip ,morant succeeding him1 it fell to his lot to distribute the working parties to their several duties and control their services until the day relief4 ,it also happened on the #cjth1 from some miscarriage of arrangement1 that sergeant ,docherty1 by order of ,major ,bent1 was placed in charge of the workmen on the left attack4 ,for the day he stood in the place of an engineer and kept his widely-spread parties in full activity4 ,these are the only instances during the siege in which non-commissioned officers of the corps held positions of unusual responsibility4 ,casualties from splinters of shells and flying stones1 from cohorns in the ,redan1 and heavy shells and carcases discharged from the collateral works were very great4 ,those which occurred among the sappers from the #bcrd to the end of ,july were as follows3-- ,day #bcrd--,colour-sergeant ,alexander ,m4 ,mc,leod1 slightly wounded in the right breast4 ,this was his second wound1 having been struck in the head on the #fth ,june4 ,day #beth--,private ,alfred ,rowlett--killed on the right attack4 ,night #beth--,private ,john ,miller--killed on the left attack4 ,was struck by the splinter of a shell1 which carried away part of his head when superintending #bj men employed in repairing damages done by the ,russian fire to the central boyau leading to the fifth parallel4 ,day #bfth--,lance-corporal ,richard ,pinch--slightly wounded by the bursting of a shell1 while at work in the fourth parallel1 left attack4 ,night #bfth--,private ,james ,drummond--dangerously wounded on the right4 ,it was excessively light during the night4 ,grape and shell swept over the trenches1 and one of the latter on bursting broke his thigh4 ,he died of his wounds4 ,night #bgth--,private ,francis ,collins--wounded in right thigh--right attack4 ,night #bgth--,private ,roderick ,stewart--wounded in right side--right attack4 ,night #bhth--,private ,alexander ,sparks--wounded slightly in the neck in the right advance trenches4 ,day #bith--,private ,robert ,sharp--severely wounded in right leg1 by the splinter of a shell1 while cutting the shell-room in ,no4 #ag battery1 left attack4 ,entertaining a predilection for sorties1 the ,russians attempted an attack on the night of the #bnd ,august1 sending forth a small force to feel the way1 intending1 if access were readily attainable1 to rush upon the quarries with powerful columns4 ,driving up the ,woronzoff ravine1 the enemy was brought to a stand by the iron chevaux-de-frise which crossed the valley and blocked up the road4 ,confused movements and the clanging of arms was heard by the ,british picket in the ravine1 who1 thus put on their guard1 opposed the assailants with volleys of musketry1 from which the ,russians turned and ran into their works1 leaving1 however1 the impress of their perseverance in the partial destruction of the chevaux-de-frise4 ,during the sortie the fire by the besieged upon the right demi-parallel was very fierce4 ,five sappers and #de men1 altering its direction from a curvilinear trench to a straight one1 held unflinchingly by their tasks and acquired much credit for their labours4 ,lance-corporal ,john ,miller was killed on the right attack4 ,sergeant ,docherty went into the ravine after the ,russians had retired to ascertain the extent of the damage4 ,he passed along the entire length of the barricade4 ,the centre was embedded in sand washed down by heavy rains4 ,as it could not be readily dislocated1 its spikes were stricken off by the enemy at the axis4 ,most of the chains which connected the tubes were wrenched from their staples1 the flank pieces drawn aside1 and gaps at intervals occurred along the line4 ,there were only seven portions of the chevaux-de-frise left in a serviceable state1 and such of the other tubes and spears as could not be borne away in the flight were broken with sledge hammers and scattered in fragments to wide distances over the ground4 ,the sergeant's little episode was not without its risks2 for the ground was dangerous and the enemy's picket-house near4 ,while ,docherty was busy ascertaining the extent of the demolition1 the moon rose brightly above and he was perceived4 ,one bullet after another whizzed in his direction and two of them perforated his greatcoat1 but he cleverly eluded the ,russian riflemen by creeping up a rut in the side of the ravine1 which worn away by storm-flows1 was sufficiently deep to cover him4 ,on returning to the trenches he reported the result of his reconnaissance to the assistant engineer on duty1 ,lieutenant ,jones of the #dfth regiment4 ,next day there were #ig sappers in the trenches of the left attack principally occupied in blasting hard ground in the advance saps4 ,with the aid of line quarrymen1 there were turned into the parallels at least #hj blasters at every relief4 ,the non-commissioned officers superintending the miners on the #dth ,august were noticed in the official journal4 ,their names are here preserved1 having as overseers superintended the formation of works which in after time1 looking at the danger and extreme difficulty of their execution1 may doubtlessly be held up as examples of extraordinary toil4 ,these were second-corporals ,robert ,hanson1 ,john ,paul1 and ,james ,hill1 all of whom received promotion for 8conducting operations of the siege entrusted to them with ability and perseverance whilst under a constant heavy fire40 ,speaking of the first ,colonel ,gordon of the engineers acknowledged1 under date the #fth ,december1 that he was one of the 8most distinguished in the corps for bravery1 and had just received a step of rank 0--that of corporal--8for very distinguished service in the field40 ,this eulogium had reference to his intrepid services on the left attack1 from the beginning of ,may to the end of the siege1 in conducting the blasting operations for forming the fourth and fifth parallels from the double sap to the cemetery4 ,hanson was an indefatigable man1 uniting to a strong frame vigour of purpose and great energy1 which led to his selection by ,major ,bent to be one of his standing overseers4 ,boring rock was a tedious and uninteresting sort of employment4 ,it chafed many a brave spirit1 who would have preferred the rash hazards of assault to the plodding exertions and quiet discretion of a resigned miner4 ,besides its hard difficulties it was attended with perpetual risks4 ,the ringing of hammers on the jumpers boring the rock1 and the rising clouds of smoke from the blasts1 gave indications so certain that projectiles of all kinds1 from the invisible ,mini bullet to the raging shell1 were directed against the quarriers4 ,so greatly exposed were these parallels1 especially on the crest of the ravine and in driving down its broken side1 that the casualties were excessive4 ,still1 though the working of them was one continued adventure1 ,hanson moving among his parties early and late1 day after day without missing a tour1 was never touched6 ,so extensive now was the work for carpenters in the front it was found necessary to break in upon the routine of the rollster and send them irrespective of any assumed periods of relief to the trenches4 ,even those of the corps employed in the parks were added to the skilled resources of the engineers in both attacks4 ,magazines and platforms required repairs in every battery and new huts were wanted for doctors4 ,little clusters of these craftsmen were told off to every work1 and without making a marvel of their exertions it is not the less creditable to say that their perseverance and quickness under the superintendence of non-commissioned officers who were citizens of the trenches1 were1 if not astonishing1 highly satisfactory4 ,the chevaux-de-frise demolished on the #bnd1 which left a clear passage for a sortie of between #de and #ej yards1 was almost made good in one night by a few sapper blacksmiths1 under a direct fire of ,minis1 shells1 and grape4 ,more would have been accomplished1 but it was found an intricate matter in the dark to fellow the iron fitments4 ,next night two of the men repaired to the ravine to finish the barricade1 but unable to procure help from the guard of the trenches1 the moon rose upon them before the gap was filled up1 and it was left for a subsequent night to complete the junction4 ,in the night of the #dth the moon again was up1 and undimmed by mist or cloud1 shone brightly over the trenches1 telling our secrets to the ,russians ensconced in concealed pits4 ,harassed in their work1 the workmen in the fifth parallel of the right attack were withdrawn to less open trenches4 ,the firing upon ,nos4 #ag and #bj batteries was very warm and the casualties heavy4 ,the line officer in charge was dangerously injured1 and between #bj and #cj other accidents occurred1 among whom were a corporal and two sappers slightly wounded4 ,on the #fth ,august sergeant ,george ,jarvis1 a useful and pushing overseer and accredited to be one of the most competent1 gallant1 and go-ahead sergeants of the left attack1 held a roving superintendence with a party of #ed men of the #fhth regiment and #d sappers4 ,with broken stones they filled up the shot holes and craters in the second1 third1 and fourth parallels1 and also collected loosened rock in heaps to be worked into the parapets at night4 ,sand-bags and gabions at this time were very scarce4 ,in some works they could not be had4 ,the latter1 heavy with wet and bulged and ricketty by pressure and hard service1 were nevertheless made to do duty in the front1 intermixed with gabions woven with the iron hoops of broken barrels4 ,these1 with beef casks1 worn tubs1 and fascines tied with rope-yarn1 strips of hide or iron bands1 were the staple of the new constructions2 and bread or biscuit bags1 laid with gingerly care1 formed faces to the revetments1 backed by blocks of rock rolled into the parapets by manual labour4 ,even coal-sacks1 heavy as they were when filled with earth1 were found to be useful auxiliaries to the sand-bags4 ,with singular abnegation the stalwart sailors mended their own embrasures1 supervised by a few of the old sappers2 and in driving some new communications gave material help1 overriding by their strange but energetic combinations and procedure the more orderly but less picturesque efforts of disciplined troops4 ,on the #hth1 though a storm broke over the trenches1 choking up the channels and beating down the parapets1 the men still worked4 ,many casualties were counted in the advance saps that day1 two of whom were sappers--privates ,matthew ,hall wounded in the head1 and ,john ,fraser in the face1 both slightly4 ,in the following night1 the play of cohorn shells was more grand and vivid than hurtful4 ,as many as sixteen of these missiles were screaming in the air at one time1 marking their vicious courses through the darkness by a continuous burst of fire4 ,several of them pitched in the unfinished portions of the fifth parallel of the right attack1 where parties of sappers and some men of the #cast regiment were busy reversing an old ,russian trench4 ,corporal ,curgenven1 who was in charge1 seeing no absolute shelter anywhere hugged the parapet closely1 as did also a sergeant and an officer of the #cast who fell in line behind the corporal4 ,just then a shell burst above1 scattering its splinters without apparently touching any one4 8,are you hit1 corporal80 asked the sergeant4 8,not ,i10 said ,curgenven1 cheerfully4 8,depend upon it you are10 returned the sergeant1 8for a fragment fell so near you1 ,i wonder you are alive to say you escaped40 ,when about to withdraw from the parapet1 the corporal felt so heavy a weight on his hand1 he fancied a portion of the revetment must be bearing on it4 ,he was soon undeceived4 ,a splinter had struck him1 benumbing the limb to such an extent that the sensation produced was one of overpowering pressure4 ,after satisfying himself that no bones were broken1 and binding up his hand which was bleeding and much swoln1 he resumed work as if nothing had transpired to cause him a moment's uneasiness4 ,it was a hard matter when grape showered among the parties to keep them at their tasks4 ,from this cause in the same night very little progress was made4 ,an unarmed detachment appointed to cut a drain to the front on the left of the fourth parallel of the right attack wavered in its performance notwithstanding the personal risks and labours of the sapper in charge to win their firmness and zeal4 ,at daybreak on the #aath sergeant ,jarvis was again the chief sapper superintendent on the left1 and with a force of sixty linesmen attended to the general drainage of the trenches4 ,in the following night forty men were employed clearing loosened rock in the fifth parallel and building traverses4 ,this party1 under corporal ,cray1 whose constant faithfulness and ardour secured him many commendations1 worked exceedingly well4 ,on the #abth there were ninety-eight sappers mostly miners1 boring and blasting in the fourth and fifth parallels4 ,this was the largest force of sappers in the trenches of either attack at one time1 except on the #crd ,march1 the first night of breaking ground for ,no4 #g battery of the left attack4 ,at midnight on the #adth1 twenty-five men in charge of a corporal of sappers1 extending the fifth parallel of the right attack to the white ,russian rifle pit1 were opposed by shells and shot1 which breaking the rock threw the stones into the gabions2 but one striking more effectually tore up the last-pitched gabion and dashing it at the corporal knocked him down4 ,next day private ,alexander ,weir1 a strong and pushing miner1 was killed on the left attack2 and in the succeeding night sergeant ,william ,wilson on the right attack was entrusted with raising from the trace a #b-;gun battery 7,no4 #ba7 to enfilade the right face of the ,redan4 ,it was built on the right central boyau leading to the fourth parallel4 ,by the middle of ,august the whole sapper force on the right was removed to the royal engineer camp on the left attack4 ,in the former camp they held a forward position on the extreme right of the light division1 and next to them on their left were the rifles4 ,from high elevations shot and shells sometimes dropped in their vicinity1 and one plunging furiously into the tent of sergeant-major ,pringle shattered the table at which he was writing1 and driving through a box of clothes and comforts buried itself in the earth4 ,the startled occupant escaped1 but in the violent overturning of his table and chair he was knocked down4#aia ,on the morning of the #afth the ,russians attempted a sortie1 but before they had proceeded far up the ,woronzoff road were compelled to retire followed by a sharp fire which accelerated their retreat4 ,this was succeeded on the #agth1 as soon as day broke1 by the ,english and ,french opening their batteries for the fifth bombardment with a sweeping fire upon the whole range of the enemy's works4 ,in the early part of the day the cannonading was frightfully brisk3 on both sides it was accurate2 but as the hours wore on1 the ,russian batteries1 crumbling into useless shapes1 no longer able to cover the artillerymen at the guns1 fell off by degrees in fierceness till the intervals became so long1 it seemed as if the silence was the solemn consequence of the slaughter4 ,in several places the parapets were so ploughed up and shaken1 that1 tumbling into the ditches1 wide breaches were exhibited which clearly told of the ravages committed by shot and shell4 ,it would indeed have been remarkable had not the destruction been excessive1 for the guns and mortars playing from the ,british batteries alone were #ahg4 ,in the right attack there were #bj batteries1 but only #ai in action4 ,the great #ba-;gun battery1 early the terror of the siege1 now shorn of its strength1 was more than rivalled by ,no4 #af battery which had #ad pieces of artillery at work4 ,the first eight batteries too distant for a striking cannonade only counted #ah pieces of artillery among them4 ,on the left attack the batteries were numbered up to #ag1 but of these #e and #f were defunct1 the materials composing them having been employed in more recent constructions4 ,in ,no4 #a battery there were #ac guns and mortars1 and in #ad and #ae1 #aa each4 ,the ,english formations suffered but little comparatively and only five guns were disabled and a few carriages shattered4 ,from our own sharp fire many of the embrasures were injured in the necks2 and in the old batteries there was a general tottering which occasioned much labour to prop them up for battle4 ,nos4 #g and #h were the most unstable and beaten4 ,the turgent sand-bags and the worn-out gabions1 alternately wet from violent rains and dry from the charring heat of the sun1 burst and broke up at every blow4 ,a couple of #ac-;inch shells struck two platforms in ,no4 #ad battery of the ,chapman attack and tore them from the sleepers4 ,shocks of shot and pieces of shells shivered some timbers in different works1 and in others drew the bolts which held them in their places4 ,three shells one after another exploded on a magazine in ,no4 #h battery left attack1 breaking the roof and starting the frame4 ,the smoke still hovered over the spot when lance-corporal ,jenkins with that spirited readiness for which he was remarkable1 entered the place to ascertain the extent of the injury4 ,it was of a nature to require the instant removal of the powder1 in which ,jenkins assisted1 and by the next morning the damage was made good and the powder replaced4 ,on the right there were #bh sappers in the batteries who were relieved in the afternoon by #cf of the corps4 ,their duties were those which arose out of superintendence and the platforms4 ,on ,no4 #ad battery of the ,gordon attack1 the firing had told so destructively that two of the embrasures were in ruins4 ,as sappers could not be had in the work to effect the restoration1 the naval captain in command of the seamen gunners telegraphed to the rear for a reinforcement4 ,a few able fellows were hurried to the battery1 who at once commenced and continued through the heat of the bombardment to remove the debris which choked up the openings and to rebuild the cheeks with gabions and fascines handed to them by the willing sailors4 ,it was an exciting sight to watch the firmness and exertions of privates ,david ,boyd and ,george ,harvey in one of the embrasures1 who remained at their posts till the renewal was finished2 and when1 after risking perils with fearless indifference1 they leaped from the opening1 the admiring seamen welcomed their escape with cheers4 ,privates ,allan ,hay1 ,alexander ,norval1 and ,william ,robertson1 also acted with firmness in mending the embrasures of ,no4 #i battery of the same attack2 and ,lieutenant ,brine1 the officer of engineers on duty1 reported that the five men just named 8displayed great courage and energy in repairing embrasures and clearing them out under fire40 ,on the left no working party was employed1 but three sappers opened an embrasure in ,no4 #a battery2 #bj posted in front of ,no4 #g improved its cover2 #cj in ,no4 #af built the terreplein1 and six carpenters with saws1 chisels1 and bags of bolts and nails traversed the batteries to make repairs wherever emergency called for their services4 ,the general casualties in the day's bombardment were severe4 ,of the sappers two were killed and five wounded1 viz43-- ,left attack4--,private ,henry ,masters--killed2 a round shot carried away the top of his head4 ,he had been wounded in the trenches on the #adth ,march4 ,right attack4--,private ,william ,r4 ,collings--killed4 #bnd corporal ,harry ,b4 ,smith--wounded severely in right leg4 ,lance-corporal ,edward ,mc,ginn--wounded severely in the back4 ,lance-corporal ,joseph ,finch--wounded slightly in right knee4 ,private ,john ,delany--wounded slightly in the face4 ,private ,john ,lloyd--wounded slightly in right leg4 ,collings1 ,smith1 ,mc,ginn1 ,delany1 and ,finch1 had been repairing platforms on the left of the second parallel1 which being in a serviceable condition1 they thought to relieve the suspense of the temporary leisure with a whiff of tobacco4 ,lighting their pipes they had scarcely begun to feel the comfort of the luxury when a shell bursting knocked down the whole of them4 ,collings struck in the heart fell dead and a second shell tearing through the parapet buried the lifeless man under a pile of earth and stones4 ,mc,ginn for a time was ignorant of the injury he had received and was only made conscious of it by feeling a weight at his back and strange sensations of fainting4 ,next night the sappers were mainly employed repairing the different batteries and filling up shot-holes and gaps in the parapets and revetments4 ,an incessant musketry fire followed them wherever they went1 but the shelling was unimportant4 ,on the left attack1 private ,lancaster had charge of the work in the double sap4 ,he had with him seven men of the #ith regiment1 and another party was employed in the rear filling sandbags to permit the advance to proceed unchecked4 ,as these were brought to the front1 the linesmen assisted ,lancaster to throw the earth over the parapet and also to load some biscuit bags for the purpose of superadding them to the revetment4 ,while filling one of the bags a shell plunged among the party and with its splinters killed two and wounded five4 ,lancaster strangely enough escaped4 ,he threw himself down at the instant close to the half-filled bag1 and when the shell burst he was only stunned4 ,as soon as he had recovered himself and saw the havoc committed among his assistants1 he went into the parallel for help2 and on returning received a slight bayonet thrust from one of a party of men who in haste were retreating from the rear of the sap4 ,the whole of the workmen laboured through the darkness with praiseworthy activity1 especially the parties under corporals ,cray#aib and ,mc,eachran1 to whom much credit was given for their exertions and example in coolly entering the broken embrasures and replacing the damaged gabions and sandbags with old powder barrels or any other means which could at the moment be obtained4 ,the stricken gabions1 turned with their best sides to the front to form the cheeks1 were picketed down to insure their steadfastness4 ,almost all the embrasures in ,no4 #af battery were mended in this way1 and ,mc,eachran not to be outdone in the work even gathered some of the broken gabions from the open1 and while the fire was warm on the battery built them with much tact and as much exertion into the cheeks4 ,on the right the masked approach to ,no4 #ai battery was thrown down and a ramp rapidly formed for the passage of the guns4 ,as soon as they were hauled through1 the gorge was remasked with gabions4 ,one sapper and ten men effected this operation4 ,the succeeding day private ,michael ,mc,namara1 a firm soldier under fire1 was killed by a round-shot while eating his dinner4 ,the ball carried away part of his head4 ,immediately after completing ,no4 #ae battery1 corporal ,hill was directed to oversee by day the miners working in the right demi-parallel of the left attack1 which swept in a curve over the edge of the hill1 and dropping down its side crossed the ,woronzoff road4 ,under his charge a portion of this trench on the crest of the ravine was converted into ,no4 #ag battery for two guns4 ,as the principal materials for forming it were obtained by quarrying1 the construction was difficult and arduous4 ,the revetments were chiefly of stone4 ,large gabions filled with fragments of rock faced the embrasures1 and the soles were bevelled outwards from the necks to admit the guns being sufficiently depressed to fire down the ravine4 ,a magazine for gunpowder and shot was hollowed out of the rock under the parapet1 and two traverses were built to protect the gunners from the cross fire of the ,malakoff4 ,constantly were the workmen annoyed by musketry4 ,shells fell so truly at times that they even burst on the platforms1 but the steady miners1 habituated to danger1 never quitted their labours4 ,just finished was the work when its overseer1 losing the use of his limbs from exertion and exposure1 was relieved on the #bjth ,august from the fatigues he had sustained so well during the siege4 ,on the #bast lance-corporal ,william ,jenkins was slightly wounded in the right knee4 ,such however was his spirit he would not leave the front4 ,exposed to so many hazards in 8repairing embrasures and platforms under the most severe fire of the enemy10 and present in so many sorties and bombardments it was a wonder he escaped with so insignificant a reminiscence of his exploits4 ,at different times no less than four furious shots have flown through his huge legs without affecting his composure or staying the exertions of his strong arm4#aic ,herculean in stature and strength he was acknowledged by officers and men to be a brave man and competent and quick in every work4 ,master carpenter of the left attack he was every day in the trenches from the #ast of ,may1 and was considered even by his comrades to be one of the most unexceptionable sappers among the rank and file4 ,as a recognition of his useful and gallant exertions he was decorated with a 8distinguished service0 medal1 and granted a gratuity of #el4#aid ,by this time the fifth parallel on the right was completed1 lying in almost a straight line across the hill from crest to crest1 leaving an opening in a fall of the ground near the small quarry next the middle ravine4 ,it was judged best not to touch the hollow as the sacrifice of life in attempting it would then have been enormous4 ,but even this resolve was afterwards given up and the cavity trenched to finish the parallel4 ,in connection with this parallel was an abandoned ,russian white rifle pit1 which was converted into a commanding post with parapets and banquettes4 ,smart ,mini practice was carried on from that screen by lynx-eyed musketeers1 who drew upon themselves showers of grape and canister that considerably damaged the parapets and lessened the number of the marksmen4 ,all repairs however were rapidly executed1 which kept the post in constant efficiency4 ,on the night of the #bbnd was commenced a new approach from the fifth parallel on the right attack towards the salient of the ,redan4 ,it jutted out from an angle about the centre of the trench4 ,four or five of the old sappers1 indomitable men1 with a party of the #ast ,royals1 worked remarkably well in its execution4 ,captain ,cooke of the engineers had the honour of opening this boyau1 and eighty-seven gabions set by flying sap were filled with earth brought from the remote rear in breadbags4 ,partial cover was obtained without interruption for fifty-eight yards1 during which only one of the working party was wounded4 ,next night one hundred men in two reliefs with four sappers under corporal ,john ,ross were pushed into this trench4 ,the corporal marched the working party into the fifth parallel and awaited orders4 ,captain ,wolseley of the #ijth regiment1 assistant engineer1 was on duty in charge of the advance works4 ,from him the corporal received directions to distribute the men to the best advantage4 ,half the party he detailed to fill bags to be carried by the other half to the sap as required4 ,after these preliminary arrangements he sought the field officer of the trenches and obtained a covering party of twenty men4 ,eight of the number he kept as sentries in the approach and with the others crept onwards1 posting them individually a short distance apart in front of the trace where the sap was to be extended4 ,having instructed them how to act should the slightest movement of the ,russians be heard1 and cautioned them1 should a light-ball come over1 to roll themselves up a short distance from it and lie quiet1 he reappeared among his men4 ,with his four sappers he moved to the vent of the zigzag4 ,gabions and earth were carried to them by the fifty men4 ,the corporal himself placed the gabions and the sappers emptied the earth into them4 ,grape and musketry from the ,malakoff and the ,redan made the task very laborious1 for frequently the staked gabions were capsized and had to be renewed4 ,however1 they succeeded in placing and filling twenty-five1 despite the blazing of light-balls which pitched at times around them and exposed their work4 ,thus far had the corporal proceeded when he moved the whole party forward1 and leading the way with lance-corporal ,william ,baker in opening a trench by the side of the newly-laid gabions1 the work had good cover before the morning1 and that also which had been executed the night before was strengthened and improved4 ,so interesting and exciting was the work that ,captain ,wolseley was constant in his visits to the sap and encouraged its progress by his praises4 ,the lance-corporal was wounded a few minutes before the relief arrived4 ,for the 8extremely creditable0 manner in which corporal ,ross performed his duty1 he received a present from ,general ,simpson of three sovereigns4 ,this was the second instance of his being rewarded by the commander-in-chief for distinguished services4 ,four men of the #ggth were wounded and two killed in this zigzag4 ,two also of the five sappers were wounded1 viz41 lance-corporal ,william ,baker1 seventh company1 slightly in the head with stones thrown at him by a round shot1 and private ,james ,colquhoun slightly in the right leg4 ,spare in person like a lean boy1 ready apparently to snap at any pressure1 ,baker stood up in singular contrast to his comrade ,jenkins2 but few possessed more spirit than ,baker2 few more of that solid dash indispensable to the stormer4 ,signalised by his calmness and qualifications in the open embrasures his name was once brought before ,lord ,raglan1 and promotion was given him in appreciation of his soldierly merits4 ,during the night of the #bdth1 sergeant ,benjamin ,castledine was slightly wounded in the head by a rifle ball--the second stroke he had received during the siege4 ,he was giving instructions at the time with respect to the revetment of ,no4 #ba battery1 situated on the central boyau between the third and fourth parallels of the right attack1 and though the wound was such as would have sent most men to the rear1 he remained in the trenches after receiving the blow for seven hours visiting his parties4 ,the new sap on the ,redan was the absorbing work on the right attack4 ,ninety men were told off for it this night2 but as the moon had risen1 a portion of the men only were permitted to enter the zigzag1 who toiled by reliefs an hour at a time4 ,a few experienced sappers acquainted with the incidents and chances of advanced trench duty1 pushed spiritedly ahead1 and placed eighteen gabions4 ,these were filled in part by the ,grenadier ,guards1 and the former night's work was strengthened by earth thrown over the parapet from sacks passed from hand to hand4 ,the operation was a confined one1 for the brightness of the night made it hazardous to send them forward on the reverse of the trench4 ,sergeant ,hale of the ,guards kept a small detachment of his regiment so well at work and in such perfect discipline that he was rewarded by ,general ,simpson with a gift of three sovereigns1 one of which he retained for himself1 generously distributing the remainder among his comrades4 ,corporal ,joseph ,j4 ,stanton was in charge of the front saps that night1 and amid defections in some of his parties1 which it seemed impossible by any amount of example and daring to overcome1 the conduct of ,hale and his men was so marked that the corporal felt proud to name the sergeant to the engineer officer on duty4 ,of ,stanton1 it may be added1 that no soldier in the army perhaps1 quitted the ,crimea with so many decorations4 ,he had medals for the ,danube and ,crimea with three clasps1 a medal for 8distinguished service in the field10 and the ,french ,legion of ,honour4 ,he also became a colour sergeant and was offered a commission1 but the war1 closing before it could be consummated1 the rank was consequently lost4 ,in the night of the #beth1 was begun a prolongation of the fifth parallel on the right1 down a small ravine towards a screened wall where the ,russians had a picket in ambuscade4 ,when the moon had gone down1 the ground was quickly opened and forty-seven gabions were planted and tolerably filled by five sappers and one hundred men4 ,three sappers and seventy men were also driving as far as they dare between the small ravine and the white pit connected with the fifth parallel4 ,by these means the entrenched 8hollow10 commenced with fatal anticipations1 was gradually united to the ,french line of works4 ,this day lance-corporal ,william ,monds on the right attack was dangerously wounded in the back by a rifle ball1 while laying a bridge of planks for the passage of artillery into ,nos4 #ah and #ai batteries4 ,strangely enough he was struck a little above the same spot on the #gth ,june by a sand-bag thrown at him by a shot2 and though this injury did not fall into the category of wounds1 it caused him much more suffering than the rifle wound which threatened his life4 ----- ,footnote #aij3 ,corporal ,cann continued at ,ismid till ,may1 #ahef1 when the troops were withdrawn4 8,he had for the last few months sole charge and direction of the various works required at that station1 and fulfilled that charge in a most satisfactory manner40 ,such was the report of ,major ,e4 ,c4 ,a4 ,gordon1 of the engineers4 ,footnote #aia3 ,the concentration of the companies on the left1 proved to be very fortunate1 for they escaped a terrible catastrophe4 ,the ground vacated by them was soon after occupied by the artillery and small arm brigade4 ,when the explosion of the ,french magazines in the ,ravin du ,carnage took place in ,november1 #ahee1 the shock1 chiefly felt by the artillery1 resulted in a loss to that regiment of #eb killed and wounded out of a roll of casualties numbering #adf of all ranks4 ,the engineer park took fire at the time1 but not a sapper was touched4 ,footnote #aib3 ,when ,cray arrived at the front1 ,jenkins1 by order1 took him round the trenches1 so that when it should become his turn for duty he might know the several works and the points where danger most existed4 ,they had gone into the fifth parallel by the left approach1 and were leaving it by the right one1 which had a parapet so low it would scarcely cover a crow4 8,you must look alive here10 said ,jenkins1 8or we shall get a knock40 ,off ,jenkins started1 rushing down an enfiladed piece of the trench1 and creeping on all-fours where the cover was insufficient4 ,his movements were seen by the ,russian riflemen1 and a few unavailing shots told of their vigilance4 ,it was now ,cray's turn to move1 but declining to follow the crafty progress of his experienced cicerone1 he preferred to make a rush into the completed boyau2 but he had scarcely taken a step beyond the parallel1 when a tempest of bullets overtook him4 ,with alarming nearness they whistled about his head1 and feeling the hot wind of a ,mini brushing his nose1 as if an iron feather had rasped it1 he fancied that that prominent feature of his countenance had been shot off4 ,the delusion was but momentary1 for another mishap occurred to drive away the unpleasant sensation which the first had created4 ,as he was bounding into deeper cover his foot tripped and down he fell with a crash1 which quite upset the gravity of the guide and the blasters in the parallel4 8,i thought you were done for10 said ,jenkins1 as ,cray crawled up to him1 every muscle of his face in laughing activity4 8,not yet10 replied ,cray4 8,it was near enough though to make the escape a miracle40 ,he then added1 with a significant smile1--8,some lucky ,russian1 no doubt1 will be decorated with a distinguished service medal for killing me60 ,footnote #aic3 ,the most remarkable instance perhaps occurred on the #agth ,october4 ,the second gabion from the neck of the left cheek of an embrasure in ,no4 #b battery was injured by two shots1 and pushed so far from the row as to interfere with the firing4 ,jenkins tried to remove it1 but finding from the strong way in which it had been staked and the earth tamped on it1 that more than extra exertion was needed to pull it out1 he placed his broad back against the right cheek1 and with his leg pressing against the left1 hauled with all his might on the gabion4 ,while doing so an #h-;inch shot swept through his legs with a velocity so great that the wind of it struck him powerless for a few moments4 ,on went the shot1 and smashing one of the wheels of a gun-carriage1 threw the gun out of action for the remainder of the day4 ,footnote #aid3 ,from the second parallel of the left attack ran several boyaux to the third parallel4 ,the angle of the trench where the fourth and fifth zigzags joined1 was a very dangerous corner1 and many a man in rounding it had been killed or wounded4 ,early in ,june when corporal ,jenkins was passing with ,major ,chapman of the #bjth regiment1 this little 8shadow of death10 a few rifle bullets whistled so near their ears that their escape was next to extraordinary4 ,looking up to ascertain the cause of this reception1 the ,major said1 with a good-humoured smile1 8,i shall not come here again with you1 ,jenkins1 if you wear that swell band on your cap40 ,the band was a white one4 #ahee4 #bfth ,august-#eth ,september4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,state of the works--,russian floating-bridge across the harbour--,gallantry of corporal ,mc,murphy and his sappers--,the sailors--,advance from fifth parallel on salient of ,redan--,and on its extreme left flank--,defection of the workmen in the latter sap and firmness of the two sappers in charge--,valour of sergeant ,castledine and private ,mc,kellar--,intrepid continuance of the right sap--,the double sap1 left attack--,fifth parallel of the same attack2 corporal ,paul its overseer--,experienced hands selected for the front2 charge of the non-commissioned officers--,casualties--,fresh details--,trench from fifth parallel to cemetery--,unsuccessful attempt to open a screen in advance of white rifle-pit--,notice of corporal ,phillips--,a sapper guides his party along the open or part of fifth parallel in preference to taking a longer route though a covered one--,perseverance of sappers in the front saps--,sixth bombardment--,the works and repairs proceed steadily--,results of the cannonading--,fatal meeting of friends--,siege career of sergeant ,wilson4 ,all the batteries were again fresh and capable1 and trunnionless guns and guns with broken muzzles or irreparable vents were in great part replaced by serviceable ordnance4 ,the magazines were firm and full1 platforms sufficient and steady1 and the traverses stood with scarcely a shot-hole unplugged4 ,on the right the new field structures to rake the ,redan and collateral works were in clusters of threes4 ,in front of the famed quarry1 and near the fourth parallel1 were batteries #af1 #ag1 and #bj1 facing the salient of the ,redan2 and #ah1 #ai1 and #ba1 were formed in some trenches in advance of the second parallel1 and in rear of the small quarry contiguous to the middle ravine4 ,all the rest of the batteries rose up in natural positions in the parallels and zigzags4 ,parapets were now formed in both attacks for rockets1 which played with brilliant effect on the ,russian works1 throwing into flames a building in the ,karabelnaia faubourg4 ,a well with a clear spring in the third parallel was protected by a stone wall and ditch1 and the parched trenchmen drew in safety from its depths4 ,bread-bags now almost wholly supplanted the sand-bags4 ,though ill-adapted for hard service1 exigency regarded with favour any device that could be made to do duty in a siege which had more than exhausted the trench materials of our parks and arsenals4 ,to save it from enfilade fire1 the left of the fourth parallel of the ,chapman attack was altered by cuttings and traverses into the form of a serpentine sap4 ,with vigour quite as conspicuous1 the ,russians were toiling4 ,their immense lines of works1 of unequalled strength1 were in admirable condition2 and rising tier above tier were armed at all points with the heaviest artillery1 to bear with harassing results on all our most imposing works and approaches4 ,while fires gleamed from different buildings1 and others were breached and broken from base to coping1 the enemy1 fully alive to the chances of defeat1 employed all their disposable tradesmen in constructing a wooden bridge of great length1 to span the harbour from ,fort ,catherine to ,fort ,nicholas4 ,signs of activity for this undertaking were first perceived on the #bith ,july4 ,the wharfs were crowded with stores of all kinds1 and many small craft were moored along the quay to assist in the service4 ,as by degrees the vast heaps of timber disappeared1 the floating bridge assumed proportions of increasing vastness2 and by this time--ponderous1 like everything ,russian--the causeway was completed for the passage of the troops1 when the extremity should arrive to necessitate such an operation4 ,extremely brilliant was the night of the #bfth2 nevertheless1 an average quantity of progress was made in the foremost trenches4 ,grape and shell fell so truly into the saps1 that the men were in frequent alarm2 and of the #ijth regiment alone1 #cj men were killed and wounded4 ,corporal ,mc,murphy was in charge of #acj men of different regiments scattered in the advances4 ,thirty of the number1 allotted to the approach from the fifth parallel to a rifle-pit on the right1 were under the foremanship of privates ,moncur and ,joseph ,fitzgerald4 ,the work was about #bjj yards from the proper right of the domineering ,malakoff1 and the left of the ambitious ,redan4 ,from the latter an active fire was opened on the little batch of pioneers1 and also from four embrasures on the right flank of the ,malakoff4 ,for a time nothing touched them4 ,shells and grape whizzed over the works1 shaking many a nerve and swimming many a head4 ,few could keep cool in such danger1 and picks and shovels were used with timid vigour2 but the steadiness of the two overseers was the record of the day4 ,at length the range of the trench was so accurately obtained1 that the shells plunged into the very gabions the sappers were filling1 and broke them up in the explosions4 ,the wavering of the party was now very apparent1 and corporal ,mc,murphy1 an old soldier who before had been in a hot siege of thirty days at ,natal1 exerted himself manfully to keep the men at their tasks4 ,a few tardy efforts was the measure of their reluctant obedience1 when one of the party being killed by the corporal's side1 the entire detachment ran from the trench1 leaving the three sappers ahead bent to their work4 ,mc,murphy followed1 entreating them1 if they intended to abandon their posts1 at least to return and carry away the dead body of their comrade4 ,too craven to perform even this touching duty1 the corporal repaired with an undismayed pace to the sap1 and with the assistance of his two intrepid overseers1 bore the shattered corpse to the rear amid a tempest of fire1 escaping without a stroke4 ,for their gallantry on this occasion the commander-in-chief presented the privates with two sovereigns each and the corporal with three1 who1 subsequently1 was decorated with the ,french military war medal4 ,private ,moncur also obtained a 8distinguished service0 medal and a gratuity of #el41 for throughout the siege he proved himself to be a dauntless man under the heaviest fire1 and one of the most efficient sappers for conducting difficult work in the advances and in repairing embrasures4 ,two days later sergeant ,jarvis was again in the trenches of the left attack1 having under him #c sappers and #ej men draining the fourth parallel and making banquettes for riflemen4 ,sailors were1 for some days1 cutting a communication from the first parallel to ,no4 #aj battery in the second parallel1 and sometimes1 to carry on the approach effectually1 they turned miners and blew out patches of rock that impeded them4 ,nothing was amiss to the men-o'-war's men4 ,in ship1 battery1 and trench1 they were alike ,english and welcome4 ,broad-backed1 mature1 and potent1 with beards that fell deep on their breasts1 and whiskers that nearly concealed their honest faces1 it seemed as if some difficulty would be felt in controlling their energies2 but though they defied in their exertions the set rules of procedure1 none were more easily led4 ,working for their own honour they were not jealous of any fame which others might acquire2 and knowing nothing of those bickerings and rivallings which in other services often operate mischievously in conducting an enterprise1 they laid themselves out cordially to the tasks1 and toiled with as much interest and vigour under the engineers and sappers as under their own officers4 ,in ordinary works one sapper was enough for their superintendence1 and even when the boring and blasting were in operation the number of overseers among them seldom exceeded two4 ,indeed they were splendid fellows4 ,such is the testimony of every sapper who had the pleasure to labour with them4 ,going over to the right attack on the night of the #bhth1 the working parties were seen pushing on in the advanced trenches so sedulously that early developments were promised4 ,four sappers and forty men were in the boyau stretching towards the ,redan4 ,too light to approach by flying sap1 the overseers adopted the method of lodging one gabion and filling it before staking another4 ,in this way the trench was extended twelve gabions4 ,next night the same number of workmen widened the trench and improved its cover1 while eight sappers fixed the gabions and reset those which were occasionally capsized4 ,every step ahead was treacherous1 for the moon was high and clear1 and constant vigilance was needed to save the sappers from incautious exposure4 ,to work in day-time in so perilous a spot required bold spirits to make the venture4 ,the engineers would not order the linesmen into it3 it was therefore left for volunteers to choose the service4 ,only ten men offered1 who at the morning relief moved to the far front1 and superintended by a sapper1 8worked well and steadily40 ,passing on to the night of the #cjth1 eight men of the corps were in the trench continuing it by flying sap4 ,fifteen gabions were pitched and filled by them4 ,very hard was the soil3 the rock had to be split and rent from the ground for cover1 while a heavy fire of shot sometimes made gaps in the new parapet by overturning the gabions4 ,it was a night of toil to these ten sappers1 and the result of six hours' patient perseverance only extended the boyau some thirty feet4 ,eighty linesmen followed deepening and widening the trench4 ,in the night of the #cast eight sappers and ten of the line were again in the ,redan advance4 ,so deadly was the approach considered1 that the brave men before entering it bade adieu to their comrades4 ,marvellous indeed it seems that close as it was to the beleaguered defences so few casualties were counted among the working parties4 ,ten gabions were that night placed and filled by the brigade while the ten linesmen sunk the trench and strengthened the parapet4 ,this was recorded as very excellent progress4 ,during the same period the new zigzag up the little ravine was steadily advancing on the extreme left flank of the ,redan4 ,major ,campbell1 assistant engineer1 had under his orders on the night of the #bhth two sappers and #cj men1 who attended so well to their work1 that besides improving the trench #cj gabions were planted and made bullet-proof4 ,fifty more were added the next night by four sappers2 and #hj linesmen filled them with stones1 bread-bags1 and loose earth1 persisting in the duty notwithstanding that two of their number were killed and four wounded4 ,the coolness of different detachments in the foremost trenches was unaccountably dissimilar4 ,some1 though in terrible danger1 held by particular enterprises with unrelaxed industry1 while others at the moment of alarm took refuge in flight4 ,many instances of both kinds have been given2 here follows another4 ,in the darkness of the #cjth there was a mixed community of #fb linesmen in the approach in charge of two sappers1 who1 as overseers1 moved along the exposed trace and staked nearly #ej gabions4 ,the operation of filling them was about to commence1 when some twenty-five ,russians1 jumping in at the head of the sap with a cheer1 so terrified the working party and sentries that they decamped in utter disorder1 despite the efforts to rally them of ,captain ,wolseley1 assistant engineer4 ,the trench1 now left to itself1 was traversed in its whole length by the ,russians1 who removed the unfilled gabions1threw down much of the finished sap1 and retreated1 taking with them several muskets which had been left behind by the timid workmen4 8,shortly after this1 ,captain ,pechell of the #ggth1 at the head of a body of his men1 rushed up the trench1 drove the ,russians in from a small rifle-pit1 and held it for the night40#aie ,the artillery fire from the ,malakoff1 and rattling discharges of musketry from the ravine1 occasioned twelve casualties among the workmen and wounded ,captain ,wolseley severely in the face and leg4 ,the two sappers--privates ,b4 ,murray and ,patrick ,nelles--it is noted stood by their captain to the last2 but their steadiness behind the imperfect cover of some overturned gabions--the one firing1 the other working--had not the effect of provoking the recreants to re-enter the trench4 ,it was an adventurous sap this1 menaced at every point of its progress by shells and ,minis1 and checked by reiterated attacks of ,russian detachments1 who1 surging over the parapet1 burst in the trench itself4 ,in the night of the #cast it was again assailed4 ,eight sappers and #ej men of the line were allotted to extend the approach1 with corporal ,taylor in charge4 ,sergeant ,castledine was directed to superintend both advances1 but from necessity his exertions were chiefly confined to the sap in question4 ,he had been in this boyau before and knew its danger1 for he had seen as many as five shells blazing in it at one time4 ,private ,john ,bramley being the oldest sapper took the lead4 ,he had to place two gabions1 and after filling them fall to the rear4 ,before1 however1 completing his task1 which was about half an hour after the workmen had been distributed1 the enemy--more than a company strong--appeared on the high ground near some rifle-pits1 and firing on our sentries the latter hastily retired4 ,as soon as they were calmed1 sergeant ,castledine1 by order of ,captain ,fraser of the #ieth regiment1 who commanded in the sap1 reposted them in the most desirable positions4 ,a desultory firing was kept up for a while without again alarming the sentries or disturbing the labours of the trench2 but when another half-hour had elapsed the enemy suddenly pushed up the slope1 attacked the sentries1 and driving them into the trench1 the workmen and covering party took fright and retreated in confusion4 ,castledine and private ,mc,kellar of the ninth company1 who were at the head of the sap1 alone stood firm2 and before the enemy had approached too far1 the sergeant sent his steady assistant to recall the sappers from the fifth parallel1 into which they had hastened to recover their arms4 ,at this moment a sergeant of the #crd ,buffs1 who had heard the firing1 ran across the open and voluntarily joined ,castledine4 ,in a few seconds the sapper brigade1 with that manly fellow ,mc,kellar in front1 flew into the work1 and with this small force the sergeant bounded over the parapet1 poured a volley into the hesitating ,russians1 and then for two or three minutes1 while retiring to the sap1 continued an independent discharge1 which kept the enemy at bay till the covering party1 rallied by ,captain ,fraser1 returned and increased by its fire the efficiency of the defence4 ,in the struggle ,captain ,fraser1 who had publicly acknowledged the valour of sergeant ,castledine1 fell deeply wounded2 the other officers were also struck down1 and the command of the parties now devolved on ,castledine4 ,his force of character gained the noblest support from his brigade as well as from the sergeant of the #crd ,buffs1 and even held together the young men who for the first time were entrusted with duty in so perilous a sap4 ,though the fire of artillery and musketry was sharp enough to make the stoutest hearts quiver1 ,castledine retained the trench and resumed the work2 but1 as every missile that entered the sap drove the workmen to their arms1 very little resulted from energies so harassed and so capriciously employed4 ,still1 such was his high respect for authority1 the sergeant would not take on himself the responsibility of ordering the workmen to retire1 and so sending corporal ,taylor to the engineer officer--who was directing the progress of other works--he requested permission to remove them4 ,this was acceded to soon after midnight1 the party taking with them eleven of their comrades and three of the four officers wounded4 ,the sappers now had the run of the deadly trench1 and1 undisturbed by the fears and clamours of timid men1 laboured with so much dexterity1 that1 by the hour of relief--two in the morning--they had succeeded to admiration not only in strengthening a portion of the old trench1 but in resetting and filling sixteen of the gabions capsized by the ,russians the previous night4 ,equally dangerous was the double sap forming the central communication between the two foremost parallels on the left attack4 ,not without great toil and watching was it completed4 ,in aspect it bore a wild crenated outline1 as if the miners1 in struggling to make a direct approach1 were so oppressed with difficulties that1 defying the energy and capacity of art1 they were forced to make progress by running into sidings and notches4 ,the last gabion to connect the sap with the parallel was fixed by corporal ,lendrim4 ,the whole way was broken up by mining1 and the planting of every gabion was attended with imminent risk4 ,stones blown from the rock were built into the parapets and compacted with earth and clay thrown among the blocks from sacks and bread-bags4 ,so fierce at times was the firing and so clear the moon1 that the extension of the trench throughout an anxious night was confined to the placement of only four gabions4 ,some nights the sap was pushed ahead as much as ten yards1 which was regarded as an exemplary effort4 8,for every three gabions fixed during the night two were knocked down at daylight by round shot20 and not unfrequently one has been struck from the hands of the sapper essaying to stake it4 ,such gaps and such violence sufficiently mark the trials of the undertaking and account for its slow and wearying progress4 ,up to the close of the siege the sap demanded the labour and vigilance of small parties to patch up the broken revetments and replace the shivered gabions4 ,never were there less than two sappers in this zigzag2 seldom fewer than #bj of the line4 ,perhaps one of the hardest services during the whole operation was the working of the fifth parallel on the left attack4 ,sweeping round the brow of the hill1 it dropped down the cliff towards the chevaux-de-frise1 and ended at a cave which served as a place of arms4 ,to the left it extended1 with diminished cover1 towards the direct double sap4 ,the boyau communicating with the right of the parallel was a trench about forty yards long1 and from the parallel itself issued several small covered ways in advance1 with pits at the extremities for riflemen4 ,no trace was followed in the execution of these lines2 no breadth1 no width uniformly adhered to4 ,all depended on the nature of the obstacles encountered and the stern intricacies of the work1 which1 giving rise to many deflexions to meet the broken contour of the ground1 resulted in a line of sap so irregular in form1 as to require many stout traverses and auxiliary cuttings and parapets to prevent certain parts being raked and exposed to cross fires4 ,the labour in executing it was immense1 for every inch of the way was driven through rock by the irksome processes of boring and blasting4 ,the hazards were unmitigated2 the firing at times terrific2 but guided and managed by the experience and judgment of corporal ,paul--to whom was entrusted the superintendence of the parallel and its branches--the casualties were so few as to excite surprise4 ,only one man of the blasting party was killed in the parallel4 ,he was a brave and pushing miner of the #bjth regiment4 ,seldom were less than twenty mines fired in a day1 frequently as many as forty4 ,the stones thus broken up were mostly worked into the parapets during the night1 but the facing of the work and the formation of the banquettes were left for the miners to attend to in day-time4 ,all the large stones were employed for these purposes2 and on one occasion1 when building the revetment in the portion of the parallel which descended the hill1 one huge block required the united strength of the overseer and the #bjth man to fix it firmly4 ,it was a stubborn task1 executed only by risking danger2 and at frequent intervals for nearly a quarter of an hour they were exposed from the waist upwards in doing it4 ,immovably calm1 always fresh in vigour though constantly at work1 a better overseer than ,paul could scarcely have been provided for difficult employment1 and as a consequence1 his example--of zeal1 perseverance1 and coolness1 approaching even to placidity--had the best effect on his parties4 ,so wrapt up was he in the progress of the trench--indeed it was said he was never happy out of it--that his comrades termed the work 8,paul's parallel60 ,let not this be an aggravation of the charge preferred in jealousy and ill-feeling against the engineers1 because certain works1 by common consent1 were called after the names of engineer officers--now memorable in history4 ,in this case the application of the designation was simply a sapper one2 and if among his comrades who knew of his soldierly qualities and exertions in that trench1 which but for his care would perhaps have become a human shambles1 he was considered entitled to this very natural honour1 who will write an angry pamphlet and say the distinction is unbecoming and should be borne by some one of another corps8 ,from the beginning of the siege he performed severe duties in the front4 ,before his worth as a sterling sapper was known he was commonly four or five nights in the trenches out of six1 and was one of the surest guides to the works when the positions and the roads to them were as yet ill understood by the troops4 ,selected by ,major ,bent to be one of his foremen of miners1 he was daily in the saps from the middle of ,may4 ,his permanent duty commenced with the boyaux between the second and third parallels and only terminated a day or two before the fall of ,sebastopol4 ,so much for the bravery and spirit of a non-commissioned officer1 who1 deserving great rewards1 became a sergeant1 received a gratuity of #ajl41 a silver medal for 8distinguished service in the field10 and the proud decoration of the ,legion of ,honour4 ,here it may be remarked that for all the foremost works only experienced hands1 upon whom reliance could be placed for qualification and constancy1 were selected to lead the work-men4 ,young soldiers lacking strength and patience in toil and danger were unfitted for the hardships and vicissitudes of the front4 ,so scattered at times were the working parties over the embarrassing meshes of trenches that a private of the corps at different points of the works has been nominated to oversee two small detachments of the line4 ,wanting rank as non-commissioned officers1 they were often resisted1 and as supineness in the pioneers sometimes followed1 the service naturally suffered4 ,in most cases1 however1 the sapper privates gained the compliance of their men more by their own earnest example and exertions than by any exercise of authority4 ,corporals and sergeants frequently controlled the energies of very heavy parties1 but when they had any trying or dangerous works to execute entailing the necessity of close observation and personal toil1 the workmen under them were usually limited in number4 ,in the latest weeks of the siege1 sergeant ,jarvis1 who was almost daily in the trenches1 had with him a force of between forty and fifty men and three or four sappers4 ,his duties were then mostly confined to the fourth parallel on the left1 and included the drainage and repairs to banquettes1 traverses1 and parapets4 ,a firm soldierlike man1 with strong physical powers1 his conduct throughout the siege in the execution of hard and critical services attracted the notice of his officers1 and his bustling activity and usefulness1 coupled with his bravery1 gained him the decoration of the ,legion of ,honour4 ,corporal ,cray shared largely in the concluding operations in mending and re-forming embrasures and batteries1 assisted sometimes by as many as eight sappers and fifty workmen4 ,his chief work in the trenches was overseeing the rebuilding of ,no4 #h battery1 left attack1 so as to alter its line of fire2 and the creditable manner in which it was executed was recorded by ,major ,chapman as one of the incidents of his brave and useful services in ,bulgaria and the ,crimea4 ,corporal ,hanson is also named in connection with services discharged in #ai battery of the ,chapman attack1 in which1 aided by two sappers and fifty men1 he mined the rock and thickened the parapet with the stones thrown up in the blasts4 ,these instances1 officially recorded1 and1 hence1 here preserved1 may be taken as the average measure of command meted to non-commissioned officers of sappers in the closing throes of this great struggle4 ,between the #cjth ,august and #bnd ,september the following casualties occurred3-- ,left attack4--#cjth4 ,private ,thomas ,a4 ,eccles--wounded severely in the head4 #cast4 ,private ,william ,thompson--wounded slightly in right shoulder4 ,right attack--#bnd ,sept4 ,lance-corporal ,charles ,bell killed1 while #bnd 0 ,private ,john ,morrison fixing the last splinter proof timber to the magazine of ,no4 #ba battery1 by a shell--the first that dropped there from the ,malakoff4 ,the former was struck in the side2 the latter in the head1 besides which a fragment shattered one of his arms1 and another exposed his bowels4 #bnd 0 ,private ,joseph ,fitzgerald--wounded dangerously2 his head was fractured by the blow of a stone1 which drove a portion of the peak of his cap into his skull4 ,persevering and cool1 he was a man in whom dependence could be placed for progress under difficulties2 and for his valiant conduct on the #bfth ,august was noticed in the orders of ,general ,jones1 and rewarded by the ,commander-in-,chief4 ,early in ,september a small batch of sappers and linesmen fixed six lengths of chevaux-de-frise in extension of the barricade across the ,woronzoff valley1 and threw up a circular breastwork1 issuing from the trench on the right of ,no4 #ag battery of the left attack to flank the main road4 ,an attempt was also spiritedly made to connect the two attacks by running an arm across the ravine and up the hill from the second parallel of the left attack to the right of the third4 ,the gabions laid for the purpose by the sappers were rapidly filled by the line1 and a few nights more would have witnessed the completion of the communication1 but ulterior events rendered further labour in that trench unnecessary4 ,in the fifth parallel1 facing the ,redan1 two sappers formed loop-holes1 chiefly of bread-bags1 at intervals along the entire trench for light troops4 ,in the cemetery the gabionade being much shattered was quickly repaired4 ,a trench too was run out from that gloomy area1 crested by a parapet made up of the usual expedients2 and the rude slabs and blocks which1 struck down and broken by shot and shell1 lay confusedly over the ground4 ,another was cleverly cut from the point where the double sap joined the centre of the fifth parallel1 and1 descending the hill in a backward sweep1 connected with the approach from the cemetery4 ,two or three brigades of sappers1 working simultaneously at different parts of the trench1 fixed the gabions sometimes by the flying method1 and at others1 when the firing was heavy1 by the surer plan of completing the cover before moving an inch in advance4 ,one night at this sap corporal ,henry ,t4 ,stredwick had with him a half brigade of sappers who were tasked to lodge and fill eighteen gabions1 but the moment they began to work a galling array of heavy projectiles opposed every foot of progress4 ,repeatedly the gabions were capsized2 full ones on two or three occasions were blown from the trace1 and the sappers knocked over and buried under them4 ,even resolute men would have had ample excuse for abandoning so murderous a spot2 but regarding nothing as insuperable or too hot1 the sappers held obstinately to the work1 and succeeded in lengthening the trench by twelve gabions4 ,a rifle-screen was partly formed half way between the cemetery and the central communication to the fifth parallel1 and two old ,russian pits1 by a slight deviation1 were embodied in the sap4 ,a gentle ridge being on the line of trace1 the sappers1 too quick to calculate the inconvenience of their go-ahead zeal1 planted the gabions for the revetment nearly on its edge4 ,once filled1 the earth thrown up for the parapet fell down the slope1 and no end of bread-bags were emptied to gain cover4 ,there was no remedy for the defect but perseverance2 and this being cheerfully yielded1 a tolerable mound in time had risen1 which outvied in strength with the contiguous parapets4 ,the work was chiefly done at night2 the darkness was great1 the firing incessant4 ,varied was the progress2 sometimes as few as nine or ten gabions were fixed1 at others as many as twenty-four4 ,this was looked upon as excellent work1 and ,st4 ,jacques of ,monzon himself might have been proud1 to share in such success4 ,steadily was the trench pushed on1 and in a few days it was numbered among the finished formations4 ,in the night of the #bnd it was intended to open a screen in advance of the white rifle-pit on the right attack4 ,two officers of engineers reconnoitred the ground1 attended by a volunteer party carrying tools and gabions4 ,being perceived1 the enemy's pickets plied them with so hot a fire they were compelled to make a hurried retreat1 while the men who were struck bore on as best they could with gashing wounds2 but one poor fellow1 more deeply injured than the rest1 was left on the field4 ,indisposed to yield their comrade1 sergeant ,newman of the #fbnd led back six men1 one of whom was private ,mc,namara of the sappers1 to search for the missing man and recover the abandoned tools2 but another volley of hissing bullets drove them in haste to the sap4 ,yet again did these men offer their services to renew the search2 but as the moon had newly risen1 rendering distant objects visible1 the engineers wisely declined to permit an exploit which in all probability would have sacrificed the entire party4 ,for his spirited conduct the sergeant received a present of three sovereigns from ,general ,simpson4 ,passing on to the night of the #dth1 there were #ag sappers in the trenches on the left1 and #cb on the right4 ,those on the left were distributed in #ag and #ai batteries1 and the circular breastwork1 flanking the ,woronzoff ravine2 a few also were in the cemetery1 and others in the excavation leading down the hill to it4 ,of this small party two were wounded3 private ,john ,boyce severely in the eye1 and second-corporal ,charles ,phillips1 8a most zealous and active non-commissioned officer10 in both arms4 ,the left was broken above the elbow by a grape-shot1 and though subsequently cured without amputation1 a frightful limb was left1 withered1 rigid1 and useless4 ,he had been working during the early night in the double sap with ,mooney and ,lancaster1 two first-class sappers1 from which he was removed by ,lieutenant ,neville to complete the screen spotted half-way between the cemetery and the sap to the fifth parallel4 ,he had with him four men of the #egth regiment4 ,as the screen was small1 and barely permitted the little batch to move in it1 the corporal jumped from the hole1 and directed their exertions on the open slope4 ,he also withdrew one of the privates1 and soon after on came the grape1 inflicting the injuries described and striking the hilt from the bayonet of his comrade4 ,boyce had missed his way and wandered with his men into the double sap4 ,corporal ,phillips happening to be there at the time1 instructed him how to rectify his course4 ,the route was one of risk1 for the trench down the hill had only been cut in parts4 ,sooner than retrace his steps1 and thus obtain the cover necessary to protect him1 he shot across the open at the head of his men1 and luckily reached the spot to which he had been appointed without casualty4 ,the injury to his eye occurred soon after4 ,the sappers on the right were chiefly in the advance works1 extending the trenches by flying saps4 ,that on the ,redan was prolonged #ca gabions1 which were all loaded with earth and stones2 and the other up the little ravine had #cf gabions staked1 but only #af filled4 ,the moon now appearing put an end to the onward flight of the sappers1 who when withdrawn into safer cover brought with them the body of ,captain ,anderson of the #cast regiment1 assistant engineer1 who was killed while directing the approach to the ,redan4 ,few1 indeed1 left those perillous saps without a scar1 or a shot-hole in their garments4 8,from the heavy fire maintained on the head of our sap10 wrote ,general ,simpson1 under this date1 8the progress made has been slow1 and accompanied1 as must be expected1 by several casualties among the sappers and working parties40 ,at the morning relief of the #eth there were #ec sappers and #da line miners in the left trenches from five to nine o'clock1 and #ag from three to seven in the evening1 who placed the batteries in substantial order for the intended cannonade1 and completed the splinter-proof hut for the surgeons in the first parallel4 ,to-day commenced the sixth bombardment1 very warmly by the ,french1 less so by the ,english1 who only discharged periodical shells at the ,redan and ,garden batteries4 ,brisk as was the fire from the ,russians1 only one man of the working party1 out of about three hundred men1 was killed on the left1 viz41 lance-corporal ,richard ,pinch--a very useful sapper1 who had been wounded on the #bfth ,july4 ,on the right there were #af sappers employed all day in superintendence1 chiefly in the deadly saps4 ,a few were also scattered singly to ,no4 #ah and the batteries in the first and second parallels1 restoring embrasures and revetments4 ,two or three were finishing the doctors' hut in the quarries1 a like number plugged up shot-holes in the parapets1 and three others were founding a new battery--,no4 #bb1 near ,egerton's pit--to open on the left flank of the ,redan4 ,with singular good fortune1 only one casualty occurred among the workmen in the right attack1 although a fire of average steadiness dismounted a gun in ,no4 #ag2 knocked down the embrasures of ,no4 #ad1 and damaged two or three magazines4 ,night came on1 and #cb sappers with #djj linesmen poured into the ,gordon trenches1 and half the number were detailed for the ,chapman lines4 ,both parties were on duty for six hours1 confining their exertions1 in great part1 to the renovation of the embrasures1 merlons1 and magazines4 ,the front saps were still perseveringly advanced4 ,sixteen gabions were added to that advancing towards the ,redan2 and the unfilled ones1 lodged the previous night near the little ravine1 were crammed with earth in sand-bags brought from the rear4 ,what was most unusual1 not a shot or shell entered the saps during the darkness1 and freed from this annoyance the workmen added much to the solidity of the trench4 ,no4 #bb was rapidly rising amid the general restorations1 and while the chasms produced by driving shot and bursting shells were being filled up with the readiest contrivances1 the battered magazines stood up with stronger roofs and stouter stanchions4 ,the effect of our fire was visible in the burning of a line-of-battle ship in the harbour1 which threw out sheets of flame of such breadth and intensity1 that the ,russian works were wholly illuminated4 ,its magazines blew up1 one after another1 its shotted guns exploded1 and in time the huge timbers which formed its ribs and walls were burnt to the water's edge4 ,some storehouses on the west side of the dockyard creek also took fire1 and blazed away till they had collapsed into ruins4 ,these calamities did not in the least check the vigour of the besieged2 the usual firing was kept up but with insignificant results4 ,not a man on the left was injured2 and this shows what an outlay of treasure1 endurance1 and courage it costs to take at long ranges a single life4 ,private ,james ,chesterman1 on the right attack1 was wounded slightly4 ,two old acquaintances who had not met for years chanced in the early night1 as the darkness was falling1 to recognize each other in the quarries4 ,each grasped the other's hand1 and while engaged in an animated greeting1 with the warm smile of welcome on their lips1 a round-shot struck off both their heads6 ,the friends were sergeants ,william ,wilson of the corps and ,morrison of the royal artillery4 ,a genuine ,scotchman was ,wilson1 with an accent as provincial as a ,highlander4 ,thick-set1 well knit1 and athletic1 he was formed for the hardships of labour4 ,his composure under fire was remarkable2 of danger he knew nothing4 ,among detachments of the corps he was the spirit of the trench1 and moved about the lines and batteries with the same air of tranquillity as in a workshop4 ,as a sapper few were more excellent1 few more apt and bold in situations of difficulty1 peril1 and surprise than he4 ,throughout the siege he scarcely ever missed his turn in the front4 ,if counted up1 it would be found there were not many in the corps who had passed as many months in the trenches as ,wilson4 ,safe and reliable1 he was greatly in requisition by his officers4 ,when new approaches were to be opened or new batteries constructed1 ,wilson1 if not more importantly employed1 was mostly deputed to start them4 ,indeed1 of the execution of many he had the charge1 and the tact he exercised in the arrangement of his working parties was something extraordinary4 ,for many weeks of the concluding operations he was rarely away from the trenches1 and had he lived1 his brilliant services would have put him in the possession of the highest honours it belonged to his class to wear4 ,that non-commissioned officer must have been a valuable public servant1 when testimonies like the following--written under feelings of sorrow and sadness for his loss--became records of his merits3-- 8,i regret much10 wrote ,lieut4-,colonel ,chapman to ,sir ,harry ,jones1 on the #fth1 8to have to report that sergeant ,wilson of the first company royal sappers and miners was killed in the quarries by a round-shot yesterday evening4 8,frequently commended1 and not long ago promoted for his distinguished conduct during the progress of the siege1 this excellent sergeant of sappers has earned the esteem not only of three successive directors of the right attack1 but also of every officer under whom he has done duty4 8,always ready for whatever he might be called upon in the severe weather of last winter2 ever foremost at the point of danger1 he has left to the young soldiers of the corps an example of devotion to the service which they may do well to emulate40 ,this was the opinion of an officer who had a thousand opportunities1 in the different phases of the siege1 of taking the measure of this exemplary non-commissioned officer4 ,a reflex of this commendation found its place in the brigade-orders of the #fth ,september in these words3-- 8,the corps of royal sappers and miners has lost in the late sergeant ,wilson a non-commissioned officer distinguished for his conduct throughout the siege2 ever foremost in danger and respected by the various officers of royal engineers under whom he served in the campaign4 8,such an example is worthy of imitation by the young soldiers of the corps1 whose reputation must always be increased while numbering among its members individuals like the late sergeant ,wilson4 8,by order1 7,signed7 8,e4,f4 ,,bourchier40 ,such was ,wilson4 ----- ,footnote #aie3 #8,nav4 and ,mil4 ,gaz41' ,september #ae1 #ahee4 #ahee4 #fth ,september-#ith ,september4 ,,siege ,,of ,,sebastopol4 ,state of the batteries--,the foremost saps--,repairs to embrasures while opposed by blinding dust driven through the trenches by a fierce wind--,distribution in the trenches--,no4 #bb battery--,final attack of the ,redan and the ,malakoff--,names of the sapper storming party--,their brave and steady demeanour and exertions--,escapes of corporal ,baker--,valour of private ,bowman--,casualties--,continuation of the foremost saps--,daring adventure of corporal ,ross--,his report leads to the bloodless occupation of the ,redan--,conduct of the corps in the siege--,captain ,ewart--,reflections4 ,with no abatement of activity the works progressed on the #fth4 ,the sap on the ,redan had #fj men working in it1 and extra efforts were given to build ,no4 #bb battery on the right4 ,in both attacks there were #eh sappers1 #cb of whom were carpenters4 ,the embrasures were put in as fresh a state as possible2 the platforms were in good condition2 the magazines and traverses tolerably sound1 and even the early batteries1 whose age and decrepitude gave reason to expect their fall1 looked up with more firmness than was warranted by their seared complexion and feebleness4 ,broken and hollowed1 as if water-courses had worn their faces1 the best that could be done was to bolster them up to stand a share of the fire from day to day4 ,sand-bags were filled in great numbers during the night1 and eight sappers cut new embrasures in ,no4 #ac battery1 and patched up its shivered parapets and merlons4 ,forty men of the #adth regiment passed the materials to the sappers1 and exerted themselves with so much spirit that the work was nearly finished4 8,great credit10 says ,captain ,nicholson of the engineers1 8is due to them and also to the sappers who directed them40 ,at eight in the evening #cd sappers were pushed into the right lines1 and #af into those of the left1 who were generally employed in restoring the bombarding batteries1 several of which had been greatly injured during the day2 some of the merlons were also damaged1 and there were gaps in different parts of the revetments4 ,nearly all the repairs and reforms had been executed before the parties quitted at two in the morning4 ,the few embrasures which could not be completed were masked1 to protect the sappers who might be allotted to the work next day4 ,in the fiery sap on the ,redan there were #b sappers and #dj of the #ijth regiment1 by whose exertions twenty-five gabions were added to the trench1 which was1 moreover1 strengthened where necessary1 and backed up with earth4 ,the approach now began to curve to the left1 and thus to form the starting-point of the sixth parallel4 ,the head of the sap turned into an indurated vein1 which1 from the difficulty of moving it1 augmented the fatigues of the men4 ,crowbars and picks driven into chinks partially loosened the rock1 which1 broken up into fragments1 was piled into the parapet4 ,all worked with so much zeal that notice was taken of their services1 and corporal ,john ,wright and private ,bernard ,murray were named to ,general ,simpson for their personal labours and effective superintendence4 ,during its progress a light-ball fell very near the sap1 which exhibited its whole outline4 ,every head was sunk below the revetment in an instant1 and as the flaming compound was speedily extinguished by earth thrown on it from the parapet1 not a man was touched4 ,in the right approach near the little ravine there were two sappers and about #ej men4 ,its prolongation was by flying sap1 but its progress was exceedingly tedious4 ,eleven gabions were staked1 but nine only filled4 ,so true was the work in range1 that the party shelled out had to take refuge in securer trenches1 bringing with it four men wounded4 ,not only had the workmen to bear a direct fire1 and to be disturbed and interrupted by light-balls1 but to suffer from accidents arising from shot and shell rebounding from the hill-side1 and rolling in all their fury into the sap beneath4 ,six sappers in the #ba-;gun battery repaired each an embrasure1 all of which were in a very shattered state4 ,fierce and gusty was the wind at midnight1 collecting the dust and light sand in its vortex1 and blowing it in the faces of the workmen4 ,the trenches were swept as if a hurricane were passing4 ,difficult to hold up against an annoyance of this kind1 the progress made in every direction was1 nevertheless1 satisfactory4 8,i may10 writes ,lieutenant ,ranken1 who was the engineer on duty for the right attack1 8take this opportunity of reporting very favourably of the manner in which the sappers and men employed in repairing the embrasures of the batteries performed their work1 in spite of a high wind and blinding dust20 and ,sir ,harry ,jones1 in seconding the commendation1 thus wrote to the ,commander-in-chief1 8,i should recommend that notice be taken in general orders of the conduct of the sappers and #ijth regiment40 ,on the #gth1 #ee sappers remained a long day of fourteen hours under fire4 ,on the right the linesmen were relieved four times2 on the left twice in the day4 ,the carpenters1 #af in number1 were chosen men under sergeant ,leitch1 the master-carpenter of the right attack1 who had been daily in the trenches from the end of ,june4 ,with energy never before surpassed they laid four gun platforms in ,no4 #bb battery and built there a magazine1 as well as one in the quarries for small-arm ammunition4 ,in the following night there was a similar force of sappers at work1 who1 having had an ample supply of sand-bags and gabions1 made good all the breaches in the embrasures and parallels4 ,accustomed to encounter danger1 they worked steadily and manfully1 as if the point of hazard and duty were the place of safety4 ,the distribution of the workmen on the right attack was as follows3-- ,sappers4 ,line4 ,no4 #bb battery #d #fj ,magazine in quarries #a #aj ,fifth parallel #f #afj ,repairing embrasures #ad #gj ,sap on ,redan #d #hj ---- ------ ,total #bi #chj ---- ------ ,the working party and sappers on the left1 were confined in great part to the bombarding batteries4 ,no4 #bb battery was completed during the night1 its embrasures opened1 ramps cut and guns brought into it2 but this formation1 pushed on with so much zeal1 was never armed4 ,near ,egerton's pit it stood1 the creation of many hours' strenuous toil1 as impotent as a ruin4 ,the sap leading to the ,redan was improved in cover by heaping sand-bags on the gabions4 ,it had been run out about #fjj feet1 and stopped #aig yards from the salient4 ,as far as it went it was complete1 and banquettes were built along its length as also in the fifth parallel for sharpshooters4 ,a hundred men of the ,highland brigade built the steps1 of old casks1 broken gabions1 and fascines1 under private ,george ,harvey1 whose spirit and steadiness never relaxed for the eighteen hours he was on trench duty4 ,nothing was left undone to be ready for an attack1 which it was arranged should take place the following morning4 ,next day--#hth ,september--#ag sappers and #ej men of the infantry were in the left works1 mending the breaches as they occurred in battery and trench2 and one man of the corps was wounded4 ,no working party was given for the night attack1 as the assault on the ,redan by the ,english1 and the ,malakoff by the ,french1 was ordered to take place at midday4 ,a number of scaling ladders had been carried to the sap approaching the salient during the preceding night1 and all the engineering details for the storming were fully prepared by daybreak4 ,for the assault a column from the second and light division was formed as under3-- ,men4 ,covering party #bjj-- to keep down the fire from the enemy's embrasures4 ,armed party #cbj-- to carry and place ladders1 with #ba sappers under ,lieut4 ,ranken1 ,r4,e4 ,main body of assault #ajjj ,armed working party #bjj-- with entrenching tools under ,captain ,sedley1 ,r4,e41 to follow when a lodgment had been effected4 ,supports #aejj ,gunners #bj-- under an officer with spikes to spike guns1 or turn them if necessary4 ,additional supports #cjjj-- drawn up in #crd parallel1 in communication with the ,french right attack1 and in the middle ravine4 ,the whole were under the command of ,lieutenant-,general ,sir ,william ,codrington and ,major-,general ,markham1 but the storming party was directed by ,brigadier-,general ,windham4 ,sir ,harry ,jones1 the chief engineer1 though suffering from an attack of sciatica1 and barely recovered from his wound1 was borne to the sap on a litter to witness the assault4 ,three days' incessant firing had considerably injured the enemy's works1 and loosened the whole fabric of the lines2 but the guns of the ,redan and various batteries1 peeping from beneath strong rope mantlets1 triply plied and tarred1 were still serviceable4 ,the apertures through which the missiles were disgorged--small as possible for the purpose--were further blinded by a tarred rope disc matted round the muzzle of the gun just in front of the trunnions1 which interposed between the sight of the ,english riflemen in the trenches and the unseen gunners in the ,redan4 ,ragged and deformed as were the batteries1 they1 nevertheless1 bore up with veteran fronts1 and as but few of the ,russian artillery were silent1 it was expected that the resistance would be obstinate4 ,at twelve o'clock the ,french1 emerging from their saps--which were about #bj yards from the edge of the ,malakoff ditch--bounded into the tower and the little ,redan4 ,with a display of heroism which befitted their ancient prestige they captured the ,malakoff2 but though the little ,redan was penetrated by a portion of the column1 it was met by a solid mass of the enemy1 which sprang on the allies with a fierceness so irresistible it was in vain they contended2 and a few minutes more saw them hastily retreating to their lines4 ,meanwhile the attack on the tower proceeded with desperate violence4 ,few struggles for triumph were more determined and terrific4 ,at last the ,malakoff was won2 but the achievement cost a shuddering sacrifice of the best troops of the ,emperor4 ,now came the signal for the ,english to advance4 ,when the column knew that the ,french had conquered1 excitement was at its highest1 and eager to show how the ,redan could be captured1 the skirmishers vaulted unexpectedly over the parapet from the advance saps before the party with the ladders had time to debouch from the head of the trench4 ,this was an anxious moment for ,lieutenant ,ranken4 ,equal1 however1 to the difficulty1 he run out the sappers1 carrying crowbars1 axes1 and a few intrenching tools1 with all speed to the front1 and flew on with the foremost ladders under a close fire of musketry and grape4 ,the distance between the gorge of the sap and the ditch at the salient was #aig yards1 and in striding on with the ladders across the open slope many a brave man fell4 ,nevertheless there was no halting1 for the stormers were selected for the duty on account of their approved courage2 and the column pressed on to the abbattis1 which was instantly trodden down or pulled aside by the foremost men with as much ease as if the boughs had been faggots of sticks4 ,through the gaps the assailants pushed1 followed unswervingly by the leading ladders1 each #bd feet long1 which were quickly planted against the counterscarp of the ditch1 the height of which was barely #ae feet4 ,the first one was planted by sergeant ,leitch and private ,harris1 and the latter was the first man to descend by it into the ditch4 ,scrambling down1 many tumbling headlong from the surge behind and many more in the heat of desire jumping into the moat1 the stormers quickly tossed the ladders across to the escarp1 up which ascended a stream of daring fellows into the body of the work4 ,so skilfully were the ladders placed around the salient1 that the troops in sinking into the ditch or climbing into the ,redan were but little exposed to the flanking fire of its faces4 ,the first portions of the column moved on steadily to the attack1 but succeeding parties running to the head of the sap were so blown1 they waited for a few minutes to recover breath4 ,this done1 they started in fitful batches1 assailed by a withering mitraille4 ,no longer in the orderly formations which characterize the battle-field1 the troops in independent groups or sections reached the ditch1 where1 swelling around the salient1 they dived into the foss1 and ascended or descended the ladders1 as the events in the ,redan fed their courage or starved their ardour4 ,general ,windham1 whose valour and marvellous escapes on that day have astonished ,europe1 made his way into the place with some #hj or #ajj men1 but such was the virulence of the fire1 such the carnage1 a few only of the bold men who had had the temerity to mount the parapet could be induced1 though the ,general himself walked amid the deadly storm1 to rush from the traverse behind which they had shielded themselves4 ,meanwhile the sappers1 one of whom was appointed to every two ladders1 after assisting to rear them in the most secure and advantageous situations1 were collected by ,lieutenant ,ranken and set to work to form a practicable entrance into the ,redan by means of a ramp4 ,wherever else their discipline failed1 here it was perfect2 and not a pulse of fear seemingly beat in any breast4 ,earth for the ascent was tumbled from the parapet above by a few of the party4 ,harris was the foremost sapper4 ,under a horrible fire he bravely tried to dig himself down behind the escarp revetment in order to push the gabions into the ditch1 but the soil had been so strongly tamped1 and was otherwise so solid with shot and shell which had poured into it from the breaching batteries that he gave up the attempt1 and employed himself in efforts which1 though they promised less1 were in the end more certain of success4 ,at this time there was only one shovel with the party2 the few intended to come up with it had failed through casualties and accident4 ,the hulk of the tools were with the lodgment party still in rear4 ,much depended on the use of this one shovel1 but it was soon shattered to atoms in the hands of the workman1 private ,oldham4 ,the earth was now literally pushed from the parapet1 and a rough incline in a few minutes was executed4 ,so easy indeed was the ascent by this simple means1 that the stormers rushed up the slope1 steep and yielding as it was1 in preference to climbing the ladders4 ,as the workmen1 waiting for the signal to advance had not yet come up1 ,lieutenant ,ranken now appointed his sappers1 aided by a few men of the assaulting column1 to throw up a breastwork to the left of the salient across the ditch1 to counteract the raking fire of the enemy4 ,well was it that the moat was only eight feet broad4 ,had it been a yard or two more the service might have been attended with a sacrifice of life appalling to contemplate4 ,gabions and fascines and boughs of trees and small rough timbers which had been used as binders by the ,russians1 were torn by some strong and impetuous sappers from the face and crest of the counterscarp to form the caponnire4 ,earth too was thrown on the rising mound from the parapets above1 and the gabions1 by extraordinary zeal1 were loaded with sand and stones dislodged from the revetment and grubbed up from the bed of the ditch4 ,in this way partial cove was obtained1 but it was yet too shallow to protect the troops from the sharp peals of musketry which poured up the foss4 ,for about twenty minutes the work was persevered in when the impossibility of proceeding1 temporarily suspended its progress4 ,by this time a working party of fifty men of the #ggth regiment arrived4 ,no signal for advancing had been given to them1 for the almost hopeless state of affairs in the ,redan did not warrant the step2 but corporal ,baker1 a trustworthy sapper of known intrepidity and judgment1 properly anticipating there would be occasion for the services of a working party1 led the detachment to the salient1 and driving into the ditch was soon engrossed in the construction of a caponnire across its bottom1 a little on the right of the salient4 ,while these engineering details were being stubbornly executed1 the troops in the ,redan1 vainly waiting for two hours to seize an opportunity to dash into the town1 many falling in the stand they had made around the traverse1 commenced the retreat4 ,with it retired the working party1 the ladder-men and sappers2 and in passing the open--till the gorge of the foremost sap was reached--so hot was the fire upon the repulsed stormers1 that the ground was covered with slaughtered hundreds4 ,the names of the storming party of sappers were-- ,company4 ,sergeant ,peter ,leitch #bnd --wounded severely in the head4 ,corporal ,james ,curgenven #ajth #bnd corporal ,david ,s4 ,osment #ast ,lance-corporal ,william ,baker #gth ,private ,john ,stephens #ast 0 ,david ,boyd #ast 0 ,william ,bennett #ast 0 ,peter ,delany #ast 0 ,thomas ,whyte #ast 0 ,david ,carswell #ast --wounded dangerously in the head1 died #ahth ,september1 #ahee4 0 ,john ,t4 ,harris #bnd 0 ,samuel ,hammett #bnd --wounded by grape-shot in left leg1 and while hobbling back to the #ba-;gun battery1 was killed in the trenches by a round-shot1 which carried away his head4 0 ,james ,broad #gth 0 ,james ,aitcheson #gth --wounded slightly in the right arm4 0 ,christopher ,digweed #ith 0 ,john ,whitford #ith 0 ,william ,clark #ith 0 ,john ,oldham #ith 0 ,john ,wotherspoon #ajth 0 ,peter ,ruthven #ajth 0 ,robert ,garrett #ajth 8,the sappers10 writes ,lieutenant ,ranken1 8all behaved well and exerted themselves in carrying out my orders to the best of their power40 ,he then proceeds1 8,i beg especially to call your attention to the conduct of sergeant ,leitch who was wounded1 and corporal ,curgenven who1 with privates ,harris and ,wotherspoon were up with the leading ladders and who worked hard in pulling down gabions and placing and filling them according to my instructions1 and of lance-corporal ,baker who came up subsequently with the working party of the #ggth1 and who showed coolness1 zeal1 and activity in executing my orders40 ,singular were the escapes of corporal ,baker4 ,a musket-ball passed through his cap carrying it a few yards in his rear1 and another bullet knocking both heads out of his water-bottle struck him in the hip as if a stone had been thrown at him4 ,had it not been that his canteen was full of water1 the ball in all probability would have inflicted a dangerous wound4 ,it is not often that men who have but little hope of distinction before them1 voluntarily undertake a supererogatory service1 in venturing which is likely to subject them to the penalties of martial law4 ,such however was the case with private ,john ,bowman of the first company who was of great height and strength1 intrepid and useful4 ,he had been sentry over the tools in the quarries2 but when the signal for the advance was given he quitted his post without orders4 ,in passing to the front he saw ,captain ,sedley of the engineers in the fifth parallel severely wounded4 ,tendering his assistance he placed his strong arm round the body of the captain and holding him up by the waist-belt supported him to the rear1 where he left him in care of a few men who bore him to the camp4 ,impatient to share in the assault1 he now ran through the trenches1 and on his way to the ,redan accoutred himself with the arms and appointments of a slain linesman4 ,with all haste he joined ,lieutenant ,ranken and ascended the parapet1 where1 after firing for a time and throwing heavy stones with his strong arm at any ,russians who dared to show themselves2 he was killed4 ,he fell on the crest of the work and then pitched headlong into the ditch followed by a mass of earth which crushed him beneath it4 ,that so few casualties occurred among the sappers of the storming party is attributable to the manner in which ,lieutenant ,ranken directed the placement of the ladders4 ,more serious however were the casualties in the batteries and parallels4 ,those struck in the trenches were-- ,lance-corporal ,john ,fulton#aif--wounded severely in the left hand by the splinter of a shell1 whilst in the fifth parallel4 ,private ,william ,brine--killed in front of the #ba-;gun battery4 ,was struck in both arms1 and also disembowelled4 0 ,edward ,lewis--right arm shot off--amputation was performed in the trenches1 and repeated a few days after in the camp4 ,died #ahth ,september4 0 ,john ,gregory--wounded dangerously in the back4 ,died #agth ,sept4 0 ,jesse ,head--wounded severely in the back4 ,the assault having failed1 ,captain ,montagu1 who was in command of the royal engineer department for the day1 employed in the afternoon the sappers and working party at his disposal1 in continuing the right advance sap in the direction of a rifle pit which this day's operations had embraced in the ,british circumvallation4 ,so wearied and stricken were the ,russians by their exertions and losses that they permitted the approach to proceed unmolested4 ,in the night of the #hth no sappers were told off to the left attack1 but thirty-six non-commissioned officers and men were distributed to the lines on the right4 ,three sappers in charge of one hundred men of the #dbnd ,highlanders were thrown into the right advanced sap and prolonged it by staking and filling one hundred gabions1 in which they were only slightly interrupted by the enemy4 ,the remainder of the brigades and working parties bustling among the parallels and batteries1 repaired the embrasures1 merlons1 and platforms4 ,corporal ,john ,ross was in charge of a party mending the embrasures of the quarry battery4 ,while these services were in progress fires broke out in several places in ,sebastopol1 and magazines blew up which cast at intervals over the doomed fortress a dismal glare of illumination1 which was again deadened by clouds of thick smoke hanging heavily in the air4 ,conceiving that these were the throes of a general wreck1 indications in fact of the desperation with which the enemy was resigning his stronghold1 corporal ,john ,ross who has more than once been noticed for his bravery at the siege1 went forward to test the accuracy of his surmises and search for two missing sappers who had been left behind in the retreat4 ,it was a beautiful night1 mild and starlight4 ,four or five explosions had just taken place1 which in the corporal's view were ominous of the grave events transpiring in the fortress4 ,as it was not usual to interfere with the sappers in the trenches go where they would1 ,ross had no trouble to pass the pickets and sentries in the fifth parallel1 and a few more paces found him in the last approach4 ,an artillery officer was there looking earnestly over the parapet1 but the corporal moved silently along stepping over the bodies of the wounded1 who in numbers had crawled into the trench after the failure4 ,inquiring hastily whether they had observed any ,russian pickets lately1 he was told they had been withdrawn early in the night4 8,have you seen any wounded sapper lying outside80 he asked4 8,one straight to the front under the abattis10 was the reply of an infantry man who had witnessed his struggles4 ,with this information ,ross went on4 ,it was about a quarter-past twelve o'clock when he issued from the outlet of the sap and directed his course to the ,redan4 ,the dead were strewn thickly on the open1 and the wounded were writhing helplessly4 ,when near the abattis another mine was sprung in the fortress4 ,ross stopped1 for the coolest minds in extreme danger hesitate to make an useless venture4 ,the bursting of magazines and the blowing up of forts and fortifications impressed him with the necessity of caution2 and lying still in a momentary reverie1 he was again shook into activity by falling stones from the explosions4 ,on his hands and knees over torn ground1 cannon balls1 fragments of shells1 and decomposing remains1 he crept noiselessly on4 ,under the abattis he found his comrade private ,carswell and a sergeant of the rifles4 ,the meeting in such a spot was hurried1 but as cordial as friendship and imminent hazard could make it4 ,a few interrogatories and answers were interchanged which verified the report relative to the withdrawal of the ,russian outposts4 8,that's well10 said ,ross1 calmly4 8,i'm going into the ,redan1 and if all goes right ,i shall be back directly and have you taken to camp40 ,with them ,ross left his flask of rum and water1 and moved away4 8,thanks--,god speed you60 reached his ears in whispers as he glided ahead cheered by the hope that ,providence1 which had hitherto miraculously saved him from hurt or harm1 would extend to him in this adventure the same gracious protection4 ,as the distance between him and the fortress lessened his daring increased1 and without a tremor to disturb the firmness of his purpose1 he found himself at the brink of the ditch4 ,for a short time he lay and listened4 ,russians might have been there plundering the dead and alarming the dying1 but not a soul was astir4 ,hearing nothing but the groans of the wounded1 he slid into the foss1 clambered up the escarp by the ramp made during the storming1 and entered the jaws of a broken embrasure on the right of the salient of the ,redan4 ,the gun was there but no artillerymen4 ,yet he pressed his ear in the direction of the interior to discover1 if possible1 the footsteps of the gunners or the sound of voices4 ,all was silent1 and with a burglar's creep1 soft and wary but determined1 he gained the neck of the aperture4 ,at either side he looked1 but nothing started up to show that the batteries were occupied4 ,he looked ahead with straining eyes and onwards2 still1 nothing could he see but huge broken works1 and streams of light shooting from burning buildings4 ,all indeed was quiet save the crackling timbers in the distance1 the booming of mines and the falling of houses4 ,the ,redan1 that furnace of the siege1 was indeed deserted and desolate6 ,being alone and unarmed ,ross did not descend into the place to invite a conflict with concealed prowlers2 and so after keeping watch for a few minutes in the withered embrasure1 he quitted the opening while tongues of lurid flame jetting from clouds of heavy smoke1 enabled him to pick his way from the battery without treading on wounded men struggling in dissolution4 ,charged with the possession of important intelligence he ran across the open1 recovering himself with strange celerity as he dropped into shell holes or tripped against obstacles that encumbered the ground2 and moving with almost winged haste to the engineer hut1 he reported1 about a quarter to one o'clock1 the result of his self-imposed mission to ,captain ,de ,moleyns of the engineers4 ,the ,redan evacuated6 ,this was news indeed1 and the captain with a young subaltern1 ,lieutenant ,dumaresq1 strode away to authenticate by a personal visit to the ,redan the corporal's report4 ,he was also accompanied by sergeant ,landrey1 corporal ,ross and a few sappers1 who were joined in the fifth parallel by some men of the line4 ,on the way the corporal pointed out his wounded comrade and the rifleman4 ,over the first ,ross placed his greatcoat1 and ,lieutenant ,dumaresq took off his peacoat and spread it over the sergeant2 at the same time a few of the privates were despatched to the trenches for stretchers4 ,the little band now shot on briskly to the salient4 ,ross and a line sergeant were in front4 ,when the ditch was gained the party pushed into it1 and quickly ascending the escarp by the ramp1 they drove through an embrasure into the interior1 where1 seeing a ,russian1 the sergeant of the line sprang on him1 and seized him as his prisoner4 ,no time was lost by the officers in making a reconnaissance of the place2 all sorts of dimensions were taken and a mental inventory of its peculiarities treasured up4 ,between five and ten minutes the adventurers were in the body of the work1 and as explosions were going off every few minutes1 the debris from which was falling on them1 it was considered wise to return4 ,ross brought away with him two ,russian musquets1 the first trophies from the ,redan4 ,with a generosity equal to his bravery he gave one to ,captain ,de ,moleyns and the other to ,lieutenant ,dumaresq4 ,on the way back the party sought the wounded men1 and as the stretchers had not arrived1 ,ross bore away poor ,carswell and ,landrey the rifle sergeant4 ,of the gallant demeanour of these non-commissioned officers1 ,captain ,de ,moleyns spoke commendably4 ,the corporal's report1 first received with incredulity1 was now satisfactorily affirmed1 and ,general ,simpson1 who had intended to renew the assault at daybreak1 gave orders for the re-occupation of the place4 ,at the dawn of the #ith the troops marched unchecked into the ,redan and took possession of the two towns which the enemy had evacuated4#aig 8,throughout this long and arduous siege10 wrote ,sir ,harry ,jones on the #ith1 8the royal sappers and miners have invariably performed the duties required of them in a highly satisfactory manner4 ,many have been conspicuous for their bravery and coolness under fire4 ,their names ,i brought under the notice of the ,commander of the ,forces1 who was pleased to reward them according to the nature of the case4 8,the duties of the ,adjutant to the royal sappers and miners10 adds the ,general1 8have been very efficiently performed by ,captain ,ewart1 who has devoted his best energies to the men40 ,in the order issued by the ,commander-in-,chief1 when the occupation of the ,redan had become a settled event1 occurs this passage3-- 8,general ,simpson avails himself of this opportunity to congratulate and convey his warmest thanks to the general officers1 officers1 and soldiers of the several divisions1 to the royal engineers and artillery1 for their cheerful endurance of almost unparalleled hardships and sufferings1 and for the unflinching courage and determination which1 on so many trying occasions1 they have evinced40 ,so ended a conflict carried through a period of #ccg days made up of a freezing winter and a wasting summer4 ,the trenches were nearly nine miles long1 and counted #bb batteries on the right and #bj on the left1 which1 for the final assault1 were armed with #aaf guns and #he mortars4 ,in the formation of the works no less than #bj1jjj gabions1 #d1jjj fascines1 #cdj1jjj sand-bags1 #g1dac bread-bags1 and a hundred different extemporized expedients had been employed to give them shape and solidity4 ,some of them were of colossal magnitude and master-pieces of field art4 ,rearing such formidable structures in rocky ground1 amid hardships and catastrophes1 harassed by sorties1 surprises1 and alarms1 and opposed by tempests of shell and shot1 grape1 canister1 and ,minis1 were exploits of toil and constancy1 the lustre of which can never be lessened by any example which history may offer as a parallel2 and when it is considered that the works were run up by men overworked and wearied1 oppressed by sickness1 privation1 and difficulties1 and carried on in the presence of an enemy teeming with numbers1 inspired by religious fanaticism1 and protected by a stupendous array of works backed by an arsenal exhaustless in siege appliances1 in artillery1 and the engines of war1 a day may come when it will be the fashion of the world to speak less of the military achievements of old ,greece and ,rome1 but more of those of ,england and ,france4 ----- ,footnote #aif3 ,when lying wounded1 sergeant-major ,jamieson passed him4 8,well1 sergeant-major10 said he1 holding up his shattered hand1 8this will ruin ,chelsea ,hospital60 meaning1 in a satirical sense1 that the extravagant pension he would receive would throw the hospital into a state of insolvency4 ,he was discharged from the corps with a pension of eightpence a-day4 ,footnote #aig3 ,sir ,harry ,jones1 in his report of the #ith ,september1 thus wrote of the corporal's exploit3--8,general ,simpson determined to renew the assault at daybreak the following morning1 but during the night a corporal of sappers conceiving that the enemy had retired from the ,redan1 crept forward and ascertained such to be the case2 as soon as this information was received1 orders were sent to re-occupy the ,redan40 #ahee4 ,,sebastopol4 #ith ,september1 #ahee-bhth ,january1 #ahef4 ,statistics--,andrew ,anderson--,misconduct of the sappers--,non-commissioned officers and men who received honours1 appointments1 or commissions for their gallantry or useful services--,sergeant ,samuel ,cole--,field electric telegraph--,private ,fox taken prisoner--,exploring the batteries for machines and electric wires--,commence batteries near ,fort ,paul--,sappers removed to the ,karabelnaia--,reinforcements from ,gibraltar and ,england--,driver troop to ,scutari--,sapper quarters in the docks--,huts--,companies attached to divisions of the army--,expedition to ,kinbourn--,marshal ,pelissier's acknowledgment of services of the sappers attached to it--,sir ,william ,codrington assumes the command of the army--,explosion of the great ,french magazine--,exertions of tenth company in arresting the fire--,gallantry in preserving the ,inkermann magazine mill--,and removing live shells from the vicinity of the flames--,construction of a magazine for small-arm ammunition--,stone bridge over the middle ravine--,barrel causeway across its swampy bottom--,another reinforcement from ,england4 ,the siege concluded1 it may not be amiss to afford a statistical recapitulation of matters connected with the contest which concern the royal sappers and miners4 ,from the commencement of the campaign nine companies were sent to ,turkey and the ,crimea1 as also small parties for especial services4 ,some of the companies served for a period in the unhealthy region of ,varna1 and detachments were employed on the ,danube1 at ,bucharest1 and in ,circassia4 ,the united sapper force despatched to the ,east up to the #ith ,september1 #ahee1 counted a total of #ice non-commissioned officers1 privates1 and buglers4 ,of this number #hhg reached the ,crimea1 the remainder being retained in ,bulgaria1 ,scutari1 and ,gallipoli for particular services1 or on account of sickness which invalided them to ,england4 ,the casualties were as follows3-- ,men4 ,killed in the trenches #cg ,died of wounds #ah ,wounded severely1 who survived #db ,wounded slightly #fa #ajc ,perished by drowning #f ,frozen to death #a ,died from frostbite #d ,found dead #b ,missing1 supposed to have perished #c ,died from cholera1 diarrha1 c4 #aeb ------ ,total #bbc ------ ,those invalided amounted to #aai non-commissioned officers and men1 of whom #d died in this country and many were discharged1 one of whom1 private ,a4 ,mc,connell1 had lost his feet from frost-bite4 ,out of a force of #ice of all ranks there were therefore #dde casualties4 ,none of the corps were killed or wounded at the ,alma1 ,balaklava1 or ,inkermann4 ,with the exception of a proportion of those who died from cholera1 all the rest of the casualties occurred in the ,crimea4 ,nearly all the men that were wounded were struck1 strangely enough1 on the right side4 ,the men drowned were wrecked in the ,black ,sea during the storm of the #adth ,november1 #ahed4 ,private ,james ,deacon was frozen to death2 corporal ,thomas ,leonard1 lance-corporal ,joseph ,gordon1 and privates ,jonas ,cole and ,john ,porter died from frost-bite2 those found dead were privates ,a4 ,anderson#aih and ,john ,c4 ,guy2 and those missing were privates ,thomas ,callaghan1 ,john ,g4 ,williams and ,james ,thomas4 ,the two former were lost after the battle of the ,alma4 ,suffering from cholera and unable to march--one on the banks of that stream and the other on the ,katcha--they were left behind to embark for ,scutari1 and most probably perished in some miserable nook on the ,kalamitean shore4 ,thomas was sent an invalid from the camp to ,balaklava on the #bnd ,november1 #ahed1 and is supposed to have been nipped by the frost1 and died away from the track of men from cold and exhaustion4 ,a strict but fruitless search was set afoot to ascertain their unhappy fate4 ,four privates of the corps deserted from its ranks in the ,crimea1 but none of them entered the service of the enemy4 ,intrusted as the sappers were with important duties1 and its privates even invested with authority in the trenches1 it may occasion surprise that the self-respect arising from these circumstances did not check them from the commission of gross delinquencies4 ,like their brothers in arms1 too many of them fell by similar temptations1 and the inordinate use of strong drinks--an habitual and disgusting practice with several--subjected a large catalogue of offenders to that description of disgrace which the enlightened humanity of the country had1 after years of agitation1 reduced to a few stripes4 ,it was found one of the chief difficulties of command to arrest the pitch to which the vice had risen1 and ,colonel ,gordon tried the effect of a monthly expos4 ,after showing that for three months ending #cjth ,november out of an average force of #fhg non-commissioned officers and men no less than #aa in every #ajj per month had been awarded punishments of various kinds1 he thus wrote in his orders of the #crd ,december1 #ahee3--8,such a record would bring shame on any corps on home service4 ,in the field it brings positive disgrace on the royal sappers and miners4 ,till the flood of drunkenness has abated10 continued the ,colonel1 8and there remains no longer a necessity of recording our disgrace as a means of helping to remove it1 a similar return to the above will be published monthly40 ,and what was the result8 ,the habit of intoxication still went on2 and in ,march1 #ahef1 when the last account was published1 the number of instances of drunkenness out of a strength of #gff of all ranks had swelled to #af in every #ajj men per month1 or #d daily1 on the whole strength4 ,a public charge like this it would have been unjust to suppress2 and though the light it affords is rather a lurid one1 it may still serve as a beacon to avoid1 in future1 the shoals of excess1 and lead to the improvement which the stern confessions of history are intended to effect4 ,though the truth is stated1 there is no ground for supposing that the corps was more addicted to intemperance than other troops4 ,its offences had been recorded with almost conscientious scrupulousness2 and if in other regiments the same strictness has been followed1 a comparison1 could such be instituted1 would not yield a result unfavourable to the sappers4 ,as a rider to these frailties1 let it be repeated how heroic was the general demeanour of the men in the batteries and trenches4 ,in the order alluded to occur these sentiments3--8,colonel ,gordon has great satisfaction in knowing there are plenty of men who have nobly done their duty in the field1 and who have conducted themselves well amidst the prevailing drunkenness4444 ,great is their merit4 ,their good example is more than ever required1 and ,colonel ,gordon thanks them2 and he begs them to persevere in upholding the reputation of the corps40 ,these pages testify to many individual cases4 ,not a few were rewarded with pecuniary grants2 many received promotion1 and a chosen number received medals and honours for their gallant services before ,sebastopol4 ,those upon whom were bestowed medals for 8distinguished service in the field10 accompanied by gratuities1 were3-- ,colour-sergeant ,henry ,mc,donald annuity of #bjl4 a-year4 0 ,alexander ,m4 ,mc,leod gratuity of #ael4 ,corporal ,samuel ,cole#aii 0 #ajl4 #bnd corporal ,john ,paul 0 #ajl4 0 ,william ,trimble 0 #ajl4 ,lance-corporal ,joseph ,t4 ,collins 0 #el4 0 ,william ,jenkins 0 #el4 0 ,charles ,rinhy 0 #el4 ,private ,william ,harvey 0 #el4 0 ,william ,orr 0 #el4 0 ,william ,bruce 0 #el4 0 ,alexander ,mc,caughey 0 #el4 0 ,james ,moncur 0 #el4 0 ,neil ,mc,innes 0 #el4 0 ,andrew ,fairservice 0 #el4 ,those who obtained the ,french military war medal 8for valour and discipline10 were3-- ,colour-sergeant ,kester ,knight4 ,sergeant ,john ,mc,murphy4 ,corporal ,john ,ross4 0 ,robert ,hanson4 0 ,william ,j4 ,lendrim4 #bnd corporal ,walter ,conning4 ,private ,john ,perie4 ,the non-commissioned officers created ,knights of the ,imperial ,order of the ,legion of ,honour of ,france by the ,emperor ,napoleon ,,iii41 as a mark of ,his ,imperial ,majesty's approbation of their distinguished services before the enemy during the war1 were3-- ,colour-sergeant ,henry ,mc,donald4 0 ,john ,landrey4 0 ,kester ,knight4 0 ,george ,jarvis4 0 ,peter ,leitch4 0 ,joseph ,j4 ,stanton4 ,sergeant ,john ,paul4 0 ,samuel ,cole4 ,corporal ,joseph ,t4 ,collins4 ,those decorated by ,her ,majesty with the ,victoria ,cross for acts of bravery performed by them before the enemy1 were3-- ,corporal ,john ,ross4 0 ,william ,j4 ,lendrim4 ,private ,john ,perie4 ,noted for their care and intelligence in the discharge of difficult and trying duty1 the following non-commissioned officers1 recommended by ,sir ,harry ,jones1 were appointed by ,lord ,panmure to be conductors of engineer stores1 with the salaries affixed to their names4 ,colour-sergeant ,george ,pringle #ajjl4 a-year4 0 ,alexander ,m4 ,mc,leod #ijl4 0 ,sergeant ,william ,dickson #hjl4 0 ,colour-sergeant ,benjamin ,castledine #hjl4 0 0 ,george ,wohlmann #gjl4 0 ,to hold these non-combatant situations1 they were1 so to speak1 seconded1 and retained possession of their regimental allowances2 but when no longer required for the appointments1 they fell back into their old ranks in the corps4 ,sergeant ,william ,sargent1 who from the first had been employed as a military foreman1 in carrying out the works at ,constantinople and other places on the ,bosphorus1 was discharged from the sappers1 and confirmed as a civil foreman of works in the royal engineer department4 ,and to this list must be added the names of non-commissioned officers who were commissioned by ,her ,majesty into the ,land ,transport ,corps4 ,they were-- ,colour-sergeant ,james ,falkner#bjj 0 ,john ,landrey 0 ,james ,spry as ,cornets4 0 ,george ,wohlmann 0 ,cornelius ,godfrey 0 ,william ,lambert as ,quartermaster4 ,when the honour was conferred on the first two sergeants1 ,colonel ,gordon of the engineers thus alluded to it in his brigade orders of the #ast ,december1 #ahee1 8,these are the first non-commissioned officers of sappers who have been rewarded with commissions for their good and distinguished conduct in the field4 ,having contributed by good conduct and gallant bearing to raise the reputation of the corps of royal sappers and miners1 they carry with them to the honourable positions to which they have been raised1 the best wishes of ,colonel ,gordon and of all the corps under his command40 ,the roll of non-commissioned officers and men who deserved substantial appreciation for their merits might have been extended ad infinitum1 but the distinctions offered by the ,government and the ,french ,emperor were confined to the limits which these few paragraphs detail4 ,here may be a fit place to allude to an institution of the war1 suggested by ,major-,general ,wylde1 which was found an important auxiliary to the army4 ,the field electric telegraph1 used for the first time in any campaign1 came first into operation a few months after the great storm of ,november1 #ahed1 and was placed under the direction of ,lieutenant ,stopford4 ,from him it passed1 in the early summer1 to ,captain ,f4 ,du ,cane1 and in ,september1 #ahee1 to ,lieutenant ,fisher1 ,captain ,du ,cane having been compelled to relinquish it on account of ill health4 ,by degrees the ramification of the lines extended to eight stations1 each connected with the other by under-ground wires1 laid in furrows about eighteen inches deep1 and afterwards covered up4 ,the several lines made up an aggregate length of nearly #bd miles of current4 ,the stations were at ,head-quarters1 ,kasatch1 the ,monastery1 ,engineer park1 ,right attack1 ,light division1 ,kadikoi1 and ,balaklava4 ,various obstacles occurred to delay the establishment of the stations1 such as snow storms1 hard frosts1 and heavy rains2 the failure of the plough to dig the trenches in which to deposit the wires1 and the consequent resort to the employment of working parties1 already weakened by overwork1 insufficient diet1 a dreadful winter1 and unnumbered hardships and trials4 ,these1 however1 at length1 were to some extent overcome2 and the first telegraphic communication was opened between ,lord ,raglan's head-quarters and ,kadikoi1 a distance of three miles1 on the #gth ,march4 ,other stations opened in quick succession1 and that formed in one of the caves between the two first parallels of the right and left attacks commenced work on the #hth ,april1 #ahee4 ,the offices were the purest make-shifts--the strongest contrasts possible to the stately establishments of home4 ,those of the engineer park and light division were in bell tents2 that near ,st4 ,george's ,monastery was at an inn which1 when the monks were the occupants of that isolated cloister1 formed a sort of refectory for those abstemious celibates4 ,four others were in huts1 and the last was in a small cave in the ,woronzoff ravine1 partially protected from a daily fire by a traverse of sand-bags4 ,private ,east1 both night and day1 in storm1 rain1 and wasting heat1 occupied alone that dismal recess1 sleeping1 when he could get the chance1 on a shelf of rock4 ,so used indeed had he become to it that few men in camp were more indifferent to comfort1 few less disposed to cavil with disadvantages and hardships than he4 ,until the beginning of ,august the telegraph was exclusively worked by sappers selected from the companies in the ,crimea1 who were taught the use of the instruments and signals by corporal ,peter ,fraser--a pupil of the establishment at ,lothbury4 ,the instruction was necessarily hurried1 but the men proved to be so quick and intelligent that they were ready to commence their novel duties when the first station was opened4 ,as manipulators most of them were very good1 particularly the buglers1 two of whom1 ,john ,filkin and ,william ,algar1 could read sixteen and a half words in a minute6 ,from the single needle instrument1 which was used at all the stations1 this was regarded as a feat in telegraphy1 and probably the best manipulator in ,london would scarcely come up to this test of sharpness of sight and fleetness of reading4 ,two sappers generally were attached to each station1 but two or three corporals and as many buglers attended to the necessities of head-quarters4 ,each office had a single needle instrument1 alarm1 and batteries1 besides a supply of zinc-plates1 acids1 c4 ,the duties of the sappers comprised the manipulation of the instruments1 attending to the batteries1 sending1 receiving1 and writing all messages and despatches2 recording such as required to be noted1 and filing others4 ,though carried on amid the excitements and turmoil inseparable from war1 and the pressure arising from haste and a variety of complicated contingencies and emergencies1 the details of the system1 including the registry1 check1 and examination1 were1 all things considered1 very complete4 ,two orderlies from regiments of the line were allotted to each station to take the messages to their destination2 at the head-quarters there were three4 ,the messages were on every class of subject from the affectionate inquiries of anxious parents and friends to the stern orders for bombardment or assault4 ,nothing that was required to be communicated rapidly--from those who had authoritative access to the offices--was conveyed by any other agency than the field telegraph4 ,all despatches to and from the ,commander-in-chief on matters in which secrecy was essential were in numeral cypher2 all else were couched in brief but expressive ,english4 ,an exposition of all the vouchers and messages which passed in and out of the different offices would form a curious episode in the history of the war4 ,in ,august1 #ahee1 one of the months of the siege in which the cannonading was the hottest1 the number of messages received at head-quarters was #dfd1 and the number sent #djb1 being an average respectively of #ae and #ac a-day4 ,the station in the caves of the ,woronzoff ravine1 which opened on the #hth ,april1 #ahee1 received1 up to the conclusion of the siege1 #afj messages1 or one a-day4 ,to keep on perpetual watch for this singular dispatch was enough to wear out the most exemplary patience2 and when to this tiresome experience was added the miseries of a dank vapoury hole in winter and a broiling furnace in summer1 it may occasion but little wonder that the occupant of the cave was not very remarkable for sobriety4 ,sergeant ,anderson1 the senior non-commissioned officer at the instruments1 was stationed at ,st4 ,george's ,monastery4 ,he received the despatches from ,england through the submarine line from ,varna1 and telegraphed them to head-quarters4 ,in like manner he received those from ,lord ,raglan and the staff1 and also the ,sardinian ,commander-in-chief1 through the head-quarter office1 and conveyed them to the submarine line for communication by way of ,varna to ,england and elsewhere4 ,corporal ,fraser1 the chief telegraphist1 was in charge of the manipulators at the head-quarter office4 ,the extra allowances paid to the sappers for this duty ranged from #as4 to #es4 a-day4 ,those who received the last rate in succession were sergeants ,anderson and ,montgomery and corporal ,fraser4 ,every day the sappers were at the instruments1 and each1 turn about1 continued at work throughout the night4 ,it was1 however1 permitted to the men on night duty to snatch1 if they could1 any intervals which might offer for rest2 and so rolling themselves up in their blankets they commenced a series of forty winks in front of their apparatus4 ,no dependence could be placed on a single minute for tranquillity2 for in all probability just as the sapper had made himself as comfortable as his limited means allowed1 and he was beginning to close his drowsy lids in grateful unconsciousness1 he was again forced to his seat by the alarm bell1 which continued its shrill noise until the disturbed manipulator communicated with the station from whence the ringing originated4 ,this however was barely regarded as a hardship2 but it really amounted to one when the sappers who had been relieved from duty were driven from their slumbers to assist their comrades4 ,delays were inadmissible1 and no inconvenience1 circumstance1 or right of remission from labour1 could be pleaded as an excuse to stave off applications which pressed for communication4 ,disturbances like this occurred as many as three or four times in a night1 and to shake oneself from sleep when nature was well nigh spent for the want of it1 demanded a strength of effort and purpose which few men would be willing to exercise4 ,and yet the operators were seldom indisposed to give their services however unreasonable or litigious were the calls for them4 ,what with constant watching1 the irritating interruptions of sleep1 the tedious care to prevent error1 coupled with the anxieties which each felt for the success of a new and rather tender undertaking1 it is somewhat remarkable that none of the sappers broke down from their vigils and overwork4 ,it not unfrequently happened that the gutta-percha covered wire which carried the electric stream from station to station became broken4 ,the causes were various and even curious4 ,digging in the neighbourhood to find roots for fuel1 or by traffic1 was a common cause of interruption2 burying horses' offal1 c4 was another4 ,often the line was cut by designing men1 who1 having abstracted a few yards of it1 withdrew the wire from its covering and used the hollow gutta-percha tubing for pipe stems6 ,once the current was stopped on the ,kazatch line by the industry of an insidious field mouse4 ,with great difficulty the site of the disconnection was detected1 when baring the line1 it was found that the wire1 which passed through a nest of mice1 was bitten in two by the matron of the haunt4 ,occasionally accidents to the line took place during bombardments by round shot and splinters of shells4 ,not without some trouble were the lines repaired4 ,two interesting instances have already appeared in the narrative4 ,from ,august the telegraph was mutually worked by civilians and sappers4 ,the ,government having sent out a civil superintendent and ten civil telegraph clerks to the ,crimea1 they were added to the staff under ,captain ,du ,cane1 who distributed them to the several stations--one sapper and one civilian to each4 ,the men whose services were thus dispensed with1 and who had assisted to give efficiency by their care and attention to a delicate experiment1 were sent into the trenches4 ,it was a needless arrangement this1 for the sappers at the time were performing the duty with every satisfaction4 ,whatever may have induced the incorporation of the civil element with an undertaking that had been organized and carried out as a military duty1 it is enough to show the interest with which this scientific appendage to the army was held by the ,ministry at home2 and whatever success may have resulted from the combination of the two elements in working the field telegraph1 is due equally to the intelligence and efficiency of each1 but more so to the officers whose anxious superintendence and incessant watchfulness1 gave vigour and all but perfection to the system they devised and directed4 ,in time the entire charge of the field telegraph was confined to the sappers1 and the civilians on being removed joined the submarine branch4 ,the officers who commanded the sappers on this duty have thus spoken of their aptitude and labours3-- ,lieutenant ,stopford writes3 8,the sappers showed great quickness in learning the use of the instrument1 although not one of the men1 except corporal ,fraser1 had any knowledge or indeed had seen the single needle instrument before2 therefore to him is due the credit of teaching all the manipulators4 ,sergeant ,anderson was in charge of the telegraph party and one of the first to learn the use and working of the instrument40 ,when reporting upon the operations generally1 ,captain ,du ,cane commended them for their exertions in these words3 8,i consider great credit is due to the sappers for the prompt manner in which the repairs0--to the wires--8were executed40 ,elsewhere in his report he mentioned1 8that the sappers evinced considerable intelligence in working the telegraph1 and although in one or two instances misconduct occurred1 yet on the whole they discharged their duties in a satisfactory and efficient manner40 8,the working of the telegraph10 says ,lieutenant ,fisher1 8was done in the most satisfactory manner by men of the royal sappers and miners1 many of whom1 more especially the buglers 7four71 showed a very great aptitude for learning the manipulatory process4 ,fifteen of the corps had been wholly initiated in the art1 and10 continues the officer1 8from the great pains taken by corporal ,peter ,fraser in their instruction many of the men and boys have become excellent telegraphists40 ,early in the morning of the #ith two sappers actuated by an inquisitive feeling approached within a short distance of ,fort ,nicholas1 which was still in possession of the enemy4 ,one was a bugler1 the other a private4 ,the latter had armed himself with a ,russian musket4 ,having satisfied their curiosity they were waiting a chance conveyance to take them over to the ,english side of the dock-yard creek4 ,private ,george ,fox descrying a well-laden boat in the distance went in its direction4 ,it pulled towards him1 and the sailors stepping to land courteously gave him a place among them4 ,they turned out to be ,russians1 and ,fox was thus a prisoner of war4 ,after seeing the boat push off and waiting about an hour the bugler returned to camp4 ,rejoining the corps by exchange on the #bfth ,january1 #ahef1 ,fox went into hospital five days after and died on the #adth ,february4 ,worthless as a man from his dissipated habits1 ,colonel ,gordon however placed it on record that he 8was a most valuable sapper in the trenches40 ,he was the only sapper taken prisoner during the war4 ,after the troops had occupied the ,redan1 small parties under ,major ,montagu and ,lieutenant ,lennox of the engineers1 and ,captain ,penn of the royal artillery1 were employed in examining the ground for explosive machines and searching for galvanic wires leading to magazines4 ,several were discovered in different places where it was expected the assailants would enter in storming the works4 ,detachments of sappers1 assisted by working parties and sailors1 commenced on the evening of the #aath the construction of a battery for two ninety-five cwt4 guns on the right of ,st4 ,paul's battery4 ,some little progress had been made in rearing it1 when the work was abandoned4 ,a fortnight later a more extensive battery near the ruins of ,fort ,paul was begun1 for ten guns to sustain a contest with ,fort ,sivernaia on the opposite side of the harbour4 ,it was built in a bakery1 the rear wall having been thrown down1 leaving the under portion of it as a parapet1 while the front wall1 retained as a mask which a few shots would have crumbled into ruins1 concealed the nature of the battery from the enemy4 ,the firing from the northern works was nevertheless pretty brisk1 but harmless1 and the work proceeded steadily4 ,other objects1 however1 being determined on1 the battery1 though its embrasures were partly cut and revetted1 was never armed4 ,in the meantime the eighth company and a detachment of the #crd ,buffs moved into the ,karabelnaia to be employed in the destruction of the docks1 and were quartered in the storehouses of the dockyard1 which being exposed to the ,russian fire from across the water1 was occasionally visited by the intrusion of shot4 ,two or three of these missiles plunged into the barrack-room but providentially not a man was injured by them4 ,demands for men became so urgent as the siege progressed1 that1 while waiting for reinforcements from ,england1 ,gibraltar was called upon to furnish as many sappers as possible from its effective rolls4 ,accordingly on the #bith ,august1 #dh men under ,lieutenant ,cumberland embarked on board the #8,orinoco1' and landed at ,sebastopol six days after its fall4 ,under ,lieutenant ,edwards1 #ea non-commissioned officers and men from ,chatham arrived at ,balaklava in the #8,adelaide' on the #ahth ,september2 and then followed on the #eth ,october1 the disembarkation at ,scutari of the twenty-third company--#ic strong--under ,captain ,siborne4 ,this was the driver troop1 a community of little jockeys1 light in weight and sprightly in action1 whose antecedents as ostlers1 cabbies1 grooms1 and carters1 rendered them so ductile in military equestrianism that1 when inspected at ,woolwich on the #agth ,august by ,sir ,john ,burgoyne1 he pronounced their evolutions and the management of their horses to be very commendable4 ,captain ,siborne had the merit of achieving this proficiency1 as his adjutant did not join the troop until its arrival at ,scutari4 ,eighty-eight horses were sent out in the #8,assistance' steamer with the company1 nine of which were killed before the landing of the drivers4 ,the stations of the troop were at ,haida ,pasha1 ,kulalee1 and ,scutari4 ,the total force despatched to the ,east up to this time counted #a1abg non-commissioned officers and men4 ,late in ,september the eighth company was removed from the docks4 ,a month later the eleventh company was sent to the ,karabelnaia1 and took possession of the same store for a barrack4 ,it was a cold and cheerless fabric1 built on the wharf of the creek4 ,at this time the fire upon it was considerably diminished4 ,two or three companies of the #ahth regiment deputed to work with the sappers occupied quarters in the same range4 ,these were the only troops except the allies quartered1 at one time1 in the dockyard4 ,the ,french miners were cantoned in stores at the ,west end--the ,english sappers at the ,east4 ,in the selection of barracks there was no occasion for national jealousies or bickerings1 for neither district was a ,belgravia2 that of the ,french only possessing the designation without its style or a tithe of its comfort4 ,working from the experience of the previous winter the ,government entered into contracts in the summer for the immediate provision of materials for hutting the army in the ,crimea4 ,for a supply of such magnitude a forest was scarcely sufficient1 and no less than thirty-four vessels of good tonnage were freighted with the residences4 ,between the #cast ,august and #ajth ,october1 all the ships were at sea1 accompanied by #fg non-commissioned officers and men1 chiefly carpenters1 in charge4 ,in the #8,cochrane' only one sapper had embarked1 but in all the rest two each4 ,the first vessels arrived on the #acth ,october luckily when the pressure in front had ceased1 and then followed others in quick succession4 ,second corporal ,r4 ,lewis was appointed under the authority of a general order issuer of huts with an allowance of #bs4 #f;d4 a-day from the #bjth ,october4 ,two of the hutmen did not arrive until about the #cast ,december4 ,between the erection of the huts and the demolition of the docks1 the business of the sappers was principally divided4 ,there were besides many other services which claimed their attention1 such as dismantling the trenches and batteries1 mending the roads1 repairing hospitals1 wharves1 piers1 waggons1 c41 and surveying4 ,a company was attached to each infantry division#bja of the army to attend to its exigencies4 ,it was not however removed from its original hutting ground1 except when the requirements of the division rendered it desirable4 ,as this arrangement necessarily limited the command of the chief engineers in the direction of the energies of the sappers so far as any work not a divisional one was concerned1 an explanatory instruction soon after followed4#bjb ,each company was considered as under the orders of the general commanding the division1 and to preserve that command1 the sappers when wanted for a public duty1 were obtained for its performance on the authority of the commander of the forces communicated to the general officers of the respective divisions4 ,in this way there was no check to the fullest employment of the corps1 and the identification of particular companies with particular divisions was not without advantage4 ,with the allied expedition sent to attack ,kinbourn in ,october there were sixty non-commissioned officers and men of the corps under ,major ,bent of the engineers4 ,the ,british contingent was commanded by ,brigadier-,general the ,hon4 ,a4 ,spencer4 ,on the #aeth the disembarkation took place on a tongue of land stretching into the sea2 and the troops were halted at a spot1 which from its broken features and the presence of small patches of morass in its front1 rendered it acceptable for a defensive position4 ,encamped on salient hillocks1 the regiments were concealed from ,russian observation by spreading their canvas on the reverse of the declivities4 ,the line1 traced by ,major ,bent and a ,french engineer1 took advantage of the abounding irregularities of the ground1 and was closed on the left by a species of hornwork with its two salients rising from the summits of two small mounds1 and its flanks resting on the ,licame sea4 ,into this 8keep0 it was intended1 in the event of any mischance1 that the troops should retire and hold it by intrepid fighting till the last man had returned to the ships4 ,on the right of the line two small detached works were also traced on commanding heights to flank the front of the position and to be defended by pickets4 ,in the night of the #aeth the intrenchments commenced by each regiment throwing up the necessary cover in its immediate front4 ,the 8keep0 and the outworks were also advanced2 and wells1 which produced excellent water at a depth of seven feet1 were also sunk4 ,under the superintendence of the royal engineers and the company of sappers1 the field defences1 adequate for the protection of kneeling musketeers1 were finished on the #agth4 ,the excavation was six feet wide and three deep in which a banquette was formed three feet broad4 ,when the land arrangements were perfected1 the allied fleet opened a sharp fire on the old masonry fort and its two sand redoubts1 mounting respectively #fj1 #aa1 and #i pieces of artillery4 ,a block of buildings in the fortress was speedily in flames1 the old ramparts fell down1 many guns were destroyed1 and the carriages upon which they were mounted were shivered and disabled4 ,to an attack so irresistibly conducted1 the garrison about #a1bjj strong soon capitulated with the loss of #fj killed and wounded1 while the casualties in the ,anglo-,french fleet were insignificant4 ,on the #bjth the troops1 none of whom took part in the fight1 moved to the village2 and on the following day1 when the main body of the expedition marched to enforce a reconnaissance of the country1 ,major ,bent1 left in charge of the camp1 set to work to repair the damaged barracks4 ,at this and kindred services in which the skill of artificers was needed1 the sappers laboured in unison with the ,french1 and were warmly complimented for their 8intelligence1 zeal1 and activity10 by the ,french general in chief4 ,major ,bent and his company embarked on board the #8,indian' on the #bith ,october1 anchored at ,kazatch #bnd ,november1 and soon after landed to share in the general employments of the camp4 ,their return to ,sebastopol was followed by a communication from ,marshal ,plissier1 a copy of which is added1 acknowledging the co-operation of the ,english with the ,french sappers in the restorations at ,kinbourn4 ,arme d',orient4 ,etat ,major ,gnral1 ,no4 #hae1 ,au sujet de la brigade du ,gnral ,spencer4 8,,mon ,,cher ,g,n,,ral1 8,grand ,quartier ,gnral ,sbastopol1 le #g ,novembre1 #ahee4 8,,le ,gnral ,bazaine m'a pri de vous exprimer combien il a eu se louer de ses relations de service avec le ,brigadier-,gnral ,spencer1 et de la conduite des beaux regiments composant la brigade place sous ses ordres4 ,les relations les plus amicales n'ont pas cesses un instant de rgner dans les deux brigades1 et les soldats du ,gnie des deux armes ont travaills avec le plus grand ensemble la r-dification de la forteresse de ,kinbourn4 ,je dois vous recommander particulirement le ,major ,bent1 du corps ,royal des ,ingenieurs1 qui dirig avec beaucoup d'intelligence le travaux qu'il a eu faire excuter4 8,veuillez agrer1 mon cher ,gnral1 l'assurance de ma haute considration1 et de mon affectueux dvouement4 8,le ,marchal ,commandant-en-,chef1 7,signed7 8,a4 ,p,,lissier4 8,monsieur le ,gnral-en-,chef de l'arme ,anglais40 ,,translation4 ------------------------------------ ,,translation4 8,head-,quarters1 ,sebastopol1 ,november #gth4 8,,my ,,dear ,,general1 8,,general ,,bazaine has begged me to express to you how much he has to congratulate himself on his military services with ,brigadier-,general ,spencer1 and with the conduct of the splendid regiments placed under his orders4 8,the most amicable arrangements have not for an instant ceased to exist in the two brigades1 and the soldiers of engineers of the two armies have worked together with the greatest cordiality at the restoration of the fortress of ,kinbourn4 ,i must particularly recommend to you ,major ,bent1 royal engineers1 who has directed with great intelligence the works which he has had to execute4 8,pray receive1 my dear ,general1 the assurance of my high consideration and my affectionate devotion4 8,the ,marshal ,commanding-in-,chief1 7,signed7 8,a4 ,p,,lissier4 8,the ,general in ,command of the ,english ,army40 ,general ,sir ,james ,simpson1 who had commanded the army since the death of ,lord ,raglan1 resigned his high office on the #aath1 and was succeeded by ,general ,sir ,william ,codrington4 ,the great ,french magazine on the brow of the ,ravin du ,carnage blew up on the #aeth ,november4 ,for miles the ground was convulsed by the explosion as if an earthquake had shaken the land1 and in the vicinity of the devastation hill and ravine were covered with the black dust of the gunpowder as if the area were the approach to another ,erebus4 ,shot1 carcases1 rockets1 and shells1 with their myriad splinters1 fell in a terrible shower breaking up tents1 collapsing stables1 throwing into ruins store-sheds and hospitals1 burning huts and siege materials1 and striking down men at a considerable distance from the scene4 ,the number of officers and soldiers killed and wounded were as many as might have occurred in a sharp action4 ,bugles were sounded to form a general parade1 and the troops drawn aside to a neighbouring height looked on in bewildered amazement4 ,the only two of the corps present at the moment of the catastrophe were ,lieutenant ,brine and sergeant ,jarvis1 who were inspecting work done at the stables of ,captain ,travers' small-arm ammunition brigade4 ,that grave explosion blew down the stables and also those of the ,y battery1 and let loose some four hundred horses which ran wildly over the hills4 ,as soon as the nature of the disaster had been ascertained1 ,lieutenant ,brine sent his sergeant for the tenth company4 ,it soon arrived with picks1 shovels1 hooks1 c42 and1 wrote ,lieutenant-,colonel ,lloyd1 8rendered valuable service40 ,the army was then away1 and the little band of sappers set to work under the eye of ,sir ,william ,codrington to arrest the conflagration4 ,the powder mill at ,inkermann was between two fires1 and had been greatly injured by the concussion4 ,but little danger was apprehended from the one on the valley side of it1 because the ravine intervened2 but some burning shells having penetrated a number of old ,french huts beyond the magazine1 the little settlement was soon in flames1 and as the wind was blowing in the direction of the mill it was a matter of first moment to stay the spread of the conflagration and render the magazine safe4 ,to these duties the greater portion of the company was detailed4 ,by digging a trench around the burning locality and throwing the excavated earth on the fire it thus became isolated1 and the flames were gradually reduced by tearing down the planking and beams and removing them to a distance4 ,strong parties of the line1 sent from the heights1 working by reliefs1 also assisted to extinguish the burning mass1 and succeeded in preventing a repetition of the calamity4 ,meanwhile the powder mill1 on which all eyes were fixed1 was scaled by some gallant fellows risking a jeopardy it was exciting to witness4 ,lieutenant ,brine1 who was directed to superintend the arrangements for subduing the fire1 and to devise means for succouring the magazine1 ordered sergeant ,jarvis and corporal ,osment to ascend it4 ,without hesitation they did so1 followed by other sappers and ,major ,grant of the artillery and ,lieutenant ,hope #gth ,fusiliers4 ,sparks were falling on them like pyrotechnic rain1 and shells and rockets were still bursting1 throwing their splinters and burning fragments in that perilous direction4 ,with wet blankets handed to them from below they 8promptly0 covered the roof of the magazine and only gave up the task when the officers were convinced that further exertions were unnecessary4 ,of the brave and ready conduct of corporal ,osment1 ,major ,grant reported most highly to ,lieutenant ,brine1 and he was therefore selected to protect the entrance to the magazine which1 facing the flames1 was most likely to take fire and yield to unforeseen disaster4 ,at once he covered it with wet blankets suspended from posts1 and building against it a wall of sand-bags1 further protected it in front by a sand-bag traverse4 ,this done1 all alarm was finally allayed by ,lieutenant ,brine reporting to ,sir ,william ,codrington the perfect security of the mill4 ,when the magazine blew up1 some of the company were working at a stone bridge in the ravine about #cjj yards distant1 and escaped without injury1 while several of the line who were assisting1 were killed and wounded4 ,the party joined the company as soon as it was perceived to be mustered for duty in front of the huts of the #ccrd regiment4 ,sir ,william ,codrington observing the fire sweeping on to the right of the siege train1 asked for volunteers to extinguish it4 ,several daring fellows answered the call and were soon in the heart of the flames tearing down the burning tents2 but as this service did not seem to be of much profit in the presence of more imminent danger1 an artillery officer enlisted their exertions to remove many box loads of live shells which1 packed in the park of the siege train1 were imminently exposed2 so much so that while bearing them away1 one after another ignited and burst1 knocking down men1 mules and horses1 killing some and wounding others4 ,to some excavated hollows where there had been an encampment1 about #aej yards off1 the shells were taken and buried4 ,the ,french and soldiers of all corps assisted in the removal2 those of the sappers who most distinguished themselves were sergeant ,james1 corporal ,enwright1 privates ,william ,church1 ,john ,burt1 and others4 ,the explosion led to the construction of a very strong magazine on the plateau in rear of the land transport corps with the light division4 ,it was sunk partly in rock six feet deep1 and was #bd feet by #ab feet in the clear4 ,the interior was walled with rubble stone1 and splinter proofs ten inches square formed the roof1 above which was a covering of earth between five and six feet deep4 ,it was made to contain1 if necessary1 more than a thousand barrels of small-arm ammunition4 ,masons and carpenters of the tenth company built it assisted by parties from the #igth regiment1 under ,lieutenants ,brine1 ,r4,e41 and ,hudson1 #igth4 ,it was completed on the #adth ,december1 and being a somewhat showy structure of its class1 the little details connected with its erection were inscribed on a slab built into the work4 ,when in command of the light division1 ,sir ,william ,codrington desirous of adding facilities to the movement of the troops1 directed a bridge to be thrown across the middle ravine to connect with the main road4 ,the tenth company1 with the assistance of infantry detachments1 built it in ,november under the superintendence of ,lieutenant ,brine1 ,r4,e41 who commanded the company4 ,sergeant ,jarvis was his foreman1 and corporal ,rylatt his principal artificer4 ,the bridge was of stone having one arch of nearly twenty feet span and a roadway of seventeen and a half feet1 approached at each end by a long causeway with a gentle descent from the road4 ,the foundations were of ragstone collected in the vicinity1 and the piers1 of great apparent strength1 were formed of white stone from the ,redan4 ,the planking was secured to ten baulks1 each #bd feet long and #aj inches square1 taken from the white barracks in the ,karabelnaia4 ,a stout wooden handrail lined both sides of the bridge for convenience and finish4 ,no mortar was used to give solidity to the masonry2 and though the rains and melted snows1 rushing down the slopes of the ravine1 beat with violence against the rubble piers1 the bridge stood as firm as a rock1 while other temporary structures of the kind were carried away by the flood4 ,on a stone let into one of the piers of this neat specimen of military engineering1 was cut this inscription-- ,erected ,by #ajth ,company ,r4 ,s4 ,m4 and ,detachments of the ,light ,division1 under the superintendence of ,lieut4 ,fred4 ,brine1 ,r4,e4 ,commenced and finished ,november1 #ahee4 ,in the same ravine1 more towards its head1 was constructed1 in ,january1 another bridge1 unique and picturesque1 under the direction of ,lieutenant ,brine1 by the tenth company and parties of the line4 ,sergeant ,jarvis and corporal ,luly had the superintendence of the work4 ,the bridge was to open a readier communication between the first and second brigades of the light division1 encamped on opposite heights4 ,it was formed of pork barrels two feet eight inches long and two feet at the swell1 easily procured1 but greatly inferior to porter barrels inasmuch as they were not iron hooped4 ,no excavation was made1 but the barrels were laid along the swampy bottom of the ravine1 transversely in the centre and vertically at the ends4 ,the upright barrels1 formed1 so to speak1 the buttresses1 fifty-four being on the first brigade side and thirty-six on the second4 ,this arrangement appears to require explanation4 ,for the former there were five barrels placed for a base and seven for the latter1 overlaid by another row1 which1 pushing well into the broken slopes of the valley1 took eleven barrels for the first and eighteen for the second4 ,this was the nature of the formation at both sides2 but1 to make the bottoms firmer1 a couple of barrels were introduced at each end and the spaces thus enclosed were made solid with earth4 ,the centre division took #afh barrels1 which were laid heads to the stream on their swells1 end to end1 three in a row1 with another layer1 of equal number1 above them4 ,strips of iron hoop were nailed on the casks through the length of the bridge1 and their steadiness was further assisted by filling in the interstices with earth and small stones4 ,the bridge1 intended for foot-passengers and equestrians1 was #aah feet long and #h feet wide1 with a cross-braced hand-rail rising more than #c feet above its level supported by six struts sunk into the ground4 ,heavy stones of large and irregular sizes were built on the edges of the structure1 between which #ah inches of metalling was strewn over the bridge1 as ballast to sustain it in position4 ,small roadways1 about #aj feet broad1 were made to and from this rustic causeway4 ,if baulks could have been promptly procured1 the bridge would have been constructed very differently2 but the existence of barrels in great numbers offered the best chance of its speedy formation1 which was effected in six days4 ,its strength was proved by passing over it a #i-pounder field-piece1 which was borne without the barrels evincing any signs of weakness1 and it resisted with unexpected firmness the dashing torrent that in heavy storms poured down the ravine4 ,a further reinforcement of #aej non-commissioned officers and men1 under the command of ,captain ,lambert with #bi horses1 reached the seat of war on the #bhth ,january1 #ahef1 in the #8,indiana4' ,the bulk of the detachment sailed for ,balaklava1 leaving #bc drivers who joined the field equipment troop at ,scutari4 ,only #ae of the horses landed1 #aa having died or been killed on the voyage and #c left at ,gibraltar4 ,the total force of sappers1 which up to this date had landed in the ,east1 was #a1cdd of all ranks4 ----- ,footnote #aih3 ,distinguished at the battle of ,giurgevo for his gallantry4 ,a fine1 handsome soldier1 he was admired by both officers and men4 ,when work had to be done1 he would toil like a slave to accomplish it2 and when duty demanded his services he was never absent4 ,his propensity to drink1 however1 placed it out of the power of his officers to award him promotion4 ,at the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 he earned a medal for his services in the ,kaffir war of #ahdf-dg1 and received another medal and a second-class prize for his conduct and usefulness at the ,great ,exhibition of #ahea4 ,he was employed in that duty at the instigation of ,major ,bent1 who generously became surety for his good behaviour4 ,well did he support the ,major's recommendation2 but on his removal from ,london at the close of the ,exhibition1 he soon relapsed into his former habits4 ,his bravery in the battle of ,giurgevo is already told2 and the decoration of the order of the ,medjidie1 placed on his breast by ,omar ,pacha--a distinction never before conferred on one of so humble a rank--failed to inspire him with sufficient pride to curb his excesses2 and there is reason to fear1 that his melancholy fate was brought on by his infatuated indulgence4 ,footnote #aii3 ,a few cases occurred in which the rank of sergeant was attained by a junior non-commissioned officer within eighteen months4 ,samuel ,cole is an instance4 ,he went to the ,crimea a young second corporal1 but so conspicuous was his conduct in the trenches1 and so sustained his usefulness and gallantry1 that besides the grant of pecuniary rewards1 a special medal for distinguished service1 and the ,order of the ,legion of ,honour1 he was promoted successively to the ranks of corporal and sergeant4 ,of him ,colonel ,gordon wrote on the #fth ,december1 #ahee1 that he was one of the 8most distinguished in the corps for bravery and had just received a step of rank0--that of sergeant--8for very distinguished service in the field40 ,footnote #bjj3 ,from a feeling of kindness1 as modest as generous in its exercise1 ,major ,ranken of the engineers1 who fell soon after1 buried under the ruins of the ,white ,barracks in the ,karabelnaia1 presented ,cornet ,falkner with a grey pony4 ,in asking his acceptance of it1 the ,major thus concluded his note3 8,i feel a pleasure in offering it to you as ,i am enabled thereby to mark my sense of your good services while attached to the company under my command40 ,footnote #bja3 ,general ,order1 #bdth ,october1 #ahee4 ,footnote #bjb3 ,general ,order1 #bjth ,november1 #ahee4 #ahee-ef4 #acth ,september-#ast ,march4 ,,demolitions ,,at ,,sebastopol4 ,testing the authenticity of some ,russian plans concerning the docks--,force employed in the demolition--,situation of the docks--,their magnitude and strength--,the operations--,difficulties encountered in their execution by storms and frosts--,labours and hardships of the miners--,the explosions--,destruction of the docks--,accidents2 intrepid exertions of corporal ,cray--,poisonous gas in a gallery2 prompt efforts to rescue the sufferers--,shelling the docks while the demolitions were proceeding--,sir ,william ,codrington's dispatch reporting the success of the operations--,also ,colonel ,lloyd's report--,the ,white ,barracks--,their destruction--,death of ,major ,ranken2 notice of conduct of second corporal ,baker4 ,meanwhile the mining of the docks proceeded4 ,on the #acth ,september1 one sergeant and nine sappers with some line miners only were employed2 but their efforts were mainly directed to prove the authenticity of some ,russian plans which had fallen into our hands when the allies first ascended the heights4 ,a few shafts had been excavated in different places behind the revetments when1 on the #aith1 a subaltern of engineers and forty-two sappers having been detached from the camp1 the works spread over a larger area1 and were continued till the #bdth ,september1 when the service was suspended4 ,whether or no these preliminary exertions verified the information which had fallen by the chances of war to the assailants it is needless to inquire1 but the resolution had gone forth which doomed the docks to destruction4 ,accordingly on the #bdth ,october1 the sinking of shafts was resumed by forty-eight sappers commanded by a subaltern1 who took possession of the large storehouse vacated by the previous detachment4 ,a few companies of the #ahth foot were also appointed to assist1 a portion of whom from the #bnd of ,november was domiciled with the sappers4 ,another reinforcement of forty-eight men of the corps under a subaltern was1 about this time1 turned into the shafts2 and as the demolition progressed1 and the line miners began to show expertness in the duty1 some of the best of them toiled equally with the sappers in the pits and galleries4 ,late in ,november a demand for more help was met by the addition of sixty sappers to the docks4 ,there were now #aef men of the corps and #aej of the line in the ,karabelnaia4 ,a party of linesmen was also sent up daily from the camp1 so that the working means at the disposal of the engineers was swelled to a force of about #ejj of all ranks4 ,this perhaps was the greatest number employed in the demolitions4 ,nine hours the men worked daily2 but on the #bdth ,november1 as important events were evolving which seemed to urge a rapid completion of the service1 the whole #bd hours saw reliefs of sturdy men in the mines4 ,each relief was on duty eight hours4 ,now it was that serious impediments occurred from the presence of water in the shafts and galleries1 but the chief result of these untoward obstacles was the exercise of an energy as extraordinary as continuous4 ,when1 however1 about the #agth ,december1 the frost set in and the miners suffered severely1 night duty1 except on pressing occasions1 was given up2 but to make up for this remission1 the sappers and infantry miners toiled in reliefs thirteen hours a-day4 ,in the middle of ,january1 #ahef1 the #ahth foot was relieved by an equal number of the #dhth1 and the ninth company1 brought from ,kamara1 took the place of the #aath4 ,the second1 fourth1 and eighth companies of the corps also shared in the operations4 ,major ,nicholson was the superintending engineer4 ,the docks were situated on the southern extremity of the ,karabelnaia creek1 and their destruction was a mutual operation between the ,french and ,english4 ,for their share the allies took the two outer or northern locks with the three interjacent locks2 while that apportioned to the ,english were the three inner or southern docks4 ,between these structures was an immense quadrangular fitting-basin rising nearly #cj feet above the level of the ,black ,sea1 supplied with water from the ,tchernaya1 pouring into the reservoir through aqueducts and tunnels4 ,thus provided1 it fed the five docks2 and the outlet for the waste run between the two ,french docks by a channel with a series of prodigious locks into the sea4 ,of this basin the ,french was charged with the destruction of the half contiguous to the northern docks1 and the ,english that adjacent to the southern4 ,of the nature of the duty which had devolved on the assailants some idea may be gleaned from a consideration of the dimensions of the docks4 ,stretching a line longitudinally from end to end the mean distance was #bje feet4 ,the width was #ib feet2 the depth #bi feet4 ,the floors measured #aij feet long1 compressed at the sides into a width of #dj feet4 ,the revetments at the top were nearly #g feet4 ,the ,french docks were each #ahh feet long and #ib feet broad4 ,all the works were of the most solid kind4 ,the hills out of which they were hollowed were of clay abounding with rock4 ,they were thus in great part embedded in rock or hewn out of it at every point where the geological strata favoured the adaptation of natural expedients to a great end4 ,hard limestone was abundantly used in the work2 so also was a material of a softer kind in unexposed situations4 ,granite of different colours in heavy blocks was used in all parts where resistance and impregnability were essential4 ,in their massiveness and durability both docks and basin seemed likely to tire the patience of old ,time himself4 ,the steps--of the heaviest masonry--cut around the elliptical hollows1 forming them1 as it were1 into amphitheatres1 were 8fit for a giant's staircase40 ,but what seemed impenetrable to the wear and tear of ages and innocuous to those influences which insidiously eat away vitality from the mightiest fabrics was1 in a few short months1 torn up by mines and dashed into ruins as prodigious perhaps as those of ,nineveh4 ,curved iron gates1 unrivalled for size and strength1 and covered with thick iron sheets overlapping each other and rivetted like the plates of a leviathan boiler1 closed the entrances to the several docks4 ,they might have served to turn back the sea in some turbulent strait2 and when it was required to move a single pair of them as memorials of ,russian greatness and our own energy1 it took no less than #adj artillerymen under a skilful engineer1 ,lieutenant-,colonel ,bent1 to lift them from their position1 not in their entirety1 but rib by rib and sheet by sheet4#bjc ,to accomplish the overthrow of such stupendous works shafts and galleries were sunk and driven in various places to different depths and lengths4 ,the shafts behind the revetments were at least #cj feet deep2 those running along the floors not less than #ab1 whilst others sunk in salient spots varied between the extremes4 ,the shafts were more than #gj2 the mines not less perhaps than #aej4 ,culverts were also employed as galleries where their use promised to be of advantage4 ,all the chambers held specific charges calculated with extreme nicety4 ,in each case the result was a more than tantamount destruction with the least possible show4 ,the ,english docks being four feet below those of the ,french were never free of water4 ,there the land-springs1 seeking the lowest levels1 emptied themselves4 ,to cope with a difficulty of such magnitude it needed more than the resource of the bucket and pulley2 and yet these simple means were not less serviceable than more ambitious appliances4 ,pumps of various kinds were employed1 but failing in the deep shafts to raise the water to the summit1 their use was confined to the pits of the floors1 where they seemed more successful4 ,in the deep shafts the run of the bucket was incessant1 for a suspension of labour1 however short1 was likely to be attended with an influx that would have overmatched any exertion4 8,the sappers10 observed #8,the ,times1' 8experienced great difficulty in firing the mines in consequence of the water running in on them from the clay1 but with their usual energy they worked away and formed the mines40#bjd ,the works pressed on satisfactorily till the #afth ,december1 when there occurred a storm which had been ushered in by two or three days' heavy rain4 ,as may be expected1 the shafts were inundated2 those behind the revetments were filled nearly to the surface2 some had twenty feet of water in them1 while the bottoms of the docks were covered with the tempest rain to the height of two feet and more4 ,against such obstacles who could bear up8 ,and yet none concerned in the works succumbed4 ,to clear the water from the deep shafts with the means at command was impracticable4 ,it was therefore permitted1 in great part1 to waste away2 while the primitive service of the bucket and pulley aided somewhat to reduce the quantity4 ,on the floors of the docks coffer-dams were constructed to detach the several shafts from the general flow1 and pumps were worked by stout hearts to draw off the water2 but the pressure for progress did not allow of this tedious process1 and luckily the expedient was hit upon of cutting a channel through the revetment wall of the entrance into the feeder of each dock4 ,the ,french miners made the desired opening1 and the docks were almost drained4 ,still the shafts were full1 and it was only by a sustained outlay of unrelaxed effort that the water was sufficiently reduced to enable the sappers to go below and fashion the galleries4 ,it was a great blow to the works was this storm4 ,everything was put back by it4 ,some of the shafts were given up as beyond all power to continue them1 and many of the galleries1 almost completed1 had to be driven anew4 ,choked up with mud1 the difficulties of working them were tenfold more trying than before4 ,to master them the labour was as unsparing as incredible4 ,even in home works1 away from the annoyance of an enemy1 to overcome such obstacles would have been regarded as extraordinary4 ,in such circumstances it needed artificial stimulants to maintain the strength and spirit of the men and offer an antidote against ills to which they were constantly exposed4 ,an extra half-gill of rum was therefore issued daily to the sappers and linesmen1 under the sanction of the ,commander-in-,chief4 ,but it did little to check the sickness which the miseries of the enterprise gave rise to4 ,a nipping frost having succeeded the storm added greatly to their risks4 ,working in wet shafts in a close atmosphere1 with vapour rising in streams from the depths1 weakened the men by excessive perspiration4 ,it is also recorded that many of them on reaching the surface from the galleries became frozen4 ,colds were so frequent and coughs so general that the barrack was like an hospital4 ,dredging-boots were scarcely any protection to the sappers and line miners1 for the water poured in over the thigh tops and kept the limbs in perpetual slop4 ,the few who were covered in miners' suits were hardly better off than their comrades4 ,to them was assigned the most laborious portions of the work4 ,driving wet and muddy galleries was a relief compared with the operation of stowing away the powder in the chambers4 ,inclosed in three or four boxes or casks1 the charge--sometimes weighing with its cases as much as #cbj lbs4--was pushed on skids to the extremity of the narrow gallery4 ,it required a series of plunges to move the burden to its place and give it a compact standing in a safe corner2 and this frequently was done while the miners were up to their waists in water4 ,soaked to the skin1 and coated with clay1 it was a wonder that the workmen did not flinch from such hardships and break up under such trials4 ,he indeed was a strong man who had worked his way through the entire demolition without a chest complaint or a pulmonary disease6 ,the blowing up of the docks was controlled by circumstances4 ,it was hoped to level at a crash the entire works by a simultaneous burst of the whole magazines4 ,the intention1 however1 was shown to be abortive by the constant intrusion of water into the mines1 which necessitated the less striking resort to a piecemeal demolition4 ,the explosions were numerous1 but three or four large ones were ventured which amply repaid by their success the risk of the experiments4 ,several failures took place1 as was natural in an undertaking so great1 from the unavoidable dampness of the powder and accidents to the agencies of ignition4 ,the quantity of powder used was #di1chd lbs4 or more than #bb tons6 ,on the #fth of ,february the last explosion took place1 and the memorable docks of ,sebastopol were numbered with the structures of the past4 ,who could look over the ruins without melancholy reflections on the insignificant origin of such a catastrophe8 ,at an outlay of treasure that would have made an ordinary kingdom bankrupt those once superb docks were built4 ,it took years to construct them1 but a few months were more than enough to blot them out of the roll of ,russian wonders6 ,uprooted from their foundations and tumbled over in the hollows1 scarcely any two blocks maintained their former fellowship4 ,counterforts1 copings1 quoins1 steps1 and the general masonry were broken up and hurtled into strange heaps4 ,mingled with the tumuli were fractured beams and timbers1 massive frames1 and portions of the ponderous gates4 ,here and there were torn sheets of iron1 splintered pintels1 fragments of heavy posts1 broken ribs1 and bolts like crowbars1 with clump heads as large as sledge-hammers4 ,sticking up in the confusion were the angles of mammoth blocks of granite1 some red1 some blue1 which by their garish aspect in the midst of so much devastation gave a play of vividness to the desolation4 ,all that remained were a few dingy cantles of wall smoked by the explosions tottering upon the corners of some broken steps1 waiting for a gust of wind to blow them down4 ,as if to remind one of the incalculable loss to which the aggressive pride of ,russia had given rise1 there in all their vastness stood the scarps of the hills in which the overthrown docks had been reared4 ,fissured and caved they resembled frowning cliffs eaten away by a surging sea and the wear of centuries4 ,blackened craters and chasms intervened among the piles of fallen greatness and helped to augment the sternness and solitude of a demolition which was as complete as engineering skill could make it4 ,beyond the ailments induced by wet1 cold1 and fatigue1 the sappers quitted the docks1 having suffered but triflingly from accidents4 ,private ,william ,harvey was injured while at the bottom of a shaft by a man of the #ahth regiment falling on him4 ,a private of that regiment fell1 on the #ajth ,december1 at night1 into a pit upwards of thirteen feet deep and three parts full of water4 ,his breast struck against an obstruction1 which took away his consciousness4 ,corporal ,cray1 whose recklessness of self repeatedly gained him praise1 descended the shaft to rescue the miner4 ,the water was thick and discoloured with clay4 ,unable to feel the man1 he was obliged to come up to recover breath4 ,the second descent took him to the end of one gallery without success1 and the third gave him the only hope of finding him in the other gallery4 ,the struggles of the linesman had carried him in that direction1 and ,cray1 almost exhausted1 bore him to the top of the shaft1 but life was extinct4 ,cray--poor fellow--ready in every danger1 and foremost in many1 was not1 though he had escaped often and strangely1 invulnerable against exposure1 and the result of his gallant efforts was an attack which1 reducing his voice to the feebleness of a whisper1 sent him an invalid to ,england4 ,a fatal accident occurred to a private of the #dhth regiment working at the bottom of a shaft close to the ruins of a culvert which had only a few hours before been blown up4 ,it was near a dock-gate1 and the gas from the explosion having penetrated the intervening earth diffused through the gallery1 which had been driven in about twenty-eight feet4 ,the #dhth man was at its end and private ,neville of the sappers at its mouth4 ,both becoming insensible1 8with infinite alacrity and courage10 wrote #8,the ,times1' 8non-commissioned officers and soldiers descended the shaft1 braving a danger which seemed the greater because its extent and nature were unknown1 to succour their comrades1 and as they got down they in turn were overpowered by the offensive gas4 ,major ,nicholson and ,lieutenant ,graham also went down and suffered in consequence40 ,the former was insensible when1 supported by his men1 he reached the top of the shaft1 and it was some time before he recovered4#bje ,besides the #dhth man who perished six or eight other miners were seriously affected1 particularly private ,neville4 ,the sappers who behaved so nobly were second-corporal ,alexander ,gray1 who had charge of the shaft and was the first to descend2 lance-corporal ,marks1 who got out ,neville and ,gray1 and was himself thrown down by the poisoned air2 and lance-corporal ,normansell1 who sent up corporal ,marks and recovered the #dhth man4 ,normansell had a rope round him1 and feeling the gradual loss of power in his wrists and arms rushed to the end of the gallery1 quickly tied the rope round the miner1 dragged him to the mouth of the shaft1 when1 calling for help1 both were borne to the surface4 ,the corporal was unconscious1 and remained so for some time1 but the poor linesman was irretrievably gone4 ,while the operations were progressing the enemy fired at times with some briskness4 ,many shells pitched into the docks and exploded1 but generally they fell short or wide of the shafts2 8and though10 says the official record1 8the working party had some extraordinary escapes1 only one sapper was wounded1 and a private of the #ahth regiment lost his arm40 ,the sapper alluded to was second-corporal ,william ,eastley1 who was severely struck on the #aith ,january1 #ahef1 in the right shoulder by the splinter of a shell4 ,he was1 however1 returned as only slightly injured4 ,this was the third time that the corporal was wounded during the siege4 ,well may the corps refer to the destruction of these docks as a proof of their usefulness and of their capacity to undertake any skilled employments which war might suddenly throw in their way4 ,among the many operations of difficult and hazardous labour which have been achieved by their intelligence and industry1 none1 perhaps1 will display in the chronicles of military engineering a more creditable page than this--the great concluding event of the struggle with ,russia4 ,at every stage of the work their movements were known to those whose commendation it was an honour to merit2 and when all was over their conduct and exertions were alluded to in terms of praise in a dispatch of the #bnd ,february from the ,commander-in-,chief to the ,minister for ,war4 8,amid great difficulties of cold and wet10 wrote ,sir ,william ,codrington1 8a very severe frost at one time and perpetually recurring pressure at another1 the work went steadily on2 and great praise is due to all those concerned--the engineers and sappers1 parties of the royal artillery1 the #ahth regiment1 and latterly the #dhth4 ,these parties return to their duties to-morrow after constant and laborious work4#bjf 8,the casualties have been but six1 of which two only have been fatal2 and one man of the #dhth was lost by foul air in a shaft2 after several vain attempts by ,major ,nicholson1 other officers1 and men--themselves descending at great risk--the poor fellow's body was brought up1 but life was gone40 ,it only remains to close the mention of this signal service by appending the copy of a letter from the commanding royal engineer at ,sebastopol1 affording some details of the demolition and eulogizing the corps among others for its exertions3-- 8,head-,quarters1 ,camp1 ,sebastopol1 ,february #a4 8,,sir1 8,after a period of three months' unceasing labour in the dock-yard1 for the destruction of the docks1 in compliance with ,lord ,panmure's orders1 it affords me very great satisfaction to report1 for your ,excellency's information1 the termination of our exertions in the demolition of that portion allotted to the ,english1 which consisted of the three docks on the south side1 and one-half of the east and west sides of the basin4 8,the result of our operations has been the perfect destruction of the whole1 the foundations being completely torn up4 ,the length of time occupied in effecting the above object has1 ,i regret1 far exceeded what had been anticipated1 owing to many circumstances over which no human being could have any control4 ,your ,excellency1 ,i believe1 is aware that on the morning of the #afth ,december1 #ahee1 after a very heavy and continuous fall of rain1 all the shafts which had been sunk behind the revetment walls of the docks were found to have #bj feet of water in them1 the shafts being #cj feet deep2 and the shafts along the bottoms of the docks1 which had been sunk to a depth of #ab feet1 were not only quite full of water1 but had two feet six inches of water above the floors of the docks themselves4 8,a very large party was employed day and night endeavouring to reduce the water1 and effected this object but slowly1 as the water continued to find its way in by percolation4 ,at this stage of the work the wet weather was suddenly succeeded by intense frost1 which for some days rendered our pumps useless1 thus causing a further delay1 and obliging us to bale the water out of the shafts1 resuming the pumping as soon as the pumps would work again1 which has been continued to the very last4 8,it was the intention to have destroyed one entire dock at a time1 but owing to the influx of water such an arrangement was obliged to be abandoned1 and such charges only as could from time to time be prepared were fired1 the pumping in many cases being kept up day and night until the last moment4 ,the bottoms and sites were blown up before the sides were destroyed1 which enabled us to be satisfied that the former were thoroughly demolished4 8,i must observe that1 as the demolition of the northern portion was carried out by the ,french1 it is incumbent on me to explain why their operations were not subjected to as many difficulties as fell to our lot4 ,their docks were four feet higher in level than ours1 and in no instance had they1 ,i understand1 any water to contend against1 or1 at least1 so small a quantity as to be scarcely appreciable4 ,their charges in the bottoms were not more than six feet deep1 whereas ours averaged ten feet six inches in depth4 8,though the external effect of some of our explosions may not appear great1 ,i am happy to say that every portion of the masonry is either absolutely torn down or left in so dangerous a condition that it will very much add to the difficulties of rebuilding4 8,i was extremely anxious that the facilities afforded by ,her ,majesty's ,government for the employment of voltaic batteries on a large scale1 as sent out by the ,admiralty under ,mr4 ,deane1 should be fairly tested under the most favourable circumstances4 ,i applied to ,vice-,admiral ,sir ,e4 ,lyons1 who kindly offered the services of ,mr4 ,deane1 submarine engineer1 to carry out the voltaic operations2 and this gentleman had every assistance in skilled labour afforded him from the royal sappers and miners4 8,many failures having taken place in firing the charges of electricity1 owing to different causes1 ,i am inclined to doubt its advantages as applicable generally to military purposes4 8,the pair of dock-gates ordered to be taken down and sent as trophies to ,england were removed with considerable difficulty1 being very massive and strongly put together with bolts1 nuts1 c41 which had become rusty4 8,i cannot say too much in praise of the exertions both of officers and men1 including a party of #cej of the #ahth and #dhth regiments1 in addition to the royal sappers and miners1 amounting to #he1bjg in the destruction of the docks1 though they had to work1 for the greater part of the time1 day and night during the severest weather2 and in having brought this service to a successful issue1 after so many drawbacks1 which1 instead of causing despair and dispiriting those employed1 only stimulated them to renewed exertions4 8,i should be remiss in my duty were ,i to omit acknowledging the very valuable assistance ,i have received throughout from ,colonel ,gordon1 ,c4,b41 the executive officer1 ,major ,nicholson1 who was the resident engineer1 and ,lieutenants ,cumberland1 ,graham1 and ,c4 ,gordon1 royal engineers2 their unremitting zeal1 attention1 and devotion to the work1 in accomplishing this troublesome task under difficulties of no ordinary nature1 claim my warmest thanks4 ,i am also much indebted to ,mr4 ,deane1 submarine engineer1 whose valuable services in preparing and firing most of the mines by voltaic action were kindly placed at my disposal by his ,excellency ,vice-,admiral ,sir ,e4 ,lyons4 8,i must not omit to acknowledge the professional aid received from the chief and assistant engineers of ,her ,majesty's ship #8,royal ,albert1' 7until that ship sailed for ,malta17 in the taking to pieces of the dock-gates4 ,in connexion with this service1 the assistance afforded by a large party of the royal artillery1 placed at my disposal by ,lieutenant-,general ,sir ,richard ,dacres1 and under the superintendence and direction of ,lieutenant-,colonel ,bent1 royal engineers1 ,i cannot but greatly appreciate4 8,i have1 c41 7,signed7 8,e4 ,t4 ,,lloyd1 8,lieut4-,colonel ,commanding ,royal ,engineer4 8,his ,excellency1 ,general ,sir ,w4 ,codrington1 ,k4,c4,b41 ,commander of the ,forces40 ,as the last efforts were being made to overthrow the remnants of the docks1 the engineers sent a force of #ahj sappers with #ajj men of the line under ,major ,ranken to destroy the ,white ,barracks1 built of stone1 situated to the west of the ,karabelnaia4 ,in their magnitude they were nearly equal to the artillery barracks at ,woolwich4 ,the east and west ranges were almost a quarter of a mile in length1 while the north and south ranges measured each #ehb feet long4 ,the area enclosed within the pile was a rectangle4 ,the two latter ranges had three stories1 the west two1 the east one4 ,many other buildings for offices and domestic purposes occupied the interior of the rectangle1 starting inwards from the eastern range1 leaving a wide street adapted for parades towards the west4 ,the clock tower stood over an arched entrance in the centre of a group of miscellaneous buildings4 ,heavy vaults were in the principal structures1 in which were several sets of apparatus for warming the rooms4 ,in most cases the walls were four feet thick4 ,the west range rested upon two rows of strong pillars1 and heavy masonry occurred in situations where taste and artistic development were desirable for strength and display4 ,during the siege some of the walls and roofing had been pierced and torn by shot and shells4 ,much of the timber had been burnt1 and a great quantity abstracted for war emergencies2 but injured and dismantled as were some of the buildings enough remained to excite the destructive action of an army bent upon humbling the military greatness in the ,crimea of a stiff-necked and aggressive people4 ,no end of mines were made by the sappers in the piers of the windows1 dead walls1 vaults and cellars1 and in pits underground4 ,innumerable were the charges varying in each chamber from #ae lbs4 to #fjj lbs4 of gunpowder4 ,the largest charges were placed in the vaults4 ,always tedious were the processes2 the labour in many instances considerable1 and the hardships experienced were those which arose out of intense cold1 snow-storms1 thaws and frost4 ,the first charges were fired on the #cjth ,january1 the last on the #ast ,march1 when the six largest vaults each loaded with #fjj lbs4 of powder were demolished4 ,the great result of the operations was the complete destruction of the barracks4 ,here and there1 however1 were broken clumps of wall gravely standing as so many monuments of the general wreck1 creaking upon shattered bases1 all sufficiently dangerous to render the removal of every stone and plank from the site essential before attempting the re-establishment of such another pile4 ,the only drawback to this service--and a lamentable one it was--was the death of ,major ,ranken of the engineers on the #bhth ,february4 ,sergeant ,coppin went forward to ignite some mines which were ready for exploding4 ,four of them were in the angle of the south building1 seven in adjacent windows and one outside4 ,these he commenced to fire1 passing on rapidly from one to the other1 when to ignite the last he had to jump out of the window4 ,in applying the light a rather large heap of powder in its vicinity caught the flame1 which caused the hose prematurely to go off with luckily no other damage than burning his hand4 ,four of the mines missed4 ,to repair the failure promptly was the major's determination1 and so the charges were relaid in the gable to be fired from one focus1 consisting of a three-feet length of fuse attached to the powder-hose4 ,the major took with him second-corporal ,baker1 a man of tried intrepidity1 who assisted in adjusting the fuses and hoses for explosion1 and then passed out of the window already much shaken by two explosions1 through which the major intended to escape after firing the charges4 ,in front of the opening the corporal stood to attract the attention of the major1 so that should any mishap occur he might readily find his way out4 ,the corporal saw the match applied1 he saw the danger--the mines suddenly went off6 ,in one fall down came the gable wall and angle of the building with the roof1 and before the major could escape he was caught by the breaking mass and mangled under the ruins4 ,baker run at the instant1 struck as he flew in several places1 and was miraculously saved4 ,expecting that the major was following he looked back with a foreboding impulse to see how he fared2 but his excitement and sorrow were great1 when1 seeing nothing behind him but the thick dust settling slowly over the ruins1 it became his unhappy duty to bear the harrowing tale of the major's untimely death to those who were awaiting their return4 ,with melancholy anxiety the sappers and others turned over the mound of rubbish to extricate the officer possibly with life4 ,all night the duty was continued1 and his remains were not discovered till eight o'clock the following morning4 ,in this sad way was lost to the corps and the service as good and brave an officer as ever drew sword4 ,his death was the last tragic event of the war6 ----- ,footnote #bjc3 ,to remove the gates without injury1 under fire from the north side of the harbour1 was a tedious service4 ,in each half gate1 weighing about thirty tons1 there were no less than #agbj rivets1 every head of which had to be cut off and the pins punched out4 ,every screw had also to be removed by the usual means--a difficult process1 arising from the oxidation of the several parts4 ,the sheets were cut into twelve pieces for easy carriage4 ,the iron girders1 twelve in number1 which like ribs sustained the structure1 were drawn up by block and tackle2 and then1 lowered to rollers1 were conveyed away4 ,the greatest efforts were given in pulling up the heel-posts1 of which there were two2 and the strong unyielding haul of #aej men brought them without flaw from their rocky beds4 ,one of the girders was broken in rolling it away1 but its place was supplied by one from another gate4 ,this was the only accident which had occurred during the operation4 ,sergeant ,john ,docherty was ,colonel ,bent's foreman4 ,an average of five sapper blacksmiths were daily employed at the work4 ,mr4 ,rumble1 engineer of the #8,london1' with two seamen1 assisted until their removal to ,malta4 ,some handy blacksmiths of the artillery also aided1 and sergeant ,welton of that regiment was remarkably active with the gear and tackling4 ,footnote #bjd3 ,december #g1 #ahee4 ,footnote #bje3 ,the #8,times1' ,february #aa1 #ahef4 ,footnote #bjf3 ,the sappers continued mining in the docks until the #fth ,february1 and afterwards at the ,white ,barracks1 till they were blown down4 ,footnote #bjg3 ,this number would have been more correct had it been #ahe4 #ahef4 ,,concluding ,,services ,,in ,,the ,,crimea4 ,surveys1 c4--,casemates in the ,redan and contiguous works--,roads--,injuries sustained by men in their execution--,huts and stables--,wharfs at ,balaklava--,company to ,cossack ,bay--,peace--,bridge across the ,tchernaya--,reinforcements to the ,east--,barrel-floats for the embarkation of the army--,graveyards and monuments--,parting ,order by ,lord ,paulet to tenth company--,final services2 ,miss ,nightingale--,order of leaving the ,crimea and ,turkey--,reviews at ,aldershot2 inspections by the ,queen--,names of the distinguished men specially paraded before ,her ,majesty--,wreck of the ,clarendon--,last detachment from the ,east--,statistics since the fall of ,sebastopol--,surveys near ,erzeroum--,parties detached for employment in the rectification of the ,moldavian and ,danubian boundaries--,company added to the ,cape of ,good ,hope command--,corporal ,mack present at the coronation of the ,emperor of ,russia at ,moscow--,a company to ,portsmouth--,another to ,aldershot--,removal of the museum from ,marlborough ,house to ,kensington ,gore--,a company moved to ,devonport--,augmentation--,a party embarks for ,ceylon--,another for ,mitylene--,corporal ,pennington wins the 8,champion's ,belt0 at the foot races on ,chatham ,lines--,corps incorporated with the royal engineers--,grade of private changed to that of sapper--,history of the royal sappers and miners closed4 ,while the services described in the previous chapters were in progress1 others were in hand1 which though not so striking1 possessed importance either as necessities1 precautions or improvements4 ,a few intelligent men assisted their officers in making observations and surveys of our trenches and the ,russian works1 and also of the country and coast in the vicinity of the conquered fortress1 embracing an area of about twenty square miles4 ,other non-commissioned officers and men assisted in taking an inventory of engineer stores which stocked the arsenal of ,sebastopol4 ,the lines covering the fortress were remarkable for the bold expedients adopted by the enemy to shelter the troops required to defend the several works4 ,rude as they were they were speaking specimens of a nation's warlike genius4 ,caves had been hollowed out of the terreplein behind the traverses which ran parallel to the faces of the several formations1 and were made bomb-proof by ships' masts and spars covered by a deep substratum of earth4 ,the descent into them was by narrow flights of stone steps4 ,lighted by small loop-holed windows1 a few inches above the level of the ground1 and fitted up with guard-beds1 tables1 c41 these spacious subterranean chambers gave cover to a large force of defenders who were thus shielded from the chances of hurt even during the raging of a bombardment4 ,as soon as the curiosity with which these structures had been viewed had passed1 ,captain ,schaw of the engineers having under him a number of sappers and miners1 set to work to destroy them4 ,holes were augured into the beams and ribs--hard almost as rock--and when loaded with gunpowder1 were blown to pieces4 ,the wood thus broken up was stacked by the line2 and in the cold winter1 when the means of obtaining fuel was precarious1 the supply from the demolished ,redan and contiguous ruins was found nearly equal to the demand4 ,for road-making a large force of sappers was daily detailed4 ,enormous working parties from the line were also employed4 ,the great trunk communication from ,balaklava to ,cathcart's ,hill was improved and partly formed from the port to the windmill by the ,army ,works ,corps1 and from the ,forks on the plateau to the hill by the sappers and line4 ,the stone for it was obtained by mining from two quarries1 one on either side of the ravine4 ,to make a solid foundation1 the ground for the latter portion was picked up by the line1 and when properly formed was covered by ,macadamized stone4 ,its length from the ,forks was about two miles1 and its width thirty-five feet1 including the side channels hollowed out by blasting for carrying off the surface water4 ,it was a thorough serviceable road1 and ages will roll over before this instance of ,british industry will be effaced from those physical characteristics by which the allied occupation of that war-trodden country has been marked4 ,from this great road radiated others1 somewhat narrower1 from the commissariat stores on the plateau to the several divisions4 ,the ninth company at ,kamara with the ,highland division repaired the old ,baidar road1 and made a new piece1 nearly half a mile long1 running through the ,sardinian encampment1 which connected the ,baidar and ,woronzoff roads4 ,stretches of thoroughfare were also constructed through the cantonment4 ,each regiment at ,kamara furnished working parties for the duties2 and all the roads1 except that confined to the exertions of the ,army ,works ,corps1 were superintended by the sappers as overseers1 the engineer officers being the directors4 ,the sappers injured in forming or mending the roads were privates ,alexander ,allan and ,charles ,h4 ,cronk4 ,both were blown up1 receiving severe wounds in the face4 ,private ,samuel ,williams at head-quarters had his back broken by a bank of earth falling on him1 and died in consequence4 ,hutting was another of their employments1 and building stables or sheds for horses and mules4 ,the companies with the divisions provided parties for these services4 ,the form of the stabling varied according to circumstances and situation4 ,some of them--those of the first division for example--were as long as sixty yards by sixteen feet in the clear1 with a passage up the centre marked by lines of poles supporting the roof4 ,the sides and ends were made of the staves of barrels1 which being bent and open assisted ventilation4 ,close boarding would have made the places insufferably hot4 ,the roofs were of rough scantling2 the planks overlapped and were spiked to rafters4 ,louvre boards run along the ridge the entire length of each gable4 ,a little more attention and skill were paid to the internal fitments of the officers' stables2 and stalls1 troughs and mangers were added4 ,for several months corporal ,stacey superintended the erection of the wharf works at ,balaklava1 and was removed1 when but little was required to be completed1 on the #bhth ,february #ahef4 ,the wharfage built round the harbour exceeded #ejj yards and was appropriated for the use of the several departments1 each bearing its own name4 ,there was the 8,commissariat wharf10 which had a run of nearly #cjj yards2 the 8,ordnance wharf0 had less ambitious dimensions2 the 8,quarter-,master-,general wharf0 occupied a length of shore for #aej yards1 while the 8,engineer wharf0 and the 8,cattle wharf0 were amply provided with spaces4 ,strong piles from forty to fifty feet in height supported the flooring composed of timbers three inches thick4 ,vessels to receive their freight came broadside to the wharfs which had been built well into the sea for the purpose4 ,these wooden quays were rapidly and substantially built1 everything being put out of hand to serve the wear and tear of years1 and was as creditable to the skill of the artificers as if they had been produced in times less trying and exciting4 ,the whole range of wharfs was chiefly built by the #hith and #hbnd regiments with casual assistance from other corps and a few sappers4 ,on being relieved from the duty1 corporal ,stacey was commended for his 8excellent conduct and steady perseverance0 in constructing the wharf works 8in a most satisfactory manner40 ,on the #bfth the eighth company1 under ,captain ,schaw1 with ,lieutenant ,edwards attached1 marched to ,cossack ,bay1 and had traced out a line of entrenchments to be executed for covering the embarkation of the rear of the army in the event of such an operation being needed1 when an event transpired which rendered the service unnecessary4 ,the company remained nearly two months at the bay1 during which it built a pier on the shore and run a road to it from the camp4 ,an armistice was concluded in the ,crimea on the #bith1 which temporarily suspended military operations till the #cast ,march2 but as the plenipotentiaries at ,paris had not then made known their agreement to a treaty1 the armistice was prolonged indefinitely4 ,the treaty1 however1 had already been ratified bearing date the #cjth ,march1 and on the #bnd ,april peace was proclaimed in the ,crimean camps1 ending a stubborn war which had taught ,russia a grave lesson of the strength and firmness of the ,anglo-,french alliance1 and proved that her shores and her fortresses--though vaunting an aspect of menacing impregnability1 were open to the endurance and valour of the quadruple league4 ,to break the boundaries which war had narrowed to prison limits and afford opportunities of intercourse between the belligerents was now a measure of first consideration4 ,this was the chivalric wish of ,sir ,william ,codrington4 ,to effect it the ,tchernaya bridge was renewed4 ,in thirty-two hours a party of sappers1 directed by ,lieutenant ,c4 ,g4 ,gordon of the royal engineers1 built a superstructure on the burnt tops of the old piles4 ,the damaged portions1 in part1 were cut away1 and cross beams being spiked to them1 each pair of piles was clamped together by their heads4 ,there were six pairs of piles at either side of the bridge1 and along the series of clamps was stretched from end to end a stout beam on which rested a number of girders to support the roadway4 ,this roadway was ten feet broad and twenty-six long from bank to bank and raised eighteen inches above the level of the stream4 ,the ,tchernaya was not a tidal river1 but was swelled at times to an average depth of ten feet by mountain streams and the meltings of snow from the ,tchater-,dagh range4 ,the communication between the armies was open on the #fth ,april4 ,while a probability existed of the pending negociations for peace terminating unfavourably1 the ,war ,minister1 alive to this eventuality1 did not stay his hand in keeping up the organizations of the ,crimea to an efficient standard4 ,unmitigated vigour was displayed everywhere2 troops were on the way to ,balaklava1 and a reinforcement of sappers1 #bii strong1 which had embarked at ,liverpool on the #ajth ,march1 landed at ,scutari on the #hth ,april4 ,this force consisted of the #agth and #bdth companies1 with detachments to complete the old companies which had suffered during the war4 ,too late to be of service1 they had not the good fortune to tread on ,crimean soil4 ,up to this date the strength of the corps despatched to the ,east1 including ,lieutenant and ,adjutant ,saville1 who joined from the royal artillery at the siege1 reached a total of #a1fdd of all ranks4 ,one of the stipulations of the treaty was the rapid evacuation of ,russian territory2 and the ,british troops1 with inviolable honour1 were not slow in fulfilling this condition4 ,the breaking up of camps and the pulling down of huts and stables followed with rapidity4 ,the sappers and miners performed its share in this extraordinary clearance1 and among an endless variety of services1 made stalls for the officers' horses on board ships1 and portable deck contrivances for the accommodation of the troops2 but its most popular labours1 at this time1 were devoted to the construction and working of flying bridges for the embarkation of the army4 ,no less than sixty rafts1 made of beer barrels and rum casks1 with the usual superstructure of baulks and chesses1 were prepared for the operation4 ,each raft had fourteen barrels--seven to a pier2 and the sixty rafts were lashed together into eight floats1 varying in length according to circumstances1 with pier-heads nearest the shore to bear the pressure of heavy baggage4 ,the vessels were anchored with their sterns to the shore1 so that each occupied a position between two bridges2 and the troops1 as they marched down the floats1 only halted to run up the ladders1 which had been reared for them1 to the decks4 ,every movement of the floats was carried out so adroitly and with so much celerity that one regiment--second battalion of the rifle brigade--was embarked in less than twenty minutes6 ,rubble walls were built round several of the ,british graveyards by some bricklayers and masons of the corps1 while many stone-cutters were permitted to erect tombs and monuments to departed worth4 ,most of the memorials were built and inscribed by the sappers4 ,lance-corporal ,simon ,williams was one of the best artificers in this description of service4 ,he erected the monument to the #ddth regiment2 the modest stone which covers the grave of ,sir ,john ,campbell2 and the simple cross and reclined slab which mark the spot where repose the remains of ,lieutenant-,general ,sir ,george ,cathcart4 ,the epitaph1 which records in simple language the great events of his life1 is written in ,english and ,russian4#bjh ,corporal ,keyte built the monument to the corps of sappers1 which bore the name of every man who had fallen or died during the war4 ,he also worked several other tombs and grave-stones1 among the best of which was the one erected in honour of ,major ,ranken of the engineers4 ,private ,david ,thompson1 an excellent mason1 erected the monuments to the officers of the #bcrd1 #cjth1 and #ccrd regiments4 ,the masons of the tenth company1 under the direction of ,lieutenant ,brine1 executed the obelisks which stand at ,balaklava and ,inkermann4 ,the one built in front of the ,redan--of stones taken from the docks of ,sebastopol--was reared chiefly by the companies quartered in the ,karabelnaia and finished by the tenth4 ,these three memorials rested on pedestals with copings1 mouldings1 and simple ornature1 and were approached by three or four steps with broad treads4 ,one panel of each displayed a cross1 the other three short inscriptions in ,english and ,russian4 ,private ,d4 ,thompson lettered those at ,balaklava and ,inkermann and assisted to inscribe the ,redan monument4 ,private ,james ,dickson of the third company executed two of its epitaphs and the cross4#bji ,just prior to breaking up the light division1 ,major-,general ,lord ,william ,paulett commended the tenth company in his orders of the #gth ,june--8,my thanks10 wrote his ,lordship1 8are also due to the officers1 non-commissioned officers1 and men of the tenth company royal sappers and miners1 whose assistance has been most valuable to the division and their conduct most exemplary40 ,lieutenant ,brine commanded the company4 ,the last services performed by the corps in the ,crimea were building two tablets in memory of ,lord ,raglan in the wall of the room where his lordship died4#baj ,this was done by private ,william ,church4 ,a monument was also built on ,balaklava heights1 overlooking the ,sanatorium1 which could be seen from the sea4 ,it was a plain white marble colossal cross1 without inscription1 cut by ,turkish and ,armenian masons at ,constantinople1 and arrived after all appliances necessary to raise it had been stowed away in the ships about to sail for ,england4 ,its erection1 nevertheless1 proceeded1 tackle being lent for the purpose from the #8,leander1' and was accomplished by some sappers hurriedly and with difficulty under ,mr4 ,sargent1 late of the corps4 ,the cross was risen at the expense of ,miss ,nightingale1 whose many graceful acts of deep sympathy and patient exertion for a suffering army have given her name historic celebrity4 ,a strange influence she possessed which worked out remarkable results4 ,hundreds of mutilated soldiers1 and hundreds more wasted by pestilence and disease1 seemed to revive by her presence2 and lived to bless her1 or died unrepining1 cheered through the vale1 by the solace of her voice and the charm of her encouragement4 ,how she brought order out of chaos2 how she overcame giant obstacles2 how she managed interminable offices1 nursed the sick and wounded stretched before her in miles of ward and corridor1 and in her tender devotion was herself twice thrown down by dangerous fevers1 to renew1 when only partially recovered1 her hard but noble labours1 are events which belong to the history of the world as well as the war4 ,england has produced many self-denying and heroic philanthropists whose calm zeal to ameliorate human misery and suffering have won the lasting admiration of nations2 but the beautiful honour of being the chief of that excellent band belongs to ,florence ,nightingale4 ,the companies of royal sappers and miners embarked at ,balaklava in the following order3-- #ahef4 ,company4 #bcrd ,may #bnd-- landed at ,gibraltar #dth ,june1 and there took up its station4 #bgth 0 #ast-- landed at ,malta #gth ,june1 and there remained4 #bgth 0 #ith-- landed at ,corfu #crd ,june1 and there remained4 #aath ,june #dth landed at ,portsmouth #ith ,july2 moved to ,aldershot #aath 0 #gth the same day1 and marched into ,chatham #aith #aath 0 #hth ,july under ,major ,nicholson1 ,r4,e4 #aath ,july #crd landed at ,portsmouth from the #8,dragon1' #eth ,august1 #aath 0 #ajth and marched into ,chatham the #ith1 under the #aath 0 #aath command of ,major ,robertson1 ,r4,e4 ,the accommodation on board the war steamer was very limited1 but ,captain ,houston ,stewart1 ,r4,n41 permitted the quarter-deck to be fitted up for them1 which prevented that inconvenience and sickness to which a crowded vessel is usually subject4 ,exemplary was the behaviour of the men1 8and ,captain ,stewart expressed to them the great satisfaction their good conduct and willingness in rendering assistance in carrying on duties on board had given him40 #abth 0 #agth-- embarked at ,scutari2 landed at ,malta #bbnd ,july1 #ahef1 and there remained4 #agth 0 ,a troop-- embarked at ,kulalee1 landed at ,woolwich #ith ,august1 and removed next day to ,aldershot to be stationed4 #bbnd 0 #bdth-- embarked at ,scutari2 landed at ,gibraltar #eth ,august1 and there remained4 ,the three companies which marched to ,aldershot under ,major ,nicholson were inspected with the division at the camp on the #aeth ,july by ,lieutenant-,general ,knollys4 ,next day all the troops that had served under fire in the ,crimea were inspected by the ,queen4 ,the #agth was a day of review1 when all the sappers1 including the #bast company1 had again the honour of appearing before the ,queen4 ,the companies manuvred with the troops as a battalion of infantry1 and though they had not been regularly drilled for some years1 their steadiness was very remarkable4 ,in line their movements were not inferior to any troops on the field1 and ,her ,majesty did not permit the occasion to pass without expressing her approbation of their appearance4 ,driving through the camp on the #ahth1 the ,queen pulled up at the quarter occupied by the sappers and directed ,major ,nicholson to bring before her some of the men who had distinguished themselves during the war4 ,the order1 suddenly given1 did not admit of making the best selection1 and a number were instantly paraded4 ,major ,nicholson explained their services1 and 8the ,queen was graciously pleased to express herself in terms of great admiration of the devotion shown by this branch of the service20 and after speaking a few never-to-be-forgotten words to each man1 ,her ,majesty ordered the ,major to send a list of those whom she had seen to ,osborne4 ,the non-commissioned officers and privates who were thus honoured and whose names are among the royal documents are the following3-- ,john ,coppin4 ,colour-sergeants ,joseph ,stanton4 ,kester ,knight4 ,william ,harvey4 ,sergeants ,andrew ,greenwood4 ,john ,paul4 ,robert ,purdy4 ,corporals ,william ,j4 ,lendrim4 ,william ,trimble4 ,second-corporal ,william ,baker4 ,neil ,mc,innes4 ,william ,orr4 ,william ,harvey4 ,privates ,william ,bruce4 ,john ,perie4 ,henry ,bullen4 ,frederick ,dimmer4 ,most of the above had been decorated with medals or orders for bravery and unfailing zeal in the trenches4 8,upon the sappers undoubtedly devolved the hardest work of the siege10 and ,major ,nicholson in his several personal interviews with the ,queen was gratified to find that their services were fully appreciated4 ,desirous of retaining the recollection of their merits1 ,her ,majesty ordered as an additional mark of her royal favour that four of the distinguished men should be photographed by ,mr4 ,cundall of ,bond ,street4 ,those selected for this special distinction1 and whose likenesses are among ,her ,majesty's ,crimean portraits1 were-- ,colour-sergeants ,joseph ,stanton4 ,kester ,knight4 ,sergeant ,john ,paul4 ,private ,william ,bruce4 ,eight sappers embarked in the #8,clarendon' on the #ith ,july at ,balaklava4 ,the troops on board were #aej and the horses #aaa4 ,lieutenant ,graham1 ,r4,e41 was in command4 ,buffeted and strained by a heavy gale the transport sprang a leak2 but wearing on till the next day at noon--when the water had extinguished the fires--the troops1 no longer able to remain with safety1 were removed in boats without casualty to the ,french merchant ship #8,constance' off ,cadiz4 ,several horses1 however1 had been killed during the storm1 three of which belonged to officers of engineers4 ,the #8,clarendon' after running ashore six miles to the westward of ,cadiz was next day got off and towed by two steamers into the harbour with nine feet of water in the hold4 ,in the #8,constance' the sappers remained about a week1 from which they were transferred to ,h4,m4,s4 #8,centaur1' and sailing for ,portsmouth landed on the #abth ,august1 arriving soon after at ,chatham4 ,the last detachment from the ,east was one of #cd non-commissioned officers and men1 which embarked at ,scutari in the #8,resolute' on the #cast ,july1 under the command of ,lieutenant ,malcolm of the engineers1 and marched into head-quarters on the #agth ,august4 ,to complete the detail of ,eastern statistics which have already been shown to the #ith ,september in a previous chapter1 the following statement of casualties is added3-- ,number4 ,died from injuries #a ,died from other causes #ah -- #ai ,taken prisoner #a ,wounded severely #a ,injured by explosions #b -- #d ,invalided1 of whom #f died #hb ---- ,total #aje ---- ,the total casualties from the beginning of the war to the date when the last detachment quitted the ,bosphorus was #eej out of a strength of #a1fdd of all ranks2 and if anything is calculated to excite remark and amazement it is the fact that out of so large a force only #beb had died6 ,two months after ,kars had fallen1 second-corporal ,edward ,stephens and ,thomas ,mc,eneney left ,england on the #bhth ,january for ,erzeroum to make special surveys of the city and its environs4 ,at ,marseilles they took passage on board the #8,sima1' and on arrival at ,scutari waited till telegraphic instructions had been received1 which directed them to proceed to ,trebizond4 ,embarking on board the ,lloyd's ,austrian boat #8,egitto1' the vessel pushed into the ,black ,sea1 and three days after1 while passing ,karasund1 struck on a rock and remained fast4 ,amid the alarm and consternation which followed1 the corporals sustained the ,british character for firmness and courage2 and seeing that boats were approaching from the little watering village1 quickly got their vast stores and luggage on deck and removed them to the shore4 ,while doing so they had to stand with bared swords at the gangway to prevent the property in their charge being tumbled into the sea2 for although there was no danger to be apprehended1 the rush to the boats was such as might have been expected had the ship given signs of immediate sinking4 ,at the command of the ,pacha of ,samsoon1 who was on board1 a ,turkish war steamer on the third day arrived1 and pulling the #8,egitto' from the rock1 she sailed for ,trebizond4 ,landing there1 the corporals were provided by the consul with every requisite for their journey4 ,fifteen horses was the measure of transport allowed for themselves and stores1 and off they started for ,erzeroum through a country strangely wild and picturesque4 ,theirs nevertheless was a long and dreary ride over mountains--one having an altitude of #i1jjj feet above the sea--with the snow in places rising by drift into piles from two to twenty feet in height4 ,along precipices where the path was barely two feet broad they rode for an hour at a time1 from which an inauspicious slip might have dashed them down the cliffs a thousand feet below4 ,skeletons of horses were bleaching by hundreds at the base of those terrific heights1 which told a melancholy tale of accident and death4 ,after a journey of thirteen days over tracks unimproved for centuries1 they arrived at the seat of the pachalic on the #bast ,march #ahef1 and reported themselves to ,colonel ,geils1 ,h4,m4 commissioner and chief engineer with the army of ,anatolia4 ,in a day or two the corporals had full employment4 ,stephens was sent ten miles away to reconnoitre an advanced position for a ,turkish entrenched camp1 and ,mc,eneney was despatched to ,alti for a similar purpose4 ,while these warlike reconnaissances were in execution the news of peace reached ,erzeroum on the #aath ,april1 and the surveyors were recalled to carry out services in the city and vicinity4 ,when the last accounts were received in ,england the corporals were about to be employed1 one in laying out a line of road from ,erzeroum to ,persia1 and the other to ,trebizond4 ,what specific services they accomplished in connection with this or other objects are unknown at head-quarters4 ,enough1 however1 has been communicated to show that they have added1 by the efficiency of their labours1 to the reputation of the corps4 ,under date of the #crd ,june1 ,colonel ,geils wrote to ,lord ,panmure concerning them in these terms3 8,the party of surveyors have been at work from eight to twelve hours a-day since their arrival1 with the exception of one ,sunday4 ,i have now had an opportunity of testing their abilities1 and find them excellent draughtsmen and experienced surveyors4 ,their rank produces most disagreeable results when brought into contact with ,turkish officers4 ,these corporals are superior in military acquirements to most high officers in the ,turkish army4 ,their character has been severely tested and found to be unexceptionable1 and ,i think ,her ,majesty's service would profit by their being commissioned officers4 ,i consider the step advisable on the score of merit1 even more than expediency40 ,and as if to fritter away this anomaly to the greatest extent in his power1 the colonel promoted them to be lance-sergeants4 ,out of the treaty of peace arose the appointment of distinct commissions to carry on special surveys of the territory to be ceded by ,russia both as a penalty for her aggressive predilections and to lessen the chances of future pretexts for interfering with neighbouring states4 ,to assist these commissions ,lieutenant-,colonel ,stanton and two officers of royal engineers with seven sappers--corporal ,james ,fisher being the chief subordinate--were sent to ,bessarabia in ,may to survey the line of the new boundary between ,russia and ,moldavia2 and ,major ,stokes1 ,r4,e41 having under his orders five of the corps1 including the two lance-sergeants from ,erzeroum1 was despatched soon after to survey and regulate the ,danubian demarcations4 ,these two men joined ,major ,stokes from ,erzeroum early in ,september4 ,as the surveyors will have to undergo great hardships in carrying on the work1 much in water1 along muddy shores and through the winter1 usually severe in those regions1 ,lord ,panmure has sanctioned the issue to them of rates of survey pay to the extent of four shillings a-day according to the amount of ability and energy each may display4 -------------- ,to supply the place of the company removed from the ,cape of ,good ,hope during the war1 the twenty-fifth company under ,captain ,akers embarked for that colony on the #beth ,july1 increasing the sapper force there to two companies4 ,the singular honour of permitting a non-commissioned officer of sappers to be present at the coronation of the ,emperor of ,russia is an incident in its history of which the corps may be honestly proud4 ,corporal ,james ,mack1 whose services in connection with the ,great ,exhibition1 the ,department of ,practical ,science and ,art1 and the ,paris ,exposition have been so highly appreciated1 was selected for this interesting tour4 ,he left for ,moscow at the end of ,july with the ,embassy ,extraordinary to ,russia1 and returned to ,london at the conclusion of the ftes and reviews in ,october1 bringing with him a collection of photographs of the most striking scenes he had witnessed1 and which he had himself photographed for national uses4 ,a greater honour succeeded4 ,a day was fixed for his attendance at ,windsor ,castle1 when in person he was permitted to present to ,her ,majesty and ,prince ,albert a set of his photographic views1 explaining1 as the ,queen and ,his ,royal ,highness passed from one to the other1 the incidents and specialities of each4#baa ,he has also had the gratification of exhibiting them to ,h4,r4,h4 the ,duke of ,cambridge1 ,lord ,panmure1 ,mr4 ,f4 ,peel1 and ,sir ,benjamin ,hall4 ,a new station was opened for the corps at ,portsmouth on the #eth ,august1 on which date the eighth company1 under the command of ,major ,de ,vere1 was removed from ,chatham for the duties of the engineer department4 ,a few days after1 a detachment of the company was sent to the ,isle of ,wight1 taking up quarters in ,cliff-end ,fort4 ,the strength of the sappers at ,aldershot was increased on the #ith by the arrival there of the #dth company under ,major ,nicholson4 ,on the #abth ,august twelve non-commissioned officers and men were sent to ,kensington ,palace to remove the ,museum from ,marlborough ,house to ,brompton ,house at ,kensington ,gore1 and to assist in its re-arrangement4 ,the services of the sappers were so truly useful that an addition of eighteen men was made to the party two months subsequently4 ,devonport1 another new station for the corps1 was occupied by the seventh company1 which proceeded thither on the #bfth ,august under ,lieutenant ,anderson4 ,as the army works corps had been disbanded1 and the disasters in the ,crimea1 arising from an insufficient sapper force leading to sudden and expensive organizations1 had shown the necessity of maintaining the corps in tolerable strength as a working body to meet unforeseen pressures in war1 its establishment was increased on the #ast ,october1 from twenty-six to thirty-two companies1 exclusive of the troop of drivers1 each company being constituted as follows3-- ,colour ,serg- ,serg- ,corp- #bnd ,pri- ,general eant4 eants4 orals4 ,corp4 ,bugl4 vates4 ,total4 ,total4 #bh general service companies1 each #a #e #f #f #b #ajj #abj #ccfj #d survey companies1 each #a #g #h #h #b #id #abj #dhj ,the band #j #a #a #a #j #cj #cc #cc ,troop ,troop ,far- #bnd ,shoe- ,collar ,serg4- ,q4,m4 ,sergts4 rier4 ,corpls4 ,corpls4 ing ,mak- ,wheel- ,trump- ,drivers4 ,total4 ,major4 ,serg4 ,smiths4 ers4 ers4 eters4 ,driver #a #a #d #a #f #f #d #b #b #b #ajj #abi #abi troop ,staff-- ,non-commissioned officers3 #d sergeant-majors2 #d quartermaster-sergeants2 #a bugle-major2 #b #bc staff-sergeants1 and #ab supernumerary-sergeants ,officers-- #a assistant-adjutant-general1 #b adjutants to corps1 #a adjutant of drivers1 #d quartermasters1 #i and #a veterinary surgeon ---- ,total #djcd ---- ,three non-commissioned officers with sergeant ,winzer in charge1 sailed for ,ceylon on the #hth ,october in the #8,sumatra' from ,london4 ,this little party of observers1 surveyors and draftsmen1 were asked for by ,captain ,w4 ,d4 ,gosset1 the surveyor-general1 who having for many years been the executive under the superintendent of the national surveys1 knew the varied qualifications of the sappers and the value of military organization in conducting the duty 8in a country chiefly wooded and excessively rough in many districts40 ,while he sought to obtain subordinates with the amplest qualifications for colonial survey duty1 ,captain ,gosset took care to secure1 as an equivalent for their employment in a hot climate1 an income which has far exceeded any remuneration ever offered to a soldier4 ,according to their merits and exertions he has the power to reward each with a daily pay ranging from #es4 to #aes41 exclusive of imperial pay and other colonial allowances4 ,four non-commissioned officers under the command of ,lieutenant ,r4 ,m4 ,smith embarked at ,portsmouth in the #8,gorgon' on the #acth ,october for ,greece to be employed1 as may be directed by ,mr4 ,newton the vice-consul at ,mitylene1 in making excavations in the buried city of ,teos1 now ,boudroun1 to discover monuments1 statues1 and other antiqua for the ,british ,museum4 ,the party was selected with reference to the nature of the work to be carried out4 ,one was a draftsman and photographer2 the others respectively a carpenter1 a stonemason1 and a blacksmith1 all able and handy men1 adapted by strength1 experience and intelligence to any service4 ,two of them had been travellers prior to their enlistment1 and understood ,greek4 ,to associate these sappers with an interesting mission their names are given below3-- ,second-corporal ,william ,jenkins4 ,lance-corporal ,benjamin ,l4 ,spackman4 0 ,patrick ,nelles4 0 ,francis ,nelles4 ,all but ,spackman had been in the ,crimea and received medals and clasps4 ,jenkins1 a ponderous man with a shaggy beard1 the true type of an ,englishman1 was well known throughout the army for his services at the siege2 and his gallantry on more than one occasion1 was acknowledged by the gift of a medal 8for distinguished service in the field40 ,on the #agth ,october--the second anniversary of opening the siege--the designation of the ,royal ,sappers and ,miners was altered by ,royal authority1 probably as a compliment to the corps for its approved services before ,sebastopol4 ,the announcement was made in the #8,london ,gazette' as follows3-- 8,the ,queen has been graciously pleased to direct1 that the corps of royal sappers and miners shall henceforward be denominated the corps of royal engineers1 and form one body with the existing corps of royal engineers40#bab ,thus is removed that standing misnomer by which the sappers and their officers1 virtually one body1 were by some incomprehensible caprice in the now obsolete military economy of the ordnance1 called by a plurality of titles4 ,separated by name from their officers1 and thrown seemingly into a cold unfriendly shade1 the want of a family patronymic--one title of identity in common--was keenly felt by the sappers4 ,sir ,charles ,pasley was the first to moot the question4 ,his representations ran through a period of forty years4 ,many other officers1 considering that no sacrifice of exclusiveness should stand in the way of improving the status of the corps1 adopted his views2 and with the generous assistance of ,sir ,john ,burgoyne and the ready acquiescence of ,lord ,panmure the change was effected--breaking up an anomaly which it is proudly hoped will interlink and cohere both officers and men4 ,accompanying this change was the abandonment of the rank of private--an unmeaning name for a well-defined grade1 and substituting for it the more expressive and appropriate designation of sapper4 ,the history of the ,royal ,sappers and ,miners is now closed4 ,henceforward its services belong to the history of the ,royal ,engineers4 ----- ,footnote #bjh3 8,i think10 wrote ,lady ,georgina ,cathcart1 in returning thanks to the fourth division1 at whose expense the memorial was erected1 8the whole design handsome4 ,the manner in which it has been executed1 of solid and durable granite1 in the midst of many difficulties and dangers1 as well as privations1 reflects great credit on all those engaged in it1 and for which we feel most grateful40 ,footnote #bji3 ,the ,balaklava monument was enclosed within an iron handrail of twelve bars taken from the bridge on the locks across the docks of ,sebastopol4 ,its epitaphs run thus3--8,in memory of those who fell in the battle of ,balaklava1 #beth ,october1 #ahed40 ,this was on one panel4 ,on another was cut the words--8,erected by the ,british army1 ,a4 ,d4 #ahef40 ,on the third1 occurred both these records in ,russian2 and on the fourth was a sunken cross4 ,corporal ,cameron was overseer of the work4 ,the ,inkermann monument was thus inscribed3--8,in memory of the ,english1 ,french1 and ,russians who fell in the battle of ,inkermann1 #eth ,november1 #ahed40 ,sergeant ,mc,quillin was the overseer and corporal ,cameron the leading mason4 ,the ,redan one bore this1 as its principal epitaph3--8,in memory of those who fell in the trenches and assaults upon the ,redan1 #ahee40 ,corporal ,john ,ross1 of the second company1 was the foreman4 ,the two latter monuments announced that they had been 8,erected by the ,british army1 ,a4 ,d4 #ahef40 ,on the third panel the inscriptions were repeated in ,russian1 and on the fourth was a cross--in relievo--bearing the ,christian initials of ,i4,h4,s4 for the ,inkermann monument1 and a sunken cross for that at the ,redan4 ,footnote #baj3 ,one was of marble1 not worked in the ,crimea1 and the other of freestone4 ,the first bore an epitaph in ,english2 the latter in ,russian4 ,the ,russian one was lettered by private ,d4 ,thompson4 ,a large slab1 seven feet by three feet three1 was also laid to the memory of his ,lordship1 under a willow-tree1 by a well in the hollow in front of head-quarters4 ,it was placed there by ,lieutenant ,brine1 at the request of ,lieut4-,colonel the ,hon4 ,leicester ,curzon of the rifle brigade1 and bore this simple epitaph3--8,to the memory of ,field ,marshal ,lord ,raglan1 ,g4,c4,b41 ,commander-in-,chief of the ,british army in the ,crimea4 ,died #bhth ,june1 #ahee40 ,this inscription was cut by ,thompson and private ,james ,dickson4 ,footnote #baa3 ,by command of the ,queen1 ,colonel ,phipps presented the sum of five pounds to corporal ,mack1 8as a mark of ,her ,majesty's approval of the execution of the photographs40 ,footnote #bab3 ,on that day foot races and games were carried on at ,chatham1 which drew thousands of holiday people to the lines to witness them4 ,the races were so arranged that each of the principal services in garrison should win a prize4 ,these were the royal sappers and miners1 provisional battalion1 royal marines1 and medical staff corps4 ,each corps in turn ran its own approved racers1 and the best man among them received a reward4 ,the successful competitors afterwards drew up on the course in aerial costume--the representatives of their regiments--whose athletic reputation seemed to depend on their energies and success4 ,with significant but pardonable conceit and confidence they took their stations1 all certain of winning4 ,they started--their pace was beautiful4 ,well together1 it was difficult to say who would first reach the goal1 but corporal ,pennington of the sappers1 rushing ahead with the swiftness of the wind1 flew past the winning post cleverly by several yards and bore away the 8,champion's belt10 thus inaugurating by his conquest the altered designation of the royal sappers and miners4 #ahef4 ,concluding ,chapter4 ,establishment of the corps--,organization of companies--,distribution--,establishment at ,chatham--,the ,ordnance ,survey--,its divisional districts--and military character--,qualifications of the observers--,list of the non-commissioned officers employed as such--,greatest distances observed by them--,importance of the services of the non-commissioned officers1 as proved by the reduction of the officers--,situations of trust filled by them--,strength of the companies--,average distribution in the ,united ,kingdom--,division of labour--,great triangulation--,private ,james ,weir--,secondary and minor triangulations--,other general survey duties--,perambulation of boundaries--,sergeant ,robert ,meade--,pay and allowances--,skilful and distinguished talents and usefulness of eleven non-commissioned officers2 and of quartermaster ,william ,young--,merits and services of the survey companies4 ,the establishment of the corps1 excluding the nine staff officers attached to it1 counts a total of #d1jbe of all ranks4 ,this number is divided into thirty-two companies1 twenty-eight of which were raised for general service1 and four for the duties of the national surveys4 ,there is also one troop of drivers4 ,each general service company is organized1 with respect to trades1 in numbers equivalent to the assumed wants of the service2 and thus constituted1 it is in a position1 in proportion to its numerical efficiency1 to undertake and accomplish any work within the scope of military purpose and requirement4 ,the skill of the workmen and their ability as a body are rendered certain1 by the enlistment of none but good or promising artificers1 and the extreme care taken to form a company for duty4 ,such1 however1 is not the rule in completing a survey company1 for men of superior intelligence and acquirements only are drafted to them1 irrespective of any classified organization of their establishment with respect to trades4 ,the distribution of the corps is as follows3-- ,companies4 ,chatham #f ,woolwich #a ,aldershot #b ,portsmouth #a ,devonport #a ,gibraltar #b ,malta #b ,corfu #a ,halifax1 ,n4 ,s4 #a ,mauritius #a ,cape of ,good ,hope #b ,western ,australia #a ,new ,zealand #a ,detachments from the above are at the following places3-- ,london--,department of ,practical ,science and ,art4 ,shoeburyness4 ,alderney4 ,isle of ,wight4 ,greece--,boudroun4 ,danube4 ,bessarabia--,bolgrad4 ,turkey--,scutari--7one corporal only closing up1 under ,major ,e4,c4,a4 ,gordon1 the transfer of the buildings in charge of the expedition74 ,ceylon4 ,bermuda4 ,south ,australia--,port ,adelaide4 ,victoria--,melbourne4 ,sydney1 ,new ,south ,wales4 ,companies ,service companies #bb ,companies not formed #f ,survey companies #d ---- #cb ,aldershot--,driver troop #a ---- ,total #cc ---- ,for ,sandhurst a detachment is furnished for two periods in each year for the practical instruction of the cadets in field engineering1 pontooning1 and bridgemaking4 ,a similar party is also provided for the instruction of the gentlemen cadets at ,woolwich2 but its services are simply confined to the construction of a few field-works1 and the making of fascines and gabions4 ,it will be unnecessary to allude to the present employment of the sappers further than to notice1 that at all engineering stations at which they are quartered1 they are appointed to share in the execution of ordnance works4 ,at ,chatham the sappers receive instruction in the field services of the royal engineer department4 ,the course followed is very complete1 omitting no detail with which a sapper should be acquainted1 and embraces the teaching of a system of pontooning with every variety of means and appliance1 also bridgemaking1 photography1 telegraphy1 and the recently-introduced system of rifle science and judging distances4 ,now that permanent teachers are appointed to the establishment to afford tuition in the elementary principles of fortification1 and in plan-drawing and surveying1 there is every reason for anticipating that the corps will much improve in the theoretical as well as practical knowledge of its peculiar duties1 and be better fitted--when thrown by accident away from their officers into circumstances of difficulty and danger--to apply the resources of their acquirements and experience to master the one and conquer the other4 ,the four survey companies are engaged in completing the secondary and minor triangulation of ,great ,britain2 the detail survey and contouring of ,scotland and the four northern counties of ,england1 and the revision and contouring of the northern counties of ,ireland4 ,occasionally they carry on special surveys for the ,government2 execute similar work for sanitary purposes for local boards of health1 and make surveys of particular towns1 parishes1 and manorial estates--for municipal service or proprietary record and reference--at the expense of local corporations or of private noblemen and gentlemen4 ,small parties have at times been employed in making tidal observations for investigating the theory of the tides and for other scientific uses1 and also in gleaning much subsidiary information1 to be embodied in the ,ordnance ,memoir of the ,survey1 should it at a future day be published4 ,in ,ireland1 the companies did excellent service in collecting various statistical details1 and gathering minerals1 fossils1 and objects of natural history1 to assist in developing the investigations of those interesting subjects4 ,in conducting the survey of ,great ,britain1 however1 that branch of the duty has been abandoned4 ,the survey department comprises nine divisions1 the headquarters of which are at ,newcastle-on-,tyne1 ,darlington1 ,carlisle1 ,glasgow1 ,edinburgh1 ,kelso1 ,ayr1 ,dumfries1 and the ,harris isles1 a group in the ,hebrides4 ,southampton is the chief station4 ,special divisions also include detachments employed in the triangulation1 perambulation of boundaries1 in the duty of levelling and contouring1 and hill-sketching1 while a strong force is employed in ,ireland1 with its principal offices at ,dublin1 ,belfast1 and ,enniskillen4 ,no idea1 however1 can be formed from this detail of the actual distribution of the survey companies1 for the men are dispersed1 singly or in small numbers1 throughout the ,united ,kingdom4 ,the duty of levelling alone at one time engaged no less than thirty-six detached parties4 ,the survey is organized and conducted on military principles1 8and though the assistance of civilians is largely made available1 it is simply to serve as the muscles for the military skeleton4 ,no branch of the duty10 except the engraving1 8is performed exclusively by civilians40 ,the officers of royal engineers have the chief direction4 8,their number1 however1 is by no means constant1 but is regulated by the extent of ground under survey1 and by the degree of proficiency of the non-commissioned officers40#bac ,until #ahdc one or more officers always remained with each great instrument1 8but now the non-commissioned officers are so well instructed1 that they can observe as correctly as their superiors1 and the constant presence of an officer is no longer necessary40#bad ,the non-commissioned officers who have1 as observers1 had charge of the different great instruments are as follows3-- ,ordnance #c-;feet ,theodolite by ,ramsden4 ,sergeant ,james ,donelan from ,december1 #ahda1 to ,april1 #ahdb1 and again from ,january1 #ahdc1 to ,september1 #ahdi4 ,he also held the charge for some months in #ahdi and #ahej of the ,royal ,society's instrument1 which he set up at near stations to his own4 ,corporal ,william ,jenkins1 from ,september1 #ahdi1 to ,october1 #aheb1 when it was returned into store at ,southampton4 ,royal ,society's #c-;feet ,theodolite by ,ramsden4 ,corporal ,james ,mulligan1 ,january to ,march1 #ahdc1 when he quitted for the boundary survey of ,america4 ,second-corporal ,thomas ,cosgrove1 ,november1 #ahdc1 from ,lieutenant ,luyken1 ,r4,e4 ,second-corporal ,james ,stewart1 ,august1 #ahdd4 ,corporal ,james ,steel1 ,june1 #ahde4 ,corporal ,robert ,forsyth1 ,august1 #ahde4 ,corporal ,john ,winzer1 ,january1 #ahdf4 ,sergeant ,james ,donelan1 ,march1 #ahdi4 ,corporal ,walter ,grose1 ,november1 #ahej4 ,colour-sergeant ,james ,donelan and corporal ,walter ,grose1 ,august to ,december1 #aheb1 at ,goat ,fell1 relieving each other constantly4 ,corporal ,walter ,grose1 ,december1 #aheb1 to ,march1 #ahee1 when the use of the theodolite was discontinued4 ,this is the instrument that was used by ,general ,roy1 and subsequently by ,captain ,kater1 in making the trigonometrical observations for determining the difference of longitude between the observatories at ,greenwich and ,paris4 ,the greatest distance ever observed by sergeant ,donelan was to an object #ajf miles from his station4 ,his next two greatest were to points between #ajd and #aje miles off4 ,corporal ,jenkins even gained upon his instructor1 and observed distances of #ajf and #ajg miles4 ,corporals ,forsyth and ,stewart were more successful still4 ,one distance obtained was #ajf miles1 another #ajh exactly1 and both observed an object upwards of #aaa miles away4 ,this achievement records a measurement which exceeds in distance any observation heretofore made on the ,ordnance ,survey4 ,the #b-;feet ,theodolite was used by-- ,corporal ,andrew ,bay1 from ,march1 #ahdc1 to ,may1 #ahdg4 ,sergeant ,james ,beaton1 from ,may1 #ahej1 to ,march1 #ahee4 ,mr4 late sergeant ,james ,donelan1 from ,april to ,september1 #ahee4 ,sergeant ,james ,finch1 ,march1 #ahef1 and still retains it4 ,the #ah-;inch ,theodolite has been employed by-- ,corporal ,james ,steel1 from ,august1 #ahda4 ,corporal ,james ,beaton had charge of it for about three months when corporal ,steel was at ,southampton1 in the summer of #ahdd4 ,corporal ,john ,winzer1 ,june1 #ahde4 ,sergeant ,james ,steel1 ,february1 #ahdh1 for the ,london survey4 ,corporal ,william ,jenkins and second-corporal ,john ,wotherspoon assisted sergeant ,steel in the ,london triangulation4 ,second-corporal ,john ,wotherspoon1 ,november1 #ahdh4 ,mr4 ,james ,donelan1 ,january1 #ahec1 to ,may1 #ahee4 ,private ,william ,mc,conomy1 ,june1 #ahef1 and still retains it4 ,at one period there were forty-five officers on the survey2 at another nine only2 now there are nineteen including the superintendent4 ,although the number of officers is very small1 considering the extent of the total force employed1 yet1 by a simple arrangement1 the numerous detachments are effectually commanded by the officers4 ,the strength of the different parties is not proportioned to the ranks of the officers1 but to the exigencies of the service on which they are employed4#bae ,except at ,southampton and ,dublin nearly all the offices of importance and trust on the survey are filled by sappers1 8no civilian10 except in a few instances1 8being responsible for more than his individual labour40 ,each section in the field1 however small1 8is under the charge of either a non-commissioned officer or private1 who is responsible that the work is carried on according to orders1 and that every precaution to prevent negligence or deception is taken4 ,in the office likewise1 a non-commissioned officer superintends each department of the work and reports either directly1 or through a senior non-commissioned officer1 to the officer of engineers in charge4 ,every division having commonly several small detachments in the field1 the payment of each detachment is necessarily made through the non-commissioned officer in charge of it40#baf ,the actual strength of the corps on the survey on the #adth ,june1 #ahdi1 taken from a return presented to the ,committee of the ,house of ,commons on ,army and ,ordnance ,expenditure1#bag is subjoined3-- ,,england4 ,sergeants4 ,bugl4 ,rank and ,file4 ,head-quarter office-general work and computing #j #b #ch ,principal triangulation #b #j #bh ,inserting improvements1 c41 in the #a-;inch map4 #j #j #a ,secondary and minor triangulation #j #j #a ,levelling and contouring #a #j #i ,six-inch survey and plan drawing of ,yorkshire and #h #a #aaj ,lancashire ,survey of ,london for sanitary purposes #e #j #bj ,survey of ,devonport for military purposes #a #j #aa ------ ------ ------ ,total #ag #c #bah ,head-quarter ,stations4--,southampton1 ,wakefield1 ,york1 and ,doncaster4 ,,scotland4 ,secondary and minor triangulation #j #j #f ,six-inch survey and plan drawing of ,kirkcudbright1 ,dumfries-shire1 and the ,isle of ,lewis #c #j #fc ------ ------ ------ ,total #c #j #fi ,head-quarter ,stations4--,dumfries1 ,stornoway4 ,,ireland4 ,plan drawing1 printing1 workshops #a #a #e ,contouring ,donegal #j #j #c ,revising ,donegal and ,londonderry #c #j #ae ------ ------ ------ ,total #d #a #bc ------ ------ ------ ,general ,total #bd #d #cajbah ,head-quarter ,stations4--,dublin and ,londonderry4 ,the survey strength and distribution on the #agth ,october1 #ahef1 the date of changing the designation of the corps1 were as follows3-- ,,england4 ,quarter- ,staff- ,rank and master4 sergeants4 ,sergeants4 ,bugl4 ,file4 ,head-quarter ,office1 ,drawing1 computing1 tracing1 ,southampton4 printing1 c4 #a #b #b #d #cb ,ditto4 ,detached1 levelling1 #j #j #j #j #d and contouring ,ditto1 secondary and ,ditto4 minor #j #j #b #j #ad triangulation ,carlisle ,detail surveying and #j #j #b #j #bb drawing plans ,levelling and #j #j #b #j #ac contouring ,newcastle ,detail surveying and #j #j #b #j #bg drawing plans ,darlington ,ditto ditto ditto #j #j #b #a #bh ,total #a #b #ab #e #adj ,,scotland4 ,quarter- ,staff- ,rank and master4 sergeants4 ,sergeants4 ,bugl4 ,file4 ,edinburgh ,levelling and #j #j #b #j #ac contouring ,detail surveying #j #j #a #j #cc and drawing plans ,glasgow ,ditto ditto ditto #j #j #b #j #bh ,dumfries ,ditto ditto ditto #j #j #a #j #ca ,ayr ,ditto ditto ditto #j #j #b #j #cf ,kelso ,ditto ditto ditto #j #j #a #j #cb ,harris ,isles ,ditto ditto ditto #j #j #j #j #d ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ,total #j #j #i #j #agg ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ,,ireland4 ,dublin ,drawing1 tracing1 #j #j #b #a #bj printing1 and contouring ,enniskillen ,revision survey #j #j #c #j #cj ,belfast ,ditto and #j #j #c #j #da contouring ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ,total #j #j #h #a #ia ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ,general ,total--,great ,britain and #a #b #bi #f #djh ,ireland4 ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ,there was also a civil force1 working with the survey companies1 of upwards of #a1gjj persons1 more than #fjj of whom were labourers4 ,the remainder1 for the most part1 were engravers1 surveyors1 draughtsmen1 computers1 and clerks4 ,for the last thirteen years the strength of the corps on the duty has been disposed of as follows3 ,the totals calculated from the monthly records are the annual averages4 ,of this force a strong detachment has always been employed in the work of the triangulation1 at one time amounting to fifty-four men1 who alike visited the mountains of ,scotland and ,england4 ,such also was the case with the contouring detachment1 which in the early part of #ahec and down to ,october1 #ahef1 numbered about forty men of all ranks4 ,both parties are included in the averages for ,england1 as their location1 from being constantly on the move1 has not been determined in the general monthly returns of the corps3-- ,north ,america4 ------------ ,england4 ,scotland4 ,ireland4 ,bound4 ,explor4 ,paris4 ,erzeroum ,total4 ,surv4 ,surv4 ,danube4 #ahdd #aii #f #bf #bj #j #j #j #bea #ahde #bji #ad #be #aj #j #j #j #beh #ahdf #aih #bh #bc #g #ac #j #j #bfi #ahdg #bjf #cj #bi #j #aa #j #j #bgf #ahdh #baf #dc #bh #j #aj #j #j #big #ahdi #bcc #ga #bh #j #j #j #j #ccb #ahej #bjb #gi #bh #j #j #j #j #cji #ahea #bjc #fa #bh #j #j #j #j #bib #aheb #aij #eg #bf #j #j #j #j #bgc #ahec #afi #hd #ce #j #j #j #j #bhh #ahed #ahb #hi #ge #j #j #j #j #cdf #ahee #ahj #abc #he #j #j #c #j #cia #ahef #agc #adg #hh #j #j #j #b #daj ,the greatest strength of the sappers employed on the survey duty1 was1 in ,october1 #ahef1 #ddf of all ranks4 ,the division of labour is perfect in detail1 and as comprehensive as its delicate minuti will permit4 ,to each department of duty a proportion of sappers is attached with reference to their acquirements and experience1 and the wants of the service4 ,in the principal triangulation recently finished1 the sappers always took an important part4 ,young soldiers newly posted to the companies1 who displayed no particular aptitude for finer work1 were usually sent upon it4 ,the duty was arduous and severe1 and the men invariably slept in tents or portable huts1 on mountain slopes at high altitudes4 ,a sketch of a survey hill encampment may be seen in the ,aide ,memoire1 which graphically illustrates the rugged character of the site1 and by inference1 the difficult and trying nature of the duty4#bai ,in the great triangulation1 the #c-;feet1 #b-;feet1 and #ah-;inch theodolites are used to make the required observations4 ,at the several stations selected for the work1 each instrument is fixed in a 8crow's nest0 on some mountain peak or crag1 or perched upon the turret or narrow towering steeple of some country church or city cathedral1 or stayed by guy-ropes among the battlements of some deserted old castle4#bbj ,for the last thirteen years1 non-commissioned officers with strong camp parties under them have fulfilled this duty1 and have visited1 in every vicissitude of weather1 nearly all the leading trigonometrical stations in ,great ,britain4 8,it is1 perhaps1 right10 says ,captain ,yolland1 8to mention1 that whereas formerly1 it was deemed necessary to employ general officers of the army and scientific individuals to make the required observations with the theodolite to carry forward the principal triangulation1 the whole is now done by non-commissioned officers of sappers1 the only difference being1 that in the one case the general officer worked out his own results1 and in the other the non-commissioned officer simply forwards his observations to ,southampton for computation4 ,that0 continues the captain1 8is a very important economical result of employing sappers and miners40#bba 8,in justice to the highly meritorious body of non-commissioned officers of the corps of royal sappers and miners10 writes ,colonel ,james1 8,i should state1 that whilst in the early part of the survey the most important and delicate observations were entrusted solely to the commissioned officers1 these duties have of late years been performed by the non-commissioned officers with the greatest skill and accuracy40#bbb ,several parties are also employed in conducting the secondary and minor triangulations4 ,in prosecuting the former1 theodolites of #ab and #aj inches diameter are used1 in the latter #i and #g inches4 ,the use of the smaller instruments was commenced about #ahbf by the sappers1 who carried on the observations in connection with the chain survey4 ,next year a few sergeants were entrusted with #ab-;inch instruments4 ,in #ahcc some expert men were attached to the mountain party of ,captain ,portlock1 who thoroughly trained them as observers4 ,about #ahch a selection of some forward and enterprising sappers was sent to ,lieutenant ,downes1 to replace the civilians in charge of the observing parties4 ,from this time is dated the general employment of sappers in the use of the secondary class of instruments4 8,the system of employing trained sappers0 in the work of the triangulation1 and in the use of the zenith sector was 8introduced by ,general ,colby1 and attained during his time its fullest development40#bbc ,here it should be noted1 however1 that the sappers in the field are confined to the practical duty of observing only1 and consequently take no part in the responsibility of the calculations1 which are entirely carried out under the direction of the officers of royal engineers4 ,as mere observers the non-commissioned officers have succeeded eminently1 and their observations will bear the strictest comparison with any previously made either with the great instruments or the zenith sector4 ,the other duties of the companies comprise the computation of distances1 areas1 altitudes1 latitudes and longitudes1 the detail survey of the kingdom1 and the drawing and colouring of the necessary plans for engraving and publication4 ,several men have the important duty to discharge of examining the work on the ground1 before the plans are fairly finished2 and a number are constantly employed in contour levelling4 ,the great bulk1 however1 of the companies is dispersed on the detail survey and in plan-drawing4 ,a few non-commissioned officers are also engaged in the perambulation and notation of public boundaries--a branch of duty demanding from those selected to carry it out a good understanding1 a habit of sifting and weighing evidence of a confused and contradictory character1 and mental vigour sufficient to bear up against the hard and depressing study of wearying and uninteresting details and registries4 ,long-standing litigations between parishes and townships respecting the demarcation of certain lands have often been investigated by the non-commissioned officers1 and upon the accuracy of the reports drawn up by them depended the decisions of the superintending officer4 ,in elucidating the features of particular territorial disputes1 dry legal enactments and charters1 corporate and manorial records and histories1 have not unfrequently to be consulted4 ,some important cases1 shrouded in difficulty and complexity1 have called for a more lengthened inquiry and application2 and the plodding perambulators1 to make themselves masters of the points at issue1 have even extended their researches to the study of old and abstruse authorities1 such as ,pope ,nicholas' ,taxation1 the ,valor ,ecclesiasticus of ,henry ,,viii41 and the ,,mss4 of ,torre and ,archbishop ,sharpe4 ,some of the reports display a more than average amount of talent1 argumentative skill1 and antiquarian information4#bbd ,the following detail shows the regimental and survey rate of pay received by the sappers on the #adth ,june1 #ahdi1 at the time the committee was sitting on army and ordnance expenditure3--#bbe ,regimental ,survey ,pay4 ,pay4 s4 d4 s4 d4 s4 d4 #a sergeant-major #d #g #d #j #c colour-sergeants #c #c #b #i to #d #j #bj sergeants #b #i #b #a 0 #c #j #be corporals #b #c #a #d 0 #b #aj #bf second corporals #a #aa #a #d 0 #b #f #b privates #a #c #b #j 0 #b #f #agj privates #a #c #a #j 0 #b #j #ia privates #a #c under #a #j ---- #cch ,total4 ---- ,the majority of the lowest class were men who had but recently joined the survey1 and whose attainments and usefulness had not been sufficiently known to warrant their being advanced to the higher classes4 ,the working pay is fixed by the superintendent at a rate for each 8according to his acquirements and industry2 and for the satisfactory performance of duties requiring management and ingenuity1 such1 for instance1 as reflecting with the heliostat1 piling hills with judgment10 accuracy and expertness in taking astronomical observations1 c41 8it is customary to allow special rewards40#bbf ,a few of the non-commissioned officers and men not already mentioned in these records1 who have been conspicuous on the duty1 and have gained special attention for their abilities and advantageous services in very responsible situations1 are here given as examples1 to encourage others in the corps to seek and cultivate still higher attainments1 and to emulate their usefulness and zeal4 ,second-corporal ,william ,lowrie4 ,enlisted in ,july1 #ahcc4 ,application and industry soon made his services of value to the survey4 ,his maps of the city of ,limerick and town of ,liverpool have ranked him among the first class of draughtsmen4 ,in ,january1 #ahde1 he purchased his discharge1 and obtained profitable employment in the ,assessionable ,manors' ,commission4 ,he is now surveyor and draughtsman at a high salary to the harbour department of the ,admiralty4 ,sergeant ,james ,sinnett4 ,a non-commissioned officer of indefatigable energy and intelligence2 was one of the best draughtsmen in the corps1 and excelled in landscape drawing2 was also an efficient superintendent1 and after a service of more than eighteen years1 died at ,liverpool in ,august1 #ahdd4 ,sergeant ,william ,jenkins4 ,has been principally employed in the triangulation1 and has observed with the #c-;feet theodolite from some of the most important trigonometrical stations in the kingdom4 ,through a long catalogue of great instrument observers--from the eminent ,general ,mudge to the non-commissioned officers of the corps who had completed the grand triangulation1 sergeant ,jenkins stands unrivalled4 ,his reputation in this department of duty depends not on opinion but on a fact which has become a feature in the history of the operation2 for his observations1 computed comparatively with those of other observers1 have1 in their value1 proved to be the best4 ,during the ,london survey in #ahdh he assisted sergeant ,steel in taking observations from the station above the ball and cross of ,st4 ,paul's4 ,he also distinguished himself in the use of the zenith sector at ,southampton1 and subsequently was second in charge of the re-measurement of the base on ,salisbury ,plain4 ,in #ahee he was selected to exhibit at the ,paris ,exposition the scientific contributions from the ordnance survey1 during which1 he had the rare distinction of offering explanations concerning the maps and instruments in his charge1 to the ,emperor2 and also of being the bearer to ,colonel ,james1 as head of the national survey of the ,united ,kingdom1 a gold medal of honour and a first class silver medal1 in testimony of the high appreciation with which the survey specimens of art1 had been received in the ,french metropolis4 ,at present he has charge under ,captain ,clarke of the persons employed at ,southampton on the computations of the secondary and minor triangulations and of the correspondence with the parties engaged on that duty in the field4 ,sergeant ,william ,scott1 after a service of twenty years1 left the corps in ,november1 #ahde4 ,he joined it a lad from the ,hibernian ,school4 ,his acquirements were varied and above the average of intelligent men4 ,whether as a surveyor1 draughtsman1 examiner1 or superintendent1 his work was always executed with quickness and accuracy1 and he was frequently encouraged in his duty by preferment and eulogy4 ,in #ahci he had the charge of the detail survey of the city of ,limerick1 and the preparation of the plans on the #e-;feet scale4 ,the survey was executed entirely by chain triangulation1 in a manner so superior as to elicit the marked approbation of his officers4 ,on retiring from the corps he commenced life anew as a civil engineer1 and obtained good employment in the profession in ,england4 ,his success1 however1 did not keep pace with his wishes and exertions1 but sailing for the ,west1 he was not long unknown in ,canada4 ,under his superintendence the western division of the ,great ,western ,railway was executed4 ,on its completion in #ahed1 and when his connection with the undertaking had ceased1 he was presented by the employs of the company at a public dinner1 with a gold watch of the value of #ejj dollars1 as a token of high respect for his professional knowledge1 and for his zeal and amiable firmness in directing the works4 ,he now holds1 through his own unassisted efforts1 an honourable position in society1 is esteemed for his attainments in science and engineering1 and his prosperity has placed him in circumstances of moderate wealth4 ,corporal ,william ,m#8,lintock was a very clever artizan4 ,an ingenious machine was invented by him for ruling the lines of even shades on the copper1 superseding its execution by hand engraving2 and another for producing a finer1 smoother1 and more uniform impression of the characteristics of the maps4 ,they are still in use at ,southampton4 ,the first1 by a simple and beautiful process of mechanism is1 when arranged1 set in motion1 and performs its delicate operations unaided1 until the particular service assigned to it is accomplished4 ,the other produces its advantages by an effective adaptation of the hydraulic principle and steam4 ,both inventions possess many excellences over the former modes of executing these fine and scrupulous details1 and not only save much time and labour1 but the chance of inaccuracy and irregularity in the performance4 ,sergeant ,james ,beaton has given much satisfaction as an observer4 ,he is also well known for his successful daring in the building of structures for trigonometrical purposes4 ,since #ahdj he has superintended the erection for these objects of at least fifty scaffoldings with stages1 on the summits of towers or spires of churches1 and in other prominent positions1 in various parts of the ,british isles4 ,some of these structures have exhibited great skill1 and the ingenious arrangement of the timbers1 cordage1 and fastenings1 made the scaffolds with their platforms1 objects alike of curiosity and architectural merit4 ,the celebrated stages at ,calaiswold near ,bishopwilton1 and ,arbury ,hill near ,daventry1 were massive and imposing structures4 ,the former was #gh feet high1 and #cjj trees from the estate of ,sir ,tatton ,sykes were used in its construction3 the latter was #hj feet high1 and the timber employed in it took a waggon and four horses for six days to collect it on the site4 ,the scaffolds and stages on the steeples of ,thaxted and ,danbury churches in ,essex were cleverly executed4 ,the ,thaxted one was a particularly difficult service1 and accomplished at imminent personal risk4 ,it was nevertheless a very artistic and beautiful work1 and of sufficient interest to receive delineation in a ,london journal4 ,it was built in ,april1 #ahdd4 ,the scaffold and stage were more than #ajb feet in height1 and rose from the crown of the tower1 which had an elevation of #ajj feet from the ground4 ,his most distinguished work was superintending1 in #ahdh1 the erection of the scaffolding and stage around and above the ball and cross of ,st4 ,paul's ,cathedral1 and which earned the reputation of being a 8wonderful specimen of skill0#bbg and workmanship4 ,the design for it was made by sergeant ,james ,steel2 but sergeant ,beaton effected some important improvements in its details1 which gave solidity and stability to the delicate fabric4 ,his coolness1 scrupulous care1 and unflinching zeal in carrying on the work were astonishing1 and during its progress he was visited by many architects1 engineers1 and professional men1 who treated him with great courtesy1 and eulogised his talent and courage4 ,in the metropolitan sanitary survey sergeant ,beaton took the trigonometrical observations at nine points of the district1 the chief stations being on the cupola of the ,colosseum1 ,st4 ,luke's1 ,chelsea1 the ,pagoda ,tower at ,kew ,gardens1 and the ,wimbledon and ,highgate churches4 ,the stage at the ,pagoda was very difficult of erection4 ,the tower is #adj feet high1 and the pole from its apex rises to an elevation of #bj feet4 ,above this pole in a very skilful manner was the stage constructed1 which rested upon four #cj-;feet spars based upon the cupola4 ,while the work was in progress frost set in1 and the roof1 smooth as a sheet of glass1 rendered the movements of the workmen very perilous2 but the sergeant1 equal to the occasion1 by means of a circle of sheeting secured at the foot of the uprights1 and the strewing of gravel on the planks1 effected the service with his accustomed success4 ,at ,wimbledon spire the scaffolding from the base to the top was #he feet1 and from its neatness had so beautiful an appearance1 that a drawing of it was transferred to the pages of the #8,illustrated ,london ,news4' ,it was built during the prevalence of a strong gale1 and to insure security against an increased pressure of wind on the superstructure1 #gjj yards of chain and #ejj yards of rope were fixed to the base of the main posts1 and passed fourfold through the belfry windows1 and made taut to the eight-bell frame by powerful tackling4 ,the strength of the fabric was afterwards severely tested1 for a violent storm came on1 and whilst large trees were thrown down and others were snapped off above ground1 the stage on the fragile spire of the church weathered the hurricane4 ,at ,highgate church he built a similar stage above a spire of #fj feet1 rising from a tower of #gj feet3 this spire was architecturally embellished with turrets1 pinnacles1 c41 and eight flying buttresses4 ,a storm set in here also1 which shook the houses in the vicinity of the church4 ,at midnight the sergeant was awakened by the wind1 and dressing himself hastened to the top of the steeple4 ,nothing daunted by the oscillations of the stage he secured the instrument1 and reefing a part of the canvas of the observatory saved it from destruction4 ,this incident is given to show the sergeant's spirit and devotion to the service4 ,at ,gloucester ,cathedral he erected on the tower a neat scaffolding and double stage1 to receive his observatory1 which was made to peer over the delicate pinnacles of the edifice4 ,the pinnacles rose #eb feet above the roof1 while the height of the building from the ground to the top of the spires measured #bbf feet4 ,this service was carried out with his usual ability and care1 and the damage done to the cathedral in the fixing1 and afterwards in the removal of the heavy timbers and stores1 cost to repair it only the small sum of #as4 #d;d4 ,similar scaffolds and double stages were constructed by him on the towers of ,tewkesbury ,abbey and ,worcester ,cathedral4 ,from #ahej to #ahee he conducted the trigonometrical observations with the #b-;feet theodolite from the top of ,nelson's ,monument on ,calton ,hill1 from the turret over the crown-room at ,edinburgh ,castle1 and from many mountain stations in ,scotland4 ,at one period of his service he was employed in the triangulation of ,lewis1 and underwent incredible hardships in its prosecution4 ,indeed1 throughout his survey career of more than twenty-three years1 his adventures and vicissitudes on mountain duty1 in observing1 in scaffold building1 in travels by land and sea1 exposed in camp to frost and snow1 to violent winds1 storms1 and deluging tempests1 belong almost to the romance of science4 ,this is true not only with respect to the arduous and trying services of sergeant ,beaton1 but to many others who1 like him1 have been allotted to the laborious duty of the great triangulation4 ,colour-sergeant ,james ,donelan was discharged in ,april1 #ahec1 and1 subsequently1 for his excellent services received a silver medal and an annuity of ten pounds a year4 ,from the year #ahci he was employed in charge of parties on mountains and at other stations1 in making observations of angles and bearings1 for the secondary and minor triangulation of ,ireland4 ,from ,december1 #ahda1 to ,april1 #ahdb1 and from ,january1 #ahdc1 to late in #aheb1 he had the sole charge of ,ramsden's three-feet theodolite1 and made observations for primary triangles1 some of whose sides were more than #ajj miles in length4 ,this class of observations previously had been performed by officers and mathematical assistants of great experience only1 but the observations made by sergeant ,donelan proved on calculation to be equal in accuracy to those of his predecessors4 ,to his credit it must be recorded1 that he was the first non-commissioned officer of the corps intrusted with the charge of a three-feet instrument4 ,for more than twelve years he was encamped on remote mountain heights1 or moving from one wild spot to another as the requirements of the service demanded4 ,in this way he visited upwards of fifty trigonometrical stations in the ,british isles1 many of which have become famous by the labours of ,general ,roy1 ,general ,mudge1 ,captain ,kater1 and ,general ,colby4 ,robust and physically adapted for laborious employment1 he sustained with cheerfulness and evenness of temper and purpose1 the arduous toils and difficulties of his duty1 and the privations1 discomforts1 and atmospherical vicissitudes of a trying situation4 ,his was necessarily a rugged life1 but in all he acted like a true soldier1 and was faithful and efficient alike as a sapper and an observer4 ,here it may be proper to mention that at ,leith ,hill1 in ,surrey1 he received a visit from an eminent stranger1 of whose position in society he was at the time unconscious4 ,with the strict injunction that he was not to touch the instruments1 or to interfere or speak while the observations were being conducted1 the gentleman was admitted into the observatory4 ,sergeant ,donelan having closed the series of the arc to the ,whitehorse-hill heliostat1 entered into conversation with the stranger1 and after an unrestrained reciprocation of thought and opinion on professional matters1 he was embarrassed to learn that the visitor was no other than ,professor ,airy1 the ,astronomer-,royal4 ,the visit was a beneficial one to the sergeant1 for the professor1 in a half-hour's stay1 imparted to him much valuable information1 and complimented him in a letter to ,southampton for his care1 industry1 and ability4 ,among his later military services he was engaged for some months in the irksome operation of refinding the trigonometrical stations in ,ireland4 ,the duty was one of no common difficulty1 but with his accustomed perseverance and precision1 he succeeded in effecting it to the perfect satisfaction of his officers4 ,he not only found the various sites1 some of them almost hopelessly lost1 but to render them easily accessible to future observers1 described their characteristics and the physical features and bearings of the most remarkable objects in their vicinity4 ,he is now employed as a civilian1 observing with a #ab-;inch theodolite for the second and minor triangulation at a salary of #gs4 #c;d4 a-day1 in addition to his pension of #bs4 #j;d4 ,sergeant ,joseph ,longland served about seventeen years in the corps1 was proficient in the field duties of the survey1 and bore the character of being a fine draughtsman4 ,coupled with his charge of the drawing and tracing at ,mountjoy1 he superintended the revision of the engravings for ,ireland4 ,for several years he took the meteorological observations1 directed the reduction of them for publication1 and not only proved himself to be an excellent and careful observer1 but introduced improvements in the meteorological registry4 ,at ,southampton1 under the executive1 he superintended1 with singular efficiency and correctness1 the staff of draughtsmen1 civil and military1 employed at the ,ordnance map office4 ,the vast range of his information1 his habit of close reflection and studious application1 rendered him a trustworthy and successful assistant4 ,thrice he has appeared before the public as a poet4 ,his works bear the titles of #8,othello ,doomed1' #8,bernard ,alvers1' and #8,trephely4' ,the two first are richly imaginative1 displaying a versatility of style1 an originality and wildness of idea and incident1 a gracefulness and sublimity of diction1 that bid fair1 as he expands in experience and familiarizes himself with the compass of his powers1 to give him a high stand among the poets4 ,his last production1 however1 does not come up to the expectations of his admirers4 ,it is too vague1 eccentric1 and improbable to meet with favour4 ,undoubted evidence it bears of spirit1 thought1 care1 and ambition1 but it lacks the charm--the merit of his earlier works4 ,in #ahee he received a commission as ,quartermaster in one of the foreign legions1 but the labours to which he was subjected in the organization of a new corps with whose language he was utterly unacquainted1 not suiting the bias of his mind for close sedentary occupation1 induced him to resign4 ,the step was accompanied with pecuniary inconveniences4 ,fairly thrown on the world1 with good talents and proper ambition to start with1 there is little doubt but that his energy of character will introduce him to employment which will make up for the honourable position he felt it expedient to sacrifice4 ,sergeant ,donald ,geddes possessed varied ability both as a surveyor and a mechanic4 ,he was also a clear-headed and suggestive clerk of works1 and not without pretensions as an architectural draughtsman4 ,when discharged in the summer of #ahec1 he was in subordinate charge of the electrotype apparatus and copper-plate printers at the ,ordnance map office at ,southampton1 under ,captain ,w4 ,d4 ,gosset1 ,r4,e41 in which1 through his assiduity and intelligence1 the process of producing the copper for engraving was carried out very successfully4 ,in attending to this duty his attention had been much engaged in scientific investigations and chemical experiments1 and his diligent application made him intimately acquainted with the sciences of galvanism and electricity4 ,frequently on these subjects he lectured at the ,polytechnic ,institution at ,southampton to large audiences1 and his addresses were invariably reported in their entire length in the local papers4 ,in ,january1 #aheb1 he was honoured by a request to open the session of the institution with a lecture4 ,this sergeant ,geddes complied with4 ,his subject was 8,the ,advantages of ,scientific ,knowledge10 and it was received by a crowded assembly with enthusiasm4 8,the eloquence1 ease of illustration1 and fine talent of the lecturer1 were surprising1 and professors with a stream of initial titles to their names could not more have instructed and delighted their audiences at the royal and other metropolitan institutions than did sergeant ,geddes40#bbh ,an incident occurred on this occasion which1 from its remarkable character and effects1 should not be omitted4 ,the lecturer in alluding to the electric-telegraph1 drew attention to the fact that friendly salutes had1 by its agency1 been fired between the coasts of ,england and ,france4 8,let us only imagine10 he continued1 8that this wire were carried across the channel and attached to the cannons of ,paris or ,madrid2 let us wish to salute them on some great occasion1 and by the simple touch of our wires it is done60 ,here the lecturer united his wires1 and lo6 three pieces of artillery were fired in the adjacent grounds1 to the great astonishment of the audience2 but though the experiment was successful1 it was attended by one of those striking accidents which1 instead of damping the interest of the assembly1 assisted to increase its zest and to prolong its hearty applause4 ,the distance that the guns were likely to be out of the road of doing harm was not accurately ascertained1 and when the explosion took place the crash that ensued embraced the destruction of more than #ajj panes of glass in the ,polytechnic building6 ,at the invitation of ,mr4 ,andrews1 the ,mayor of ,southampton1 he afterwards delivered a lecture at ,st4 ,john's ,house1 ,winchester1 on voltaic and magnetic electricity4 8,the lecture1 so interesting and yet so practical in its illustrations1 accompanied by experiments so brilliant and successful1 was listened to with the most earnest and intelligent attention40#bbi ,mr4 ,andrews and ,miss ,smith--the heroine of the #8,amazon'--were present2 and sergeant ,geddes1 during his sojourn at ,winchester1 was the honoured guest of the mayor1 and favoured with the amiable and intelligent company of the accomplished lady4 ,in ,march1 #ahee1 he delivered perhaps his best lecture at ,southampton in the ,polytechnic ,institution1 on the 8,monumental ,remains of ,egypt1 ,assyria1 and ,greece40 ,it was illustrated by drawings and photographs of striking subjects--gleaned chiefly from ,layard's remarkable discoveries4 ,there was also a view of ,attica1 nine feet long1 sketched by ,mrs4 ,bracebridge1 celebrated for her heroic devotion and gentleness to our sick troops in the hospitals on the ,bosphorus4 ,the hall was filled to inconvenience1 and he was encouraged by the presence of many of the notabilities of the city4 ,a respectable local paper spoke of the lecture as being comprehensive and 8greatly enhanced in effect by his not having to refer to a single note throughout40 ,the journal further observed1 that 8the lecture was altogether one pleasing flow of words1 strictly appropriate1 forcible in a scientific point of view1 and convincing1 as in all other respects1 to the inquisitive mind of an audience excited to the highest pitch of attention40#bcj ,on several occasions sergeant ,geddes has contributed to the columns of the #8,hampshire ,advertiser' original and popularly written articles on art and science4 ,in the erection of the new gaol at ,southampton1 he held the office of clerk of the works2 and he now fills1 by the patronage of ,colonel ,james1 the superintendent of the survey1 a similar appointment in connection with the building of fire-proof offices and stores at the ,ordnance map office1 for which a sum of #h1jjjl4 has been voted by ,parliament4 ,sergeant-major ,james ,steel4--,from the first he had a taste for the investigation of abstruse questions of science and philosophy1 and his strong mind and perseverance1 his power of application and fulness of resource1 have made him acquainted with a fund of knowledge and information not commonly possessed by men in his sphere of life4 ,as a mathematician he holds a fair reputation for proficiency and accuracy1 but it is chiefly with the work of the triangulation and astronomy he has most distinguished himself4 ,his early service was passed on severe hill duty4 ,ben ,auler and ,creach ,ben were his first mountain stations4 ,there he experienced a round of the varied hardships and dangers peculiar to a trig camp4#bca ,possessing a buoyant temper and a hardy constitution he for many years bore with happy composure all the stern trials and changes to which the service exposed him1 and carried on his duties with unrelaxed ardour and success4 ,at ,creach ,ben he learnt the use of the instrument1 and succeeded ,lieutenant ,hamley1 ,r4,e41 in its charge in #ahda4 ,he is the first non-commissioned officer of the corps who used one of the larger instruments4 ,in prosecuting his new trust1 his travels embraced all parts of the ,british ,isles4 ,now he would have his station on the mountain top1 now on some craggy peak1 and anon staged on the tower of some majestic castle or cathedral4 ,this again he would leave for service on some stormy coast1 or to perch his observatory on the slender weather-worn spire of some quiet village or city church4 ,at ,norwich cathedral his observatory rested on a scaffolding #cae feet from the floor of the building--nearly the height of ,st4 ,paul's1 but without the advantage of a dome at the base1 to diminish the apparent distance of the observer from the ground4 ,here he used to creep into the 8nest0 through a hole in its floor4 ,some of the men were weeks before they could reach the top1 while it was the duty of sergeant ,steel and others to ascend it1 and carry on the work in the most tempestuous weather and in the darkest nights4 ,the oscillations of the structure were frequently very violent1 but the observer1 cool and fearless1 continued to complete his arcs and to record the movements of the stars4 ,in one of the storms which broke over ,norwich an architect paid the sergeant a visit1 but the vibration of the 8nest0 appeared so alarming to him1 that through his representation a peremptory order was given to abandon the station1 by removing the instrument and scaffolding from the spire4 ,at ,beachy ,head the sergeant spent a winter season1 where he was exposed to cold the bitterest he had ever experienced4 ,this was in ,march1 #ahde1 and at midnight1 when the temperature was #be below freezing-point1 he did not forsake his work1 but continued to observe the elongations of the pole-star1 protected only by the canvas sides of his frail observatory4 ,in moving from place to place he acquired much skill and facility in the construction of scaffolding and stages1 and some of these fabrics1 from his own designs1 have only perhaps been excelled by the interesting works of sergeant ,beaton4 ,soon after this1 sergeant ,steel1 instructed by his officers in the use of the transit and zenith sector instruments1 was employed during periods of five years in carrying on a series of astronomical observations with ,airy's zenith sector for the determination of the latitude of various trigonometrical stations used in the ,ordnance survey of the ,british isles4 ,out of the twenty-six sector stations he visited seventeen1 at fifteen of which he took the whole of the observations with the exception of a few at ,balta1 and about one-half at ,southampton1 which were made by corporal ,william ,jenkins4 ,the record of his observations1 comprising about #gjj quarto pages of closely-printed matter1 attest both his industry under difficulties1 and his talents4 ,in this honourable service he displayed a quickness of perception1 an accuracy in the manipulation of his instrument1 and a skill and dexterity in the taking and registration of his observations1 that place him in an enviable light even among scientific men4 ,the most important work with which the name of sergeant ,steel is popularly associated is the triangulation of ,london for the ,sewers' ,commissioners4 ,he it was who designed the beautiful scaffolding around and above the ball and cross of ,st4 ,paul's1 and who for four months carried on his duties from the observatory1 cradled above the cross1 with so much spirit and zeal1 notwithstanding at times its alarming oscillations4 ,in that period he made between #h1jjj and #aj1jjj observations1 and on the completion of the service superintended the removal of the scaffolding1 which was found to be an operation even more difficult and hazardous than its erection4 ,another important work superintended by him1 was the remeasurement of the base line on ,salisbury ,plain by means of the compensation-apparatus1 which he conducted with his accustomed fidelity4 ,in this delicate and peculiar duty his readiness of invention and perseverance enabled him to master1 with complete success1 the various obstacles he met with in its progress4 ,so important a charge as this was never before intrusted to the responsibility of a non-commissioned officer1 for heretofore the base lines were measured only by general officers of great scientific merit and experience4 ,that on ,salisbury ,plain was executed by ,general ,mudge in #agid1 and its remeasurement was1 in its operation and results1 fully equal1 in point of skill and correctness of execution1 to any of its predecessors4 ,subsequently he took a leading part in the survey of the ,queen's estate at the ,isle of ,wight1 for which ,prince ,albert presented him with a cheque for ten pounds 8as a mark of ,his ,royal ,highness's approval of his attention and care in making the survey of ,osborne40 ,on the #adth ,august1 #ahee1 after a stay of ten days on the summit of his old acquaintance ,ben ,lomond1 he arrived at ,arthur's ,seat1 where the zenith sector was awaiting him4 ,no time was to be lost in working it1 as a measure of the local attraction of the mountain--to be supported by about #hej determinations of latitudes and theodolite observations at three stations--was to be delivered for the consideration of the savans of the ,british ,association1 at their gathering on the #aeth ,september4 ,quickly rearing his instrument1 and obtaining the loan of a chronometer from the astronomer-royal of ,scotland--,piazzi ,smythe--he threw his whole energy into the operation1 labouring with his untiring sappers for twelve1 sixteen1 and sometimes twenty hours a-day4 ,thus robbing nature of her wonted rest1 he registered by the #acth1 with his usual accuracy1 the necessary number of observations1 but the result by calculation did not turn out as was expected4 ,an additional spur was thus given to scientific inquiry1 experiments were renewed and investigations made1 which ended in establishing1 to some extent1 the existence of a disturbing power in that romantic hill1 besides its understood attraction1 to influence the plumb-line4 ,of that other disturbing force the cause is still a mystery1 but as ,arthur's ,seat is in the vicinity of the ,modern ,athens1 and is daily visited by professors and students of geology and other branches of natural philosophy1 there is every chance of this strange phenomenon being sooner or later discovered and explained4#bcb ,of his services ,colonel ,james thus wrote3 8,the observations were made by sergeant-major ,steel1 during the months of ,september and ,october last2 #bbj double observations of stars were taken at each station1 and the results have justified my confidence in him as an observer40#bcc ,sergeant ,steel's services and attainments have always been of the highest class for usefulness and integrity1 and his attention to the public economy was marked by a penetrative species of calculation1 which made him more than a match for such contractors as it was occasionally his duty to engage4 ,under the years #ahdh1 #ahdi1 and #ahej1 the valuable services of this non-commissioned officer are more particularly alluded to in connection with the special services upon which he was then employed4 ,it is only a poor act of justice here to mention that in this instance1 as in all others in which non-commissioned officers and men have signalised themselves1 the corps is deeply indebted to the ,royal ,engineers for information1 direction1 opportunity1 patient instruction1 and an interest in the development of individual character and talent2 so that1 for nearly a quarter of a century1 the officers have assigned to them the performance of many important services1 which from the accuracy and integrity of their accomplishment have greatly enhanced the corps in the confidence of their officers and in public esteem4 ,sergeant--now sergeant-major--,steel is the chief non-commissioned officer of the corps on the survey1 and is stationed at ,southampton1 where1 under ,captain ,clarke1 he is superintending the calculations for the publication of the principal and secondary triangulation of the ,united ,kingdom4 ,colour-sergeant ,william ,campbell4--,joined the corps in #ahbi1 and early distinguished himself by his attainments4 ,this led to his selection1 when quite a junior non-commissioned officer1 to give instruction to the inspectors of national schools in ,ireland in surveying and levelling4 ,these gentlemen were appointed to watch over the schools in the twenty-five educational districts into which ,ireland was divided1 to carry out the spirit and intentions of ,lord ,stanley's plan for ,irish education4 ,sergeant ,campbell spent two months in training the superintendents1 during which time he was brought into contact with noblemen and distinguished personages1 all of whom uniformly treated him with marked courtesy4 ,on completing the service he was rewarded in #ahch by the ,commissioners of ,education1 of whom the ,duke of ,leinster was the chief1 with a handsome case of drawing-instruments4 ,his pupils also1 in testimony of their esteem for his attention and ability1 presented him with a purse of ten sovereigns1 accompanied by a flattering address4 ,when removed to the survey of ,england1 his experience and the wide range of his information qualifying him for more extended usefulness1 he was appointed1 under the executive officer at ,southampton1 to fill the second subordinate post of importance on the duty4 ,there he had charge of the correspondence1 accounts and returns of all parties employed in the principal triangulation1 and was responsible for all the money received for their payment1 which at the time amounted to about #f1jjjl4 a-year4 ,he was also in charge of the calculation and preparation of the initial spirit-levelling1 showing the relative altitude of land1 which forms the basis of the whole of the contouring and vertical survey of ,great ,britain and ,ireland4 ,the importance of this duty1 and the fidelity with which it was executed1 gave him a high stand in the estimation of his officers for intelligence and resource4 ,the special survey and mapping of ,southampton for sanitary purposes was completed under his superintendence1 with ,captain ,yolland as director4 ,under that officer he had charge of the construction and preparation of the ,block-plan of ,london for the ,metropolitan ,commissioners of ,sewers1 comprising #hdg sheets on the #e-;feet scale1 and also a plan on the #ab-;inch scale1 containing #dd sheets1 which was subsequently engraved at the ,ordnance map office for the commissioners4 ,by ,captain ,beatty he was intrusted with a like superintendence of the #aj and #ab-;feet plans of seventeen other towns1 surveyed for local boards of health by parties under the direction of the captain4 ,in conducting the survey of ,southampton1 he became popular with the citizens1 and was commended by the corporation4 ,by some of the municipal authorities he was called upon to suggest the best means of supplying the town of ,southampton with water4 ,with the sanction of his commanding officer he made a minute examination of the sources from which the town could be provided1 and furnished his opinion in a lucid and spirited report on the propriety of selecting the ,otterbourne ,spring4#bcd ,twice sergeant ,campbell was examined on his project by a committee of the ,house of ,commons2 but the bill was eventually lost1 not from his being unable to afford proof of its practicability and preference of selection to other springs1 but from want of zeal and unanimity on the part of the corporation to prosecute the scheme4 ,when the ,society of ,associated ,engineers was formed1 several condemnatory letters and articles appeared in various public journals prejudicial to the ,ordnance system of employing officers of engineers and soldiers of the royal sappers and miners to execute the government surveys2 and the #8,builder' was indefatigable in promulgating the statements4 ,sergeant ,campbell undertook a defence of the ,ordnance system2 and fortified as he was by facts and accurate results1 a thorough acquaintance with the effective working of the survey machinery1 and a facility of expressing his views with force and clearness1 his four well-known letters to the #8,builder' in #ahdi1 tended in great measure to terminate the controversy1 and to render the operations of the associated society innocuous to the corps4 ,after serving on the national surveys for more than twenty-two years1 and reaping its highest honours and rewards1 he was discharged in ,july1 #aheb1 on a pension of #as4 #aa;d4 a-day4 ,on parting with him1 ,colonel ,hall recorded his opinion of the very satisfactory manner in which sergeant ,campbell had performed all the responsible and trustworthy duties so long confided to him1 and the great value of his services to the survey1 both as an able superintendent and a first-class assistant4 ,his regimental pay and allowances were #gs4 #c;d4 a-day1 with quarters c42 and since his retirement he has been awarded1 through the influence of ,colonel ,hall1 an annuity of #ajl4 a year1 and a silver medal for 8meritorious service0 in the corps4 ,from the ranks of the sappers he passed into comfortable employment in civil life4 ,out of a tiring number of candidates who offered themselves1 with brilliant testimonials1 for the office of cashier to the ,peninsular and ,oriental ,steam ,navigation ,company1 he was selected to fill it1 at a salary of #bajl4 a year2 since which--such has been his probity and efficiency--his income has been increased to #cjjl4 a year4 ,quartermaster ,william ,young4--,this rank was conferred upon ,mr4 ,young in ,april1 #ahec1 as a reward for his talents and pre-eminently useful services4 ,he joined the corps from the ,hibernian school in ,july1 #ahbe1 and soon1 by study and application1 became a well-informed mathematician4 ,in #ahcj ,captain ,henderson confided to him the calculations of the secondary and minor triangulation and trigonometrical altitudes of one of the districts in ,ireland1 in which1 from his quickness1 mental vigour1 and extraordinary power of memory with reference to the logarithms of numbers1 and the results of various calculations1 his services were found1 even at this early period1 to be exceedingly advantageous4 ,promotion1 however1 being slow1 it was not until #ahch he became a full non-commissioned officer2 and soon afterwards1 he succeeded a civil gentleman of experience and ability in conducting1 under the direction of his officers1 the computing department for the survey of ,ireland4 ,in that country his duties were always onerous and responsible2 and the care1 rapidity1 and correctness with which they were executed1 marked him out for higher employment in ,england4 ,at ,southampton he was intrusted with duties never before performed by a non-commissioned officer4 ,next to his officers he held the most important post on the survey1 and fulfilled its requirements with no common ardour1 integrity1 and accuracy4 ,for fifteen years he superintended a large force of computers and others1 employed in carrying out the various calculations for the principal1 secondary1 and minor triangulation1 the preparation of diagrams1 the calculations of latitudes1 longitudes1 and meridional bearings1 also the computation of distances and positions for the hydrographical office to enable the ,admiralty to project the nautical surveys of the coast of the ,united ,kingdom4 ,with these scientific duties was connected the computation of trigonometrical and meridional and parallel distances for the surveys and large plans of towns4 ,in #ahdd1 when the ,admiralty sanctioned ,mr4 ,airy's project for the chronometrical measurement of an arc of parallel between ,greenwich and ,valentia ,island1 the professor was requested to alter his formul1 to enable the calculations to be carried out more correctly4 ,he accordingly supplied new formul1 which being submitted to the most rigid tests1 it was found that not only 8none of the approximate processes given by the various writers on geodesy were sufficiently exact to reproduce the original assumed latitude1 longitude1 and bearing1 on carrying the calculations to the point at which they commenced10 but that those of the royal astronomer's also failed to accomplish the object1 8until it was found that the normal1 or radius of curvature perpendicular to the meridian for the latitude of the given station1 must be used in that of the determination of the second station1 and the normal for the latitude of the second in the determination of that of the third1 and so on1 instead of using any approximate radius40 ,this was ascertained by sergeant-major ,young1 8after repeated attempts had been made1 without success1 to alter or modify the various approximate processes which had been tried1 so as to cause them to reproduce the assumed data1 on continuing the computations to the original point2 and it was then also discovered by him1 that in addition to obtaining accurate results1 the calculations might be materially abridged by using the normal1 as it then became unnecessary to convert the difference of longitude on the assumed or fictitious sphere used in the calculations1 to the corresponding difference on the spheroid40#bce ,the reversal of the steps of these improved formul also gave the means of finding accurately1 when the latitudes and longitudes of any two points are known1 the distances between them and their reciprocal bearings4#bcf ,in publishing the work called #8,lough ,foyle ,base1' ,captain ,yolland acknowledged the services rendered in its progress by sergeant-major ,young1 8in charge of the computing branch0 at ,southampton1 8for various improvements in the calculations1 and for the rigid manner in which they were performed40 ,it was moreover added1 that to his 8quickness1 accuracy1 and skill in mathematical calculations1 the survey is much indebted40#bcg ,he also afforded material aid1 being ,captain ,yolland's principal assistant1 in the reduction and preparation for publication1 of the astronomical observations with the zenith sector for the determination of the latitudes of twenty-six different trigonometrical stations used in the ,ordnance ,survey4 ,the published work comprises #a1jji quarto pages of closely printed tabulated matter1 displaying an array of results that must have cost both chief and assistant a great sacrifice of mental energy and unwearied application to make the necessary calculations and deductions4 ,for some years ,mr4 ,young superintended1 under an officer of engineers1 the compilation and calculations for the publication of the grand triangulation of the ,united ,kingdom1 and the arcs of the meridian connected with it4 ,in addition to these scientific duties1 he had charge of an official correspondence1 and the management of large public accounts1 the magnitude of which may be judged by the fact that in four years alone more than #ajj1jjjl4 passed through his hands--#ej1jjjl4 at least in personal payments1 and the remainder in issues through him1 to other persons rendering their accounts to him for examination4 ,this brief abstract affords sufficient evidence of the extent and responsibility of his duties1 which1 ,colonel ,hall reported1 8could only have been performed1 in the highly-efficient manner in which they had been1 by the possession on his part of great mathematical knowledge and aptitude for applied sciences40 ,in some respects to compensate him for his services1 he had1 when a non-commissioned officer1 been awarded the highest military rewards and allowances that the regulations permitted3 viz41 #ds4 a day and an annuity of #ajl4 a year and a silver medal4 ,these1 with his sergeant-major's pay1 made his annual allowances reach about #agjl4 a year1 exclusive of his regimental advantages of excellent quarters1 fuel1 and clothing4 ,even this1 the ultimate stretch of military reward1 was wholly incommensurate with his acquirements and deserts2 and to retain his services in the department1 it became necessary that a special course should be taken to better his station in the corps4 ,this was successful2 and by the cordial and generous advocacy of ,sir ,john ,burgoyne1 a commission was obtained for him to the rank of ,quartermaster1 by which he is placed1 in a pecuniary view1 in a position above the chief civil gentlemen on the survey1 and on a par nearly with the lieutenants of engineers employed on it4 ,throughout his career1 it is not a little curious to add1 that he was the first non-commissioned officer on all occasions selected to receive the advantage of all the additional honours and rewards conferred on the survey companies1 for he was the first who received the #ds4 a day survey pay1 the first appointed sergeant-major1 the first medallist1 the first annuitant1 and the first quartermaster4 ,of the general merits and services of the survey companies1 both ,general ,colby and ,colonel ,hall1 ,r4,e41 have spoken in high terms4 ,in ,september1 #ahdf1 the former officer1 who for twenty-two years had commanded them1 called attention to their peculiar habits of order1 intelligence1 integrity1 and zeal for the public service4 ,had it not been for these qualifications1 the great reduction in the number of officers from forty-five to nine must have been ruinous to the survey4 8,in fact10 adds the ,general1 8the royal sappers and miners on the survey are intrusted with the charge of difficult and important works without the advantage which other soldiers have1 of being under the control of officers who have ample time to direct them in all cases requiring knowledge and consideration40 ,colonel ,hall's testimony is an echo of the ,general's matured opinion4 ,he speaks of the non-commissioned officers particularly1 as being men of very superior attainments1 and highly valuable to the ,ordnance ,survey1 and that when discharged1 they constantly receive employments in situations of considerable trust and importance at high salaries1 which they fill with credit and success4 ,in ,august1 #ahed1 ,colonel ,hall ceased his connection with the survey1 and was succeeded by ,major1 now ,lieutenant-,colonel ,james1 ,r4,e4 ,in his parting address he warmly eulogized1 in general terms1 both civil and military1 for the services they had rendered to the national survey1 and alluded with modest pride to a few of the advantages he had obtained for those who had so faithfully served under him4 8,for the military10 he wrote1 8,i have had the pleasure of procuring three important appointments3 viz41 a quartermaster with a high rate of working pay in addition to his regimental pay2 a permanent sergeant-major1 and a permanent quartermaster sergeant4 ,these are prizes two years ago unknown in the survey companies2 which1 whilst tending to raise the tone of the sappers generally1 should act as inducements to young men to strive to distinguish themselves for early promotion1 and for meriting further indulgences40 ----- ,footnote #bac3 #8,aide ,memoire1' iii41 p4 #fab4 ,footnote #bad3 ,ibid41 p4 #fac4 ,footnote #bae3 #8,aide ,memoire1' iii41 p4 #fac4 ,footnote #baf3 ,ibid41 iii41 p4 #fac4 ,footnote #bag3 ,appendix ,h4 p4 #ajee4 ,footnote #bah3 ,the above detail is the last official statement published4 ,footnote #bai3 ,vol4 iii41 p4 #fad4 ,footnote #bbj3 ,private ,james ,weir was perhaps the most daring sapper in building stages for the observatories4 ,like the chamois he could climb heights almost inaccessible1 and stand or sit at work on ledges1 copings1 pinnacles1 vanes1 and pieces of timber1 where scarcely any human being would dare to venture without all the accessories and appliances which precaution could command for insuring safety and preventing alarm4 ,at ,ely minster1 the tower of which is about #bjj feet high1 and at ,norwich cathedral1 the spire of which is the most elevated in ,england1 being #cbg feet from the ground1 he was as agile and self-possessed as in an ordinary workshop4 ,at ,norwich spire1 a brace broke under him1 and he fell a distance of nine feet1 but in his descent he caught hold of another brace1 and thus saved his life4 ,the accident did not in the least daunt him1 for the next moment he was at work again1 as cool and as brisk as ever4 ,at ,keysoe1 in ,bedfordshire1 the builder who contracted to take down a portion of the spire was about to relinquish his engagement as hopeless1 but our adventurous scaffold-builder was lent for the occasion1 and the removal was soon accomplished4 ,weir took up his ladders and fixed them1 but before placing the last one1 he climbed the spire1 unaided by scaffolding or supports1 and1 to crown his success1 took off the vane1 and brought it down with him4 ,he achieved a still bolder feat at ,swaffham in ,norfolk4 ,upon a projecting joist which he had fixed1 the dimensions of which were four inches wide by twelve feet long1 he walked steadily forward to its end1 at a height of about #abj feet1 and with astounding coolness and dexterity performed his hazardous duty4 ,at ,thaxted1 in ,essex1 he climbed the outside of the spire by the crockets1 and at the giddy altitude of about #baj feet from the ground1 sat upon the creaking vane1 and whirled himself round upon its grating pivot4 ,this was on the #aath ,april1 #ahdd4 ,a drawing of the scaffold and stage was given in the #8,illustrated ,london ,news' of that date4 ,at ,danbury1 in ,july1 #ahdd1 his services were very distinguished4 ,to take the initiative or first step in any one of these perilous services was always the most important task2 but however difficult or dangerous it promised to be1 ,weir never shrank from its performance4 ,climbing the inside of the steeple1 he reached its topmost sounding aperture1 in which he secured a piece of timber4 ,this projected some feet beyond the spire4 ,upon the end of this joist he stood1 and after hauling up a ladder1 fixed it upon the projecting timber1 and then ascended by the shaking ladder to the top of the spire4 ,there he hauled up the block and tackle1 made it fast to the steeple1 and descended amid the cheers and wonder of the crowd who witnessed his fearful exploits4 ,the services of this daring man were frequently alluded to with especial particularity by the provincial press1 and alike insured the applause of his comrades and the approbation of his officers4 ,he afterwards served on the exploration survey for a railway in ,north ,america4 ,in ,may1 #ahdh1 he purchased his discharge1 and set himself up in business in ,halifax1 ,nova ,scotia4 ,his industry and mechanical ingenuity soon brought him success in his new line of life1 and he received the appointment of superintendent to the ,water ,company in that town1 which he fulfilled1 at a salary with other emoluments1 of about #bjjl4 a-year4 ,on receiving this appointment the company purchased his stock of goods from him for about #gjjl41 and he bids fair1 in a few years1 to be a wealthy man4 ,footnote #bba3 #8,army and ,ordnance ,exp41' #ahdi1 p4 #ejc4 ,footnote #bbb3 ,colonel ,james1 #8,on the figure1 dimensions1 and mean specific gravity of the ,earth1' read before the ,royal ,society1 ,may #h1 #ahef4 ,footnote #bbc3 #8,professional ,papers1 ,r4,e41' ,n4 ,s41 iii41 p4 xxiii4 ,footnote #bbd3 ,sergeant ,robert ,meade is perhaps the most distinguished in this department of duty2 for1 combining the powers of a ready intellect and keen perception with unsparing assiduity and patience1 he has succeeded in unravelling some extraordinary cases4 ,skelton in ,cleveland1 ,yorkshire1 in which had existed a dispute from time immemorial affecting the legal appropriation of nearly #b1jjj acres of moor and enclosed lands1 was decided1 on his exposition1 by the officer intrusted with the responsibility2 and the boundary between the townships of ,ryhill and ,camerton1 in the same county1 was altogether unknown to the authorities of the respective townships till he obtained access to some old documents1 which enabled him to mark out the ancient line of boundary4 ,indeed1 it may here be added1 that scarcely a single township is perambulated without the non-commissioned officer finding it necessary to rectify some error in the rating of lands and premises1 or to draw up a report1 detailing the circumstances of some feud between neighbouring parishes1 respecting boundaries or parochial apportionments4 ,footnote #bbe3 #8,army and ,ordnance ,exp41' #ahdi1 ,app4 ,h1 p4 #ajef4 ,this is the last official statement published4 ,it was wished to afford a similar statement1 to the latest cardinal date in these records1 but the information could not be procured4 ,footnote #bbf3 #8,aide ,memoire1 ,r4,e41' iii41 p4 #fac4 ,footnote #bbg3 #8,companion to the ,british ,almanac1' #ahdi1 p4 #cg4 ,footnote #bbh3 #8,hampshire ,advertiser1' ,january #ag1 #aheb4 ,footnote #bbi3 #8,hampshire ,chronicle1' ,march #ac1 #aheb4 ,footnote #bcj3 #8,hampshire ,advertiser1' ,march #ca1 #ahee4 ,footnote #bca3 ,see illustration of the encampment at ,creach ,ben1 #8,aide ,memoire1' iii41 p4 #fad4 ,footnote #bcb3 ,it would be a pity to overlook the notice of an incident which occurred in connection with this astronomical service4 ,when ,steel left ,southampton it was arranged he should hut himself with ,mr4 ,donelan--formerly of the sappers--till the latter had finished his azimuthal duties on ,ben ,lomond1 and then post away to ,arthur's ,seat with ,donelan's barometer1 chronometer1 camp and party4 ,meanwhile a change was decided on--,donelan remained on the mountain with his instruments and party1 and ,steel shot off to ,edinburgh4 ,he could not however proceed with the observations without a chronometer1 and as time was pressing1 he could not wait till one were conveyed to him from the map office4 ,calling upon the ,astronomer ,royal with a credential from ,captain ,kerr of the royal engineers1 ,steel solicited the loan of a chronometer to enable him at once to commence operations4 ,very few instruments had the professor which were not in actual use1 and except a pocket chronometer he had no instrument measuring sidereal time such as ,steel wanted4 ,strongly interested in a matter so important1 the professor was determined1 could ,edinburgh prevent it1 that the sergeant should not be delayed an instant2 and accordingly he wrote to the principal opticians--,adie and ,son--and to ,mr4 ,bryson1 the chief clockmaker1 begging1 8for the scientific credit of the city of ,edinburgh10 that the sergeant should be temporarily furnished with the instruments he required4 ,whatever could be given was readily placed at the service of the military astronomer1 but1 it was not in the power of the ,scotch metropolis--learned and scientific as are its sons--to supply a sidereal chronometer6 ,to make the best amends for the absence of so indispensable an accessory1 the obliging professor1 although he daily used his own pocket chronometer1 lent it to the sergeant for one week1 by which time an efficient instrument had reached him from ,southampton4 ,footnote #bcc3 ,colonel ,james1 #8,on the deflection of the plumb-line at ,arthur's ,seat1' read before the ,royal ,society1 ,february #ba1 #ahef4 ,footnote #bcd3 ,the full report is given in the #8,hampshire ,independent1' ,december #h1 #ahdi4 ,footnote #bce3 #8,lough ,foyle ,base1' by ,captain ,yolland1 ,r4,e41 pp4 #adg-adi4 ,footnote #bcf3 ,ibid41 p4 #aea4 ,footnote #bcg3 #8,lough ,foyle ,base1' ,pref41 viii4 ,,appendix4 -------------- ,,appendix ,i4 --- ,,warrant ,,for ,,formation ,,of ,,the ,,first ,,company ,,of ,,the ,,corps4 ,,george ,r4 ,whereas it hath been represented by the ,governor1 ,lieutenant-,governor1 and ,chief ,engineer of our garrison and fortress of ,gibraltar1 that many advantages would arise to our service if the fortifications1 buildings1 and repairs in that place1 which are under the department of the ,ordnance1 were performed and carried on for the future by a military company of artificers1 and that besides a saving of expense1 the said company1 by being subject to military command and discipline1 would be more orderly and regular in their behaviour than has been hitherto experienced in the hired artificers employed there3 ,our will and pleasure therefore is that a company of artificers be forthwith raised1 formed1 and from time to time recruited with such soldiers serving in any of our regiments doing duty at ,gibraltar1 as may be fit for that purpose1 being volunteers1 and having the consent of the ,colonels or ,field ,officers commanding such regiments respectively1 or with any other men properly qualified1 who shall have been bred to the trades of stonecutters1 masons1 miners1 lime-burners1 carpenters1 smiths1 wheelers1 or gardeners1 and who shall be duly enlisted in the said company1 which shall not exceed the number of sixty-eight1 non-commissioned officers and drummers included1 with the respective pays mentioned in the establishment hereunto annexed4 ,our will and pleasure also is1 that as soon as the said ,company is raised and completed1 you do cause them to be employed in performing and carrying on the fortifications1 buildings1 and repairs at ,gibraltar1 and to be instructed and paid1 from time to time1 by the paymaster of the ,ordnance there1 upon the same footing as the rest of our troops in that garrison are paid4 ,and you are to cause such of the artificers hired in ,england1 and now employed on the works at ,gibraltar1 as shall not enlist in the said company1 to be sent back to ,england as soon as the nature of the service will admit4 ,our further will and pleasure is1 that the said company shall be under the command and direction of the chief engineer of the said garrison for the time being1 who is hereby appointed captain of the said company1 and of such engineer or engineers serving at ,gibraltar1 as he shall find necessary for his assistance in the command of the said company4 ,and we do hereby authorize you to pay1 or cause to be paid1 unto the non-commissioned officers and private men composing the said company1 such allowance per diem for working money as you shall think fit1 not exceeding two reals per diem each for the days they are actually employed on the fortifications1 works1 and repairs1 over and above their established pay2 the expense of the whole to be inserted in your estimates1 and to be presented to ,parliament4 ,lastly1 we do hereby require the ,governor1 ,lieutenant-,governor1 or ,officer commanding in our said ,garrison now and for the time being1 to be aiding and assisting to the utmost of their power in carrying these our orders into execution2 and for so doing1 this shall be as well to you1 as to them1 and to all others concerned1 a sufficient warrant4 ,given at our ,court of ,st4 ,james'1 the #fth day of ,march1 #aggb1 in the #abth year of our ,reign4 ,by ,his ,majesty's command1 7,signed7 ,,rochford4 ,to our ,trusty and well-beloved ,councillor ,henry ,seymour ,conway1 ,lieutenant-,general of our ,ordnance1 and to the rest of the principal ,officers of the same1 and to the ,master-,general1 ,lieutenant-,general1 and the principal ,officers of our ,ordnance for the time being4 ,,establishment of a ,,military ,,company of ,,artificers to serve in the ,,garrison and ,,fortress of ,,gibraltar4 ,per ,diem4 ,per ,annum4 4 s4 d4 4 s4 d4 ,captain1 ,chief ,engineer of the garrison for the time being4 #a sergeant and as adjutant #j #c #j #ed #ae #j #c sergeants1 #as4 #f;d4 per diem each1 #j #d #f #hb #b #f #c corporals1 #as4 #b;d4 per diem each4 #j #c #f #fc #ag #f #fj privates or working men1 #aj;d4 per diem each4 #b #aj #j #iab #aj #j #a drummer #j #j #aj #ae #d #b #fh clothing1 #b;d4 each per diem #j #aa #d #bjf #af #h ,total #c #ac #b #a1cce #e #aj ,,appendix ,,ii3 --- ,,masters-,,general of the ,,ordnance in command of the ,corps1 since its formation in the year #aggb4 ,,john1 ,,marquis of ,,granby #a ,july1 #agfc4 ,,george1 ,,viscount ,,townsend #a ,oct41 #aggb4 ,,charles1 ,,duke of ,,richmond1 ,k4,g4 #a ,jan41 #aghb4 ,,george1 ,,viscount ,,townsend #a ,april1 #aghc4 ,,charles1 ,,duke of ,,richmond1 ,k4,g4 #a ,jan41 #aghd4 ,,charles1 ,,marquis ,,cornwallis1 ,k4,g4 #ac ,feb41 #agie4 ,,john1 ,,earl of ,,chatham1 ,k4,g4 #af ,june1 #ahja4 ,,francis1 ,,earl of ,,moira #ad ,feb1 #ahjf4 ,,john1 ,,earl of ,,chatham1 ,k4,g4 #d ,april1 #ahjg4 ,,henry1 ,,earl of ,,mulgrave #e ,may1 #ahaj4 ,,arthur1 ,,duke of ,,wellington1 ,k4,g41 ,g4,c4,b41 ,g4,c4,h4 #a ,jan41 #ahai4 ,,henry1 ,,marquis of ,,anglesey1 ,k4,g41 ,g4,c4,b41 ,g4,c4,h4 #a ,april1 #ahbg4 ,,william ,,carr1 ,,viscount ,,beresford1 ,g4,c4,b41 ,g4,c4,h4 #bh ,april1 #ahbh4 ,,sir ,,james ,,kempt1 ,g4,c4,b41 ,g4,c4,h4 #cj ,nov41 #ahcj4 ,,sir ,,george ,,murray1 ,g4,c4,b41 ,g4,c4,h4 #ah ,dec41 #ahcd4 ,,richard ,,hussey1 ,,lord ,,vivian1 ,g4,c4,b41 ,g4,c4,h4 #d ,may1 #ahce4 ,,sir ,,george ,,murray1 ,g4,c4,b41 ,g4,c4,h4 #h ,sept41 #ahda4 ,,henry1 ,,marquis of ,,anglesey1 ,k4,g41 ,g4,c4,b41 ,g4,c4,h4 #h ,july1 #ahdf4 ,,henry1 ,,viscount ,,hardinge1 ,g4,c4,b4 #h ,mar41 #aheb4 ,,fitzroy1 ,,lord ,,raglan1 ,g4,c4,b4 #cj ,sept41 #aheb4 ,the appointment of ,master-,general was abolished on the #beth ,may1 #ahee4 ,the military control of the royal sappers and miners was consequently transferred to the ,general ,commanding-in-,chief of the army2 and the civil1 to the ,minister for ,war4 ------- ,,chief ,,engineers ,,and ,,inspectors-,,general ,,of ,,fortifications1 second in command of the ,corps1 from #aghg4 7,from #aggb to #aghh the officers in command of companies corresponded direct with the ,master-,general and ,board47 ,general ,,sir ,,william ,,green1 ,bart4 #ae ,nov41 #aghf4;c 0 ,,robert ,,morse #a ,may1 #ahjb4 0 ,,gother ,,mann #bc ,july1 #ahaa4 ,major-,general ,,sir ,,alexander ,,bryce1 ,c4,b41 ,k4,c4,h4 #bh ,oct41 #ahbi4 0 ,,robert ,,pilkington #e ,oct41 #ahcb4 ,lieutenant-,general ,,sir ,,frederick ,,mulcaster1 ,k4,c4,h4 ,july1 #ahcd4 0 ,,sir ,,john ,,fox ,,burgoyne1 ,bart41 ,july1 #ahde4 ,g4,c4,b4 ------- ,,lieutenant-,,general ,,of ,,the ,,ordnance4 ,general ,,sir ,,hew ,d4 ,,ross1 ,k4,c4,b41 during #b ,may1 #ahed to #be ,may1 #ahee1 the absence of ,,lord ,,raglan in ,turkey when the appointment was cancelled by transferring the control of the ordnance corps to the ,commander-in-,chief and ,minister for ,war4 ,,appendix ,,iii4 --- ,,adjutants and ,,brigade-,,majors of the ,,corps at ,,head-,,quarters1 from #agie4 ,lieutenant ,,john ,,rowley ,adjutant #ae ,may1 #agie4 ,captain ,,john ,,thomas ,,jones 0 #a ,jan41 #ahjg4 0 ,,gilbert ,,buchanan 0 #a ,july1 #ahji4 0 afterwards 0 ,,rice ,,jones ,brigade-,major #bj ,dec41 #a ,feb41 #ahab4 #ahad4 0 ,,frank ,,stanway ,brigade-,major #h ,june1 #ahcj4 0 ,,edward ,,matson 0 #ad ,feb41 #ahca4 0 ,,henry ,,sandham 0 #bd ,may1 #ahda4 0 ,,john ,,walpole 0 #a ,june1 #ahdh4 0 ,,frederick ,,augustus ,,yorke 0 #ag ,feb41 #ahed4 ,,assistant ,,adjutant-,,general4 ,lieutenant-,colonel ,,frederick ,,augustus ,,yorke #ag ,feb41 #ahed4 ,,acting ,,adjutants at ,,woolwich to assist the ,,brigade-,,major4 ,lieutenant ,,robert ,,dashwood #i ,nov41 #ahce4 0 ,,frederick ,,augustus ,,yorke #d ,nov41 #ahci4 0 ,,theodosius ,,webb #a ,aug41 #ahdd4 0 ,,george ,,ross #af ,july1 #ahdf4 0 ,,fitzroy ,,somerset #a ,april1 #aheb4 0 ,,francis ,,edward ,,cox #bi ,may1 #ahed4 0 ,,george ,,reid ,,lempriere #ab ,may1 #ahee1 to #ca ,mar41 #ahef1 when the appointment ceased1 in consequence of the amalgamation of head-quarters with the establishment at ,chatham4 ,,directors ,,royal ,,engineer ,,establishment at ,,chatham from its formation in #ahab4 ,major ,,charles ,,william ,,pasley #bc ,april1 #ahab4 ,colonel ,,sir ,,frederick ,,smith1 ,k4,h4 #a ,jan41 #ahdb4 0 ,,harry ,d4 ,,jones #a ,may1 #ahea4 0 ,,henry ,,sandham #a ,mar41 #ahee4 ,,adjutants of the ,,corps at ,,chatham4 ,second-,captain ,,john ,m4 ,f4 ,,smith#bch #a ,dec41 #ahab4 0 ,,richard ,,zachary ,,mudge #ba ,mar41 #ahae4 0 ,,william ,,reid #ac ,mar41 #ahaf4 0 ,,harry ,,david ,,jones #bb ,april1 #ahbd4 0 ,,edward ,,matson #ad ,jan41 #ahbf4 0 ,,joshua ,,jebb #ad ,feb41 #ahca4 0 ,,henry ,,sandham #a ,aug41 #ahcg4 0 ,,montgomery ,,williams #bd ,may1 #ahda4 0 ,,st4 ,,george ,v4 ,,whitmore #a ,may1 #ahdc4 0 ,,james ,,lynn #ah ,june1 #ahdf4 0 ,,charles ,,fanshawe #bf ,jan41 #ahdg4 0 ,,st4 ,,george ,,ord #a ,jan41 #aheb4 0 ,,fitzroy ,,somerset ,joint #ag ,feb41 #ahed4 0 ,,francis ,,edward ,,cox ,adjutants #ag ,dec41 #ahee4 ,,appendix ,,iv4 --- ,date of ,,sub-,,lieutenants4 ,appointment4 #ahjf ,dec4 #a4 ,,john ,,palmer1 died at ,chatham ,march #i1 #ahad1 aged #gg4 0 ,,james ,,smith1 died at ,portsmouth ,october #aj1 #ahbh1 aged #hd4 0 ,,william ,,browne1 died at ,devonport ,february #ba1 #ahcc1 aged #he4 0 ,,anthony ,,haig1 died at ,st4 ,helier's1 ,jersey1 ,january #i1 #ahcf1 aged #hh4 0 ,,john ,,eaves1 died in #ahea1 aged #hi years4 #ahjg ,june #a4 ,,david ,,falconer1 died at ,elgin ,may #bj1 #ahcc1 aged #fb4 ,nov4 #ab4 ,,robert ,,davie1 was commissioned into the corps from the rank of quartermaster-sergeant in the royal artillery1 in which he had enlisted in ,april1 #aggh4 ,served at the siege of ,cadiz and battle of ,barrosa4 ,was a few years on the recruiting service in ,ireland1 and enlisted upwards of #a1bjj recruits for the corps4 ,died at ,woolwich ,march #bb1 #ahcj1 and the humble stone which marks the spot where his remains lie1 alludes1 with excusable particularity1 to the fact of his success on the recruiting service4 0 ,,george ,,robinson1 died at ,carlisle ,october #h1 #ahba4 #ahji ,may #bb4 ,,charles ,,millar1 died at ,devonport ,march #aj1 #ahcb4 #ahaa ,june #a4 ,,thomas ,,longshaw1 died ,september #bi1 #ahbe4 0 ,,alexander ,,munro1 died at ,stepney1 ,january #ai1 #ahcd4 0 ,,alexander ,,ross1 died at ,nairn1 ,february #g1 #ahbf4 0 ,,john ,,dunbar1 died at ,guernsey1 ,march #bc1 #ahab4 0 ,,john ,,smith1 was much employed on the recruiting service4 ,in #ahab1 when the disturbances took place at ,manchester1 ,general ,dirom ordered the recruiting parties of artillery and sappers to be placed under his orders1 with six field-pieces from ,lord ,grey's1 to assist in keeping the malcontents in order4 ,his conduct was much praised on the occasion1 and ,general ,dirom made a report of it to the ,commander-in-,chief4 0 ,,patrick ,,whelan1 died at ,kildare ,may #ba1 #ahbe4 0 ,,robert ,,gibb1 served at ,cuidad ,rodrigo and ,badajoz1 also in the operations in ,east ,catalonia1 including the siege of ,tarragona1 and was afterwards at ,genoa and ,gibraltar4 ,died at ,lochee1 ,september #d1 #ahbh4 ,july #a4 ,,deskford ,,charles1 from sergeant-major royal artillery1 in which he had served more than twenty-one years1 and was present at ,dunkirk and ,nieuport in #agic1 and the action of ,may #ah1 #agid4 ,died at ,gillingham ,december #g1 #ahdg1 aged #hj4 0 ,,charles ,,booth1 died at ,freinada ,march #d1ahac4 0 ,,alexander ,w4 ,,wallace1 from royal artillery1 in which he had served fifteen years1 and was in the ,west ,indies from #agif to #ahjb4 ,in the sappers he was wounded at ,badajoz4 ,he was also at ,san ,sebastian1 ,bidassoa1 ,nivelle1 bridge on the ,adour1 and ,bayonne4 ,five years also he served at ,st4 ,helena while ,napoleon was an exile4 0 ,,stewart ,,calder1 from royal artillery4 ,was present at the siege of ,cadiz and the actions in the ,pyrenees1 ,bidassoa1 ,nivelle1 ,nive1 ,orthes1 ,toulouse1 and ,algiers1 where he was wounded4 ,died at ,carlisle ,october #af1 #ahbb4 #ahab ,mar4 #af4 ,,richard ,,turner1 served in the ,peninsula1 including ,vittoria and ,sun ,sebastian1 also at ,waterloo4 ,died at ,gibraltar ,july #af1 #ahbe4 ,april #h4 ,,john ,,sparks1 served eighteen years in the royal artillery1 during which time he was present at ,maida1 ,mount ,leon1 ,scylla ,castle 7wounded71 storming of ,alexandria1 and wounded at the siege of ,rosetta2 was also at the bombardment of ,scylla in #ahjh1 and capture of ,ischia and ,procida in #ahji4 ,in the sappers he served in the ,netherlands and ,france and at ,bermuda4 ,he had two sons1 ,john and ,edward1 educated at ,sandhurst1 who received commissions in the army1 first as ensigns and afterwards as lieutenants4 ,the former joined the #eth foot1 from which he exchanged into the #ieth1 and afterwards selling out1 obtained a majority in the ,canadian ,militia during the ,papineau rebellion4 ,he perished in ,october #ahdc1 in an attempt to reach the shore from a vessel driven in a storm on the coast near ,blackpool4 ,the latter served an honourable career in ,scinde1 c41 in the #bnd foot1 and with a young lieutenant and a military surgeon was1 in #ahci1 while out shooting1 burnt to death by the accidental firing of the jungle4 ,july #a4 ,,william ,,robertson1 served in ,holland in #agii1 ,hanover in #ahje4 ,dec4 #a4 ,,charles ,,gratton1 commissioned from #crd foot-guards for his bravery at ,burgos4 ,served in the actions of the #hth and #aith ,september1 and #bnd and #fth ,october1 #agii1 in ,holland4 ,at the last he was wounded4 ,also in ,hanover2 at the passage of the ,douro1 ,talavera1 ,busaco1 ,fuentes d',onoro1 ,cuidad ,rodrigo1 ,salamanca1 and ,burgos4 ,in the sappers he was at ,san ,sebastian1 ,pampeluna1 passage of the ,adour1 and siege of ,bayonne1 and also in the ,netherlands and ,france4 ,died at ,deptford ,july #d1 #ahdh4 ,the above officers1 with the exception of ,lieutenants ,palmer1 and ,booth1 retired from the corps on full-pay ,march #a1 #ahag4 #ahac ,feb4 #a4 ,,hugh ,,baillie ,m#8,,kenzie1 enlisted into the corps ,january #ag1 #ahji1 was sergeant ,june #a1 #ahaa1 and from that rank received his commission4 ,talented1 energetic and soldierlike1 he filled for a time the office of ,town ,major at ,bermuda4 ,after retiring from the corps on full pay in ,june1 #ahag1 he held for many years the rank of paymaster in the #ggth regiment1 and subsequently in the #gjth1 from which he retired on half-pay in ,march1 #ahec1 and died ,june #be1 #ahed4 ,mar4 #a4 ,,james ,a4 ,,stephenson1 enlisted ,june #f1 #ahji2 served in the war in ,canada2 retired on full-pay ,december #a1 #ahag1 appointed clerk of works royal engineer department at ,fort ,george1 ,upper ,canada1 in ,june1 #ahai1 and died at ,niagara ,june #aa1 #ahbh4 ,april #a4 ,,william ,,stratton1 from royal artillery1 in which he had served at ,valenciennes1 ,dunkirk1 ,lincelles1 ,lannoi1 ,cateau1 ,camp of ,csar1 ,tournai1 and the actions of the #agth1 #ahth1 and #bbnd ,may1 #agid1 near ,lille1 also at ,nimeguen1 where he was wounded4 ,in ,turkey he was at ,salahieh1 ,baalbec1 and ,grand ,cairo4 ,after joining the sappers he was at ,san ,sebastian1 ,nivelle1 ,nive1 bridge on the ,adour1 ,bayonne1 and storming of ,peronne1 where he was wounded severely1 and for which he received six months' pay4 ,retired on full-pay ,march #a1 #ahag1 and died at ,devonport ,september #bg1 #ahea4 ,july #a4 ,,thomas ,,adamson1 enlisted in ,may1 #agif1 as a drummer1 was commissioned from the rank of sergeant1 and killed at the storming of ,bergen-op-,zoom ,march #h1 #ahad4 0 ,,william ,,knapp1 commissioned from a militia regiment1 in which he held the rank of lieutenant1 and died at ,tournay ,june #ag1 #ahae4 #ahad ,jan4 #ad4 ,,edward ,,sanders1 commissioned from the ,cornish miners1 in which he was the sergeant-major2 served in the ,netherlands and ,france4 ,after retiring on the #ast ,march1 #ahag1 on half-pay1 he went to ,france and engaged largely in the coach trade4 ,during the revolution which dethroned ,charles ,x4 the vehicles of ,mr4 ,sanders were broken up for barricades1 and his horses plundered for the service of the insurgents4 ,his stock in trade was worth about #hjjjl41 but the wholesale destruction of his property by the rebels1 ruined him4 ,subsequently he earned a scanty living by translating for a printer at ,boulogne ,french works into ,english1 and died in almost abject circumstances in #ahea4 ,mar4 #ba4 ,,patrick ,,johnson1 from royal artillery1 in which he served eighteen years4 ,was in the actions at ,antrim and ,ballynahinch in #agih2 also at ,roleia1 ,vimiero1 ,madrid1 ,benevento1 ,astorga1 ,corunna1 two sieges of ,badajoz 7wounded71 ,salamanca1 ,burgos1 ,vittoria1 and ,san ,sebastian4 ,in the sappers he received the thanks of ,sir ,james ,carmichael ,smyth for bringing up his company by a forced march1 under peculiar circumstances1 from ,antwerp to ,waterloo on the #ahth ,june1 #ahae4 ,retired on half pay ,march #a1 #ahag1 and died at ,stirling ,castle1 ,september #g1 #ahcc4 0 ,,james ,,adam1 from royal artillery2 while in that regiment he served with the ,turkish army at ,salahieh1 ,baalbec1 ,elhanka1 and ,grand ,cairo2 he was also present at ,walcheren4 ,in the sappers he was at the bombardment of the ,french fleet at ,antwerp in #ahad1 and served subsequently in ,belgium and ,france4 ,retired on half-pay ,march #a1 #ahag1 and died at ,barrie1 ,canada ,west1 ,january #bj1 #ahde4 #ahae ,mar4 #be4 ,,john ,,armstrong1 enlisted ,july #g1 #ahjf1 and served at ,copenhagen and ,walcheren2 was commissioned from the rank of colour-sergeant on the recommendation of ,colonel ,pasley4 ,retired on half-pay ,march #a1 #ahag4 ,in ,april1 #ahai1 he enlisted into the #bnd dragoons1 but his previous rank having been discovered while he was serving as a lance-corporal1 he was discharged in ,august1 #ahbc4 ,died at ,cork ,december #a1 #ahca4 ,april #a4 ,,john ,,hoyland1 from royal artillery1 was present in the actions of ,aboukir1 siege of ,aboukir ,castle1 and battle of ,alexandria4 ,retired on half-pay1 ,march #a1 #ahag4 0 #bb4 ,,samuel ,,mclean1 from royal artillery4 ,was present at the battle of ,corunna1 and retired on half-pay ,march #a1 #ahag4 ,oct4 #b4 ,,michael ,,knowles1 from royal artillery4 ,served at ,flushing1 two sieges of ,tarragona1 and at ,fort ,st4 ,philip4 ,retired on half-pay ,march #a1 #ahag4 ,nov4 #a4 ,,william ,,stevens1 joined as a sergeant from the ,royal ,cornwall miners4 ,served at the bombardment of the ,french fleet at ,antwerp and the storming of ,bergen-op-,zoom1 in #ahad4 ,was promoted to be colour-sergeant for his gallantry at ,merxam1 in erecting a magazine under a spirited fire from the enemy4 ,retired on half-pay ,march #a1 #ahag1 and died at ,penzance ,november #ba1 #ahea4 ,date of ,,quartermasters4 ,appointment4 #ahad ,feb4 #a4 ,,james ,,galloway4 ,he discharged the duties of his appointment with singular correctness and efficiency to the end of his days1 and died at ,belle-vue ,house1 ,shooter's ,hill1 ,november #i1 #ahce1 aged #fe years4 ,his only son is the senior colonel of the #gjth regiment4 #ahce ,nov4 #i4 ,,james ,,hilton1 retired on full-pay ,january #ad1 #ahdh4 #ahdh ,jan4 #ad4 ,,jenkin ,,jones1 still serving in the corps4 #ahec ,april #a4 ,,george ,,allan1 commissioned as captain in the ,turkish contingent engineers1 ,june1 #ahee4 0 ,,william ,,young ,june #bf4 ,,thomas ,,connolly ,still serving in the corps4 ,dec4 #ag4 ,,michael ,,bradford ,,commissioned ,,into ,,other ,,corps4 #agif ,may #a4 ,,john ,,johnson1 enlisted ,march #ac1 #aghh1 and attached to the ,portsmouth company4 ,was commissioned in the #bith foot as ensign4 ,oct4 ,,george ,,ross1 enlisted ,july #ca1 #aghh1 and attached to the ,gosport company4 ,was appointed lieutenant in the ,carnarvon militia4 #agii ,may #bb4 ,,matthew ,,singleton1 enlisted into the corps as sergeant-major1 ,september #aj1 #agih1 and promoted to the #dfth regiment as quartermaster4 #ahbh ,jan4 #bd4 ,,thomas ,,townsend1 commissioned as second lieutenant and adjutant of the second battalion #fjth regiment4 ,ultimately he received a captaincy in the same regiment4 ,a few years later he sold out1 and is now a barrackmaster in the ,ordnance department at ,gibraltar4 #ahea ,sept4 #bc4 ,,edward ,,hill possessed very creditable attainments4 ,his duties1 either as a clerk or as an overseer1 were always executed with diligence and efficiency4 ,sir ,william ,reid1 under whom he was employed at ,woolwich1 praised him for his exertions and services4 ,ambitious and enterprising1 he accepted the adjutancy of the ,gold-,coast corps1 and filled1 in addition to his regimental offices1 the appointments of colonial engineer1 and clerk of works in the royal engineer department4 ,in three or four expeditions against neighbouring chiefs1 his military acquirements were found of great advantage in directing the formation of camps and the construction of roads and bridges4 ,once he commanded at ,mansu1 a body of #ab1jjj fighting men1 gathered from the native tribes in alliance with the ,british ,governor2 and1 a little later1 he had under his orders four field-pieces and an army of #ba1jjj men1 #ah1jjj of whom bore arms4 ,his head-quarters were at ,yancoomassie1 and his force--distributed as far as ,douguah1 with divisions intermediately at ,wartett and ,donasi--carried out1 under his personal orders1 the field services necessary to render the movements of the contingents unchecked and successful4 ,the army1 intended to bring the king of ,ashantee to terms1 had the effect of inducing that powerful chief to accept1 without a blow1 the ultimatum of the ,governor4 ,early in the next year ,adjutant ,hill was detached to ,accra1 to defend the ,christianburg castle against an armed body of natives who menaced it4 ,with his usual spirit and bravery he set about the work and met his fate on ,february #bb1 #ahed 7a few days after he was commissioned to be lieutenant71 by the explosion of a small powder magazine while he was in the act of firing a gun upon the enemy4 ,his employment in the colony was noticed in honourable terms in #8,the ,globe' for ,january1 #ahec4 8,yesterday10 wrote ,colonel ,hill1 the ,governor1 8the service lost a gallant1 zealous1 and most energetic and useful officer1 by the demise of my valued adjutant1 to whose memory much praise is due for the very efficient manner he ever performed his onerous duties in this trying climate1 and to whom myself and the service are much indebted for his valuable and faithful services40 ,his widow1 through the feeling appeal of ,colonel ,hill1 received the ,queen's ,bounty of #fjl4 a-year2 and from the ,compassionate ,fund1 an allowance of #djl4 a-year for her three infant children4 #ahed ,oct #f4 ,,john ,,joseph ,,grinlinton1 commissioned as ensign in the #feth regiment1 and afterwards removed to the #dth ,king's ,own1 with a view to render his sound practical intelligence and experience available in the ,crimea4 ,during his short career as an officer he has won golden opinions from his own circle and his commanding officers4 ,indeed it would seem that his connexion with the ranks has rather helped to increase than diminish his success1 and the appreciation evinced for his exertions and efficiency4 ,on his transfer to the #dth foot1 his commanding officer officially stated1 that his removal would be a loss to the #feth dept4 ,in less than six months after doffing the uniform of a non-commissioned officer1 he received promotion as lieutenant1 ,march1 #ahee2 and in allusion to this rise1 his former commanding officer1 in a congratulatory letter1 made this gratifying observation3 8,i frankly tell you that you carry under your head-piece the makings of a good officer40 ,subsequently was at the siege of ,sebastopol1 where1 receiving an appointment as assistant engineer1 was generally employed on surveying duties1 and recommended by ,sir ,harry ,jones for promotion in a dispatch dated #afth ,september1 #ahee4 #ahee ,june #ab4 ,,james ,,simpson4 ,was commissioned as staff-quartermaster to the ,british ,swiss ,legion stationed at ,dover1 and on its disbandment1 was removed with the same rank on the #ast ,october1 #ahef1 to the dept battalion at ,stirling4 0 #bf4 ,,george ,,allan4 ,from quartermaster2 was commissioned as ,captain in the ,turkish ,contingent ,engineers4 ,july #ac4 ,,joseph ,,longland4 ,commissioned as battalion quartermaster in one of the ,british foreign legions stationed at ,shorncliffe4 ,the duties of his office in connection with the organization of a new force1 which were most irksome1 shattered his health1 and induced him to resign on the following #cast ,august4 ,dec4 #a ,,james ,,falkner4 ,from colour-sergeant to be ,cornets1 ,land 0 ,,john ,,landrey4 ,from sergeant ,transport ,corps4 0 #af4 ,,james ,,spry4 ,from colour-sergeant #ahef ,feb4 #d4 ,,william ,,lambert4 ,from colour-sergeant to be quartermaster ,land ,transport ,corps4 0 #i4 ,,george ,,wohlmann4 ,from colour-sergeant to be ,cornets1 ,land 0 #i4 ,,cornelius ,,godfrey4 ,from ,transport ,corps4 colour-sergeant ,the sergeants appointed to the ,land ,transport ,corps had all served at the siege of ,sebastopol4 ,,appendix ,v4 --- ,date of ,,sergeant-,,majors4 ,appointment4 #aggb ,may #bb4 ,,thomas ,,bridges4 ,see note1 p4 #e1 vol i4 #agha ,sept4 #bi4 ,,henry ,,ince4 ,see p4 #ca1 vol i4 #aghg ,oct4 ,,john ,,drew4 ,see note1 p4 #fh1 vol i4 ,nov4 #a4 ,,john ,,sipple1 a native of ,hesse-,cassel1 born in #agdj1 joined from the royal artillery and was attached to the ,portsmouth company4 ,in ,june1 #agia1 he was transferred to the invalid artillery4 0 #d4 ,,charles ,,palmer1 from royal artillery as sergeant-major2 was attached to the ,chatham ,company1 and commissioned as ,sub-,lieutenant ,december #a1 #ahjf4 0 #ai4 ,,alexander ,,spence4 ,see note1 p4 #fh1 vol i4 0 ,,john ,,hopkins1 joined the ,plymouth company as sergeant-major1 and died there ,march #a1 #aghh4 #aghh ,mar4 #b4 ,,william ,,browne1 enlisted into the royal artillery in #aggj1 in which he became a sergeant-major in #aghc4 ,with that rank he joined the ,plymouth company1 and was commissioned as ,sub-,lieutenant ,december1 #ahjf4 0 ,,anthony ,,haig1 enlisted as a matross1 in #aggj1 into the royal artillery4 ,served in ,canada from ,may1 #aggc1 to ,november1 #aghg1 and was at the siege of ,quebec1 where he was wounded1 and favourably mentioned for his gallant conduct in general orders by ,lord ,dorchester4 ,in #aghh he joined the ,guernsey half company1 and in #agie was highly complimented by ,general ,small for his efficient services in training and drilling the royal ,guernsey cavalry4 ,on ,december #a1 #ahjf1 he was commissioned to be ,sub-,lieutenant4 #agia ,june #a4 ,,james ,,smith1 after a service of twenty-four years was transferred from the royal artillery1 as sergeant-major1 and attached to the ,portsmouth company1 in which he was made ,sub-,lieutenant ,december #a1 #ahjf4 ,nov4 ,,charles ,,millar1 enlisted in ,march1 #aggh1 in the royal artillery1 and served at the siege of ,gibraltar4 ,was transferred to the corps1 as a corporal1 in ,july1 #aghh1 and became sergeant-major of the ,jersey half company4 ,in ,october1 #agig1 he was discharged and appointed overseer in the department at ,jersey1 in which situation he continued until ,may #ahji1 when he was made a ,sub-,lieutenant4 0 ,,joseph ,,chambers4 ,see note1 p4 #bj1 vol i4 #agic ,nov4 ,,john ,,finlay1 enlisted ,july1 #aghh1 and accompanied the expedition to ,holland as sergeant-major4 ,on ,december #bd1 #agid1 he was reduced to a private1 and on his return from ,flanders was sent to the ,west ,indies1 and died ,april #bj1 #agig1 on board the #8,orpheus' transport4 #agid ,jan4 #a4 ,,matthew ,,hoey4 ,see note1 p4 #ij1 vol i4 #agie ,jan4 ,,andrew ,,gray1 in #agic accompanied the expedition to ,holland1 and served in the campaigns of the ,duke of ,york until #agie4 ,he succeeded to the sergeant-majorcy of the ,flanders company on the reduction of ,john ,finlay1 and was promoted in ,december #ai1 #ahja1 to the corps of surveyors and draughtsmen4 ,may #aa4 ,,thomas ,,fortune4 ,see note1 p4 #aag1 vol i4 #agij ,dec4 #a4 ,,joseph ,,makin joined the royal artillery ,december #cj1 #agfh2 from the second battalion of which1 he was transferred to the corps at ,gibraltar ,may #ba1 #aggd1 and served at the siege of that fortress4 ,in ,july1 #ahjd1 he was superannuated4 #agii ,may #ae4 ,,john ,,eaves1 was a native of ,brumen1 in ,hanover1 and enlisted ,october #ae1 #aggc1 as a drummer in the royal artillery4 ,his promotions were1 first gunner1 ,august #a1 #aggi2 bombadier1 ,august #a1 #agha2 corporal ,july #a1 #agia2 and sergeant1 ,november #a1 #agic4 ,his active services were at ,goree1 from #aggi to #agha2 ,gibraltar1 ,july1 #aghc1 to ,november1 #aghe2 ,west ,indies1 from ,december1 #aghe1 to ,may1 #agij2 and the campaigns in ,holland1 from ,february1 #agic1 to ,may1 #agie4 ,he joined the corps as sergeant-major1 and from his fine soldierlike appearance1 experience1 and knowledge of drill1 was retained for duty at ,woolwich2 and1 sometimes1 during the absence of the adjutant1 carried on the duties of the chief executive of the corps4 ,became ,sub-,lieutenant ,december #b1 #ahjf4 #ahjj ,may #b4 ,,james ,,shirres4 ,see notes1 pp4 #ce1 #abj1 vol i4 #ahjb ,april4 ,,matthew ,,prideaux1 appointed to the half company at ,guernsey1 where he died ,november #f1 #ahjc4 #ahjc ,mar4 #a4 ,,edward ,,watson4 ,see notes1 pp4 #abc1 #ace1 vol i4 ,nov4 #a4 ,,david ,,falconer1 became ,sub-,lieutenant in ,june1 #ahjg4 ,the whole of his service was passed at ,gibraltar4 #ahjd ,oct4 #e4 ,,john ,,levick1 joined as an artificer from the artillery in ,april1 #agia4 ,was sergeant-major of the company at ,spike ,island1 where he died ,april #bb1 #ahje4 #ahje ,oct4 #h4 ,,william ,,bishop1 joined the corps as a sergeant from the artillery in ,october1 #ahje1 when he was attached to the ,spike ,island company1 from which he was pensioned at #bs4 #a;d4 a-day1 on ,december #ca1 #ahad4 #ahjg ,jan4 #a4 ,,robert ,,wakeman1 enlisted into the corps ,april #b1 #aghi1 and on ,may #a1 #aghi1 was promoted to be sergeant4 ,four years he served as sergeant-major of the company at ,plymouth1 and died there ,april #ae1 #ahaa4 0 #ab4 ,,john ,,cutteridge had been two years in the #dfth regiment1 and enlisted into the royal military artificers1 ,january #h1 #ahjg4 ,many years of his service were spent at ,cambridge in recruiting for the corps4 ,in ,march1 #ahba1 he was appointed quartermaster-sergeant1 and in ,february1 #ahbd1 pensioned at #cs4 #f;d4 a-day4 ,mar #b4 ,,george ,,robinson1 from the artillery as sergeant-major1 and commissioned as ,sub-,lieutenant ,november1 #ahjg4 ,july #a4 ,,thomas ,,longshaw1 enlisted ,july #ai1 #agic4 ,for many years he served in ,halifax1 ,nova ,scotia1 and was an able mechanic and assiduous foreman4 ,he became a ,sub-,lieutenant in ,june1 #ahaa4 ,aug4 #a4 ,,alexander ,,munro1 was five years in the royal artillery1 and transferred to the corps ,august #a1 #ahjc4 ,in ,january1 #ahje1 he was promoted to be corporal1 and in ,june1 #ahjf1 to be sergeant4 ,he was a man of considerable ingenuity and talent1 and for his services and useful inventions was made sergeant-major4 ,on the formation of the establishment for field instruction at ,chatham he was removed there to assist the director1 and was commissioned as ,sub-,lieutenant in ,june1 #ahaa4 ,see note1 p4 #ahf1 vol i4 0 #a4 ,,joseph ,,forbes1 enlisted in the corps ,august #c1 #agig1 was promoted to be corporal ,march #a1 #ahjc1 and sergeant ,march #a1 #ahje4 ,being a skilful mason1 his efficiency on the works frequently gained him the praise of his officers4 ,from sergeant-major of the ,dover company he was selected1 on account of his attainments1 to accompany the expedition to ,walcheren1 and1 after serving at the siege of ,flushing1 died at ,middleburgh1 ,september #ag1 #ahji4 ,oct4 #a4 ,,richard ,,turner1 enlisted ,november #ag1 #agih1 and gained the rank of sergeant in ,february1 #ahjf4 ,most of his service was spent at ,gibraltar4 ,became ,sub-,lieutenant in ,march1 #ahab4 #ahjh ,jan4 #a4 ,,james ,,galloway1 joined from royal artillery4 ,enlisted in ,february1 #agij1 and served in ,holland in #agii4 ,the excellence of his conduct1 and his imposing soldierlike appearance1 won him the appointment of regimental sergeant-major4 ,his efficiency in the office was quite a feature in his day2 and in the absence of the adjutant he carried on the official business of the corps by corresponding with the commanding officers at the different stations4 ,he was promoted to be quartermaster ,february #a1 #ahad4 ,dec4 #a4 ,,john ,,black1 enlisted ,july #bd1 #agij4 ,was sergeant-major to the ,guernsey half company4 ,at the close of the war was appointed quartermaster-sergeant4 #ahji ,april #c4 ,,alexander ,,ross1 enlisted ,january #g1 #aghi4 ,was both a carpenter and mason1 and a valuable foreman4 ,was removed from ,guernsey to be sergeant-major to the ,portsmouth company4 ,on the #aith ,october1 #ahjh1 he was discharged and appointed overseer of works in the royal engineer department1 but his military knowledge and attainments again brought him into the corps in ,june1 #ahaa1 with the rank of ,sub-,lieutenant4 ,july #aj4 ,,john ,,smith1 from royal artillery1 as corporal1 ,december #ca1 #ahjg1 in which he had served ten years1 and was wounded in action near the ,seven ,churches1 county of ,wicklow1 in ,june1 #agih4 ,after his promotion to be sergeant-major1 he was attached to the ,walcheren expedition1 and was present at the siege of ,flushing4 ,in ,june1 #ahaa1 he was made a ,sub-,lieutenant4 #ahaa ,jan4 #a4 ,,john ,,dunbar1 enlisted ,march #bc1 #agic1 and in ,june1 #ahaa1 was commissioned as ,sub-,lieutenant4 0 ,,patrick ,,whelan1 joined from the #fhth foot in ,june1 #ahjc1 as a corporal1 and1 serving many years with the corps in the ,west ,indies1 was present in many actions and captures4 ,in ,june1 #ahaa1 he became a ,sub-,lieutenant4 0 ,,robert ,,gibb1 enlisted ,march #a1 #ahjd1 and in ,june1 #ahaa1 received a ,sub-,lieutenancy4 ,june #a4 ,,george ,,poe1 enlisted ,december #a1 #agia4 ,served most of his time on the works at ,portsmouth4 ,was present at ,oporto and ,talavera in #ahji4 ,on his return from the ,peninsula was promoted to be sergeant-major4 ,in ,february1 #ahai1 he was pensioned at #bs4 #c;d4 a-day1 and died at ,woolwich in ,december1 #ahdh4 #ahab ,may #a4 ,,thomas ,,hounslow1 served at ,flushing4 ,cadiz1 and ,barrosa4 ,for his efficiency and zeal1 ,colonel ,ford1 royal engineers1 presented him with an elegant sword4 ,pensioned at #bs4 a-day in ,march1 #ahag1 he went to ,canada1 and obtained the appointment of foreman in the royal engineer department4 ,about #ahdh he died in ,london4 ,a son of his1 during the ,papineau rebellion in ,canada1 was lieutenant and adjutant in the ,beauharnois ,loyal ,volunteers4 ,he did good service during the outbreak1 and was taken prisoner by the rebels in ,november1 #ahdh4 ,he is now clerk of works in the royal engineer department at the ,mauritius4 #ahae ,april #a4 ,,john ,,craig1 died at ,woolwich ,september #ae1 #ahae4 ,oct4 #bc4 ,,james ,,douglas1 enlisted ,september #a1 #ahjf4 ,was second-corporal ,september #b1 #ahaj2 corporal1 ,february #a1 #ahaa2 sergeant1 ,august #a1 #ahab4 ,served at ,roleia1 ,vimiera1 ,torres ,vedras1 ,cuidad ,rodrigo1 ,badajoz1 ,vittoria1 ,san ,sebastian1 ,bidassoa1 ,nivelle1 ,nive1 ,orthes1 ,toulouse1 and ,waterloo1 besides in numerous lesser affairs4 ,he was an excellent artificer and a brave soldier4 ,in moments of danger his presence of mind and facility of resource and invention made his services valuable4 ,he died at ,woolwich ,november #i1 #ahbg4 #ahba ,mar4 #a1 ,,thomas ,,townsend1 enlisted ,may #f1 #ahab4 ,was second-corporal1 ,february #a1 #ahac2 corporal1 ,december #i1 #ahac2 sergeant1 ,august #ab1 #ahad2 and colour-sergeant ,april #a1 #ahaf4 ,served a station at ,gibraltar4 ,was a very fine soldier and a successful drill-master4 ,for seven years he was the regimental sergeant-major at ,chatham1 and was commissioned as ,second-,lieutenant and ,adjutant in the #fjth rifles in ,january #ahbh4 #ahbg ,nov4 #aj4 ,,james ,,hilton1 served with credit in ,holland in #ahac and #ahad1 and in the ,netherlands and ,france to #ahah4 ,was sergeant-major of the corps in ,france1 and afterwards at ,woolwich4 ,became quartermaster in #ahce4 #ahbh ,feb4 #a4 ,,jenkin ,,jones1 served a station at ,barbadoes1 and many years at the royal engineer establishment at ,chatham1 ,was always an indefatigable and enterprising non-commissioned officer1 and no man in the corps1 perhaps1 has been subjected to1 and escaped without hurt1 so many dangers4 ,the innumerable experiments in mining1 blasting1 sapping1 and the varied applications of gunpowder at the establishment in which he was engaged1 were frequently not only attended with great hazard but accident4 ,his particular services have been mentioned in the memoir4 ,in #ahdh he was appointed quartermaster to the corps4 #ahce ,nov4 #aj4 ,,james ,,forbes1 mentioned in the ,memoir4 ,retired from the corps on a pension of #bs4 #d;d4 a-day1 in ,april1 #ahdc1 having received an appointment on the ,trent and ,mersey ,canal4 #ahdc ,apr4 #ab4 ,,george ,,allan1 served a station at ,gibraltar4 ,was a very successful drill-master4 ,his promotion as sergeant-major took him to ,chatham1 where his exertions and experience were of advantage in the practical education of the men in the field duties of the corps4 ,as a reward for his services he received the commission of quartermaster to the royal engineer establishment1 and in ,june1 #ahee1 became a ,captain in the ,turkish ,contingent ,engineers4 #ahdh ,feb4 #a4 ,,michael ,,bradford4 ,promoted to be quartermaster in ,december1 #ahee4 #ahec ,apr4 #a4 ,,william ,,read1 serving at ,chatham4 #ahed ,aug4 #a4 ,,john ,j4 ,,grinlinton1 in the space of ten years became sergeant-major of the survey companies4 ,well educated1 clear-headed1 and accurate1 he was intrusted with duties of great responsibility4 ,for several years he annually disbursed about #bd1jjjl4 on the public service2 and such was his physical activity and mental strength1 that no amount of labour seemed to tire or weaken his energies4 ,in the absence of his officers on particular duty1 he acted with intelligence1 decision1 and firmness in emergencies and difficult cases4 ,it was these capabilities1 coupled with his gentlemanly manners1 address1 and deportment1 that induced ,colonel ,hall1 the superintendent of the ordnance survey1 to bring forward his merits1 to obtain for him a commission in the line4 ,in this he succeeded4 ,the ,colonel stated1 in his official recommendation of sergeant-major ,grinlinton1 that his ability could be turned to good account in a regiment by instructing young officers in the mode of sketching ground1 describing localities and positions1 and in various other staff duties essential for the movements of an army across a country4 ,being a good surveyor and draughts-man1 and possessed of attainments to render him successful in services of reconnaissance1 he was regarded as specially adapted for a post in the ,quartermaster-,general or ,adjutant-,general's department of the army4 ,in ,october1 #ahed1 he was commissioned as ensign in the #feth regiment2 and a few officers1 under whom he had served1 presented him with a purse of forty sovereigns1 accompanied by a letter full of expressions of eulogy and esteem4 ,oct4 #f4 ,,james ,,steel1 serving on the ordnance survey at ,southampton4 #ahef ,jan4 #a4 ,,john ,,jones1 serving in ,chatham4 0 ,,john ,,poole1 serving at ,chatham4 ,has been in ,canada1 ,cape of ,good ,hope1 ,turkey1 and the ,crimea4 ,was mentioned in a dispatch for distinguished conduct in an affair near ,grass ,kop ,tower in ,february1 #ahea1 under ,ensign ,gill1 cape mounted rifles4 ,was at the formation of the lines of ,boulair1 and those on ,inkermann heights after the battle of the #eth ,november1 #ahed4 ,for a period he was the sergeant-major of the corps at the siege of ,sebastopol4 ,,quartermaster-,,sergeants4 #ahaa ,june #a4 ,,francis ,,allen1 enlisted ,july #f1 #agic4 ,was present at the siege of ,flushing4 ,most of his time was spent at ,chatham4 ,pensioned in #ahcc4 ,see note1 p4 #bij1 vol i4 0 ,,george ,,hardie1 after thirty years' service1 was discharged in ,march1 #ahag1 on a pension of #bs4 #d;d4 a-day4 #ahad ,july #a4 ,,joseph ,,paul1 gained his several steps of promotion with great rapidity1 and died after seven years' service1 at ,truro1 in ,may1 #ahae4 #ahae ,june #a4 ,,george ,,hay1 served thirteen years in the corps1 and died at ,woolwich1 in ,november1 #ahbj4 0 ,,john ,,black1 after a service of twenty-eight years was discharged in ,february1 #ahai1 and died some years after at ,chatham4 #ahba ,mar4 #a4 ,,john ,,cutteridge1 on his removal from the recruiting service at ,cambridge was found to be about #ijjl4 in debt4 ,aberration of mind followed the discovery1 and he was pensioned in ,february1 #ahbd1 at #cs4 #f;d4 a-day4 #ahbd ,mar4 #a4 ,,william ,,parker1 was a man of varied information and a clever clerk4 ,after twenty-five years' service he was discharged in ,september1 #ahbi4 #ahbi ,oct4 #a4 ,,britton ,,francis1 was an able clerk1 served many years at ,gibraltar1 and received much credit for his abilities and efficiency4 ,six years he filled the office of quartermaster-sergeant at ,woolwich1 and was discharged in ,october1 #ahce4 ,he died at ,newport1 in #ahea4 #ahce ,oct1 #ad4 ,,john ,,bennett was discharged in ,january1 #ahdc1 after twenty-eight years' service4 ,see note1 p4 #beg1 vol i4 #ahda ,aug4 #a4 ,,thomas ,,fraser1 was discharged in ,july1 #ahdi1 and retired as a farmer to ,kinlochunagan1 ,inverness4 ,see note1 p4 #cgi1 vol4 i4 #ahdc ,jan4 #aa4 ,,robert ,,shorter1 was discharged in ,january1 #ahej1 and is now a yeoman of the ,queen's guard4 ,see note1 p4 #bfb1 vol4 i4 #ahdi ,july #aa4 ,,william ,,ralph1 served at the ,cape of ,good ,hope and ,gibraltar for fourteen years4 ,was an active and intelligent non-commissioned officer4 ,he was removed from ,gibraltar1 where he held the office of acting sergeant-major1 to ,chatham1 on promotion1 and was presented by the non-commissioned officers of the corps at that fortress with a silver snuff-box as a tribute of esteem for his character and impartiality4 ,discharged in ,may1 #ahed4 #ahej ,jan4 #i4 ,,thomas ,,connolly1 who was commissioned to the rank of quartermaster in ,june #ahee4 #ahed ,may #af4 ,,samuel ,,march1 serving at ,chatham4 ,aug4 #a4 ,,james ,,steel1 promoted to be sergeant-major1 ,october1 #ahed4 ,oct4 #f4 ,,james ,,simpson4 ,most of his military career was passed on the national surveys1 and in appreciation of his rectitude1 intelligence and activity1 was promoted to the rank of staff-sergeant4 ,when the foreign battalions were being organized1 he was presented with a staff-quartermastercy in the ,british ,swiss ,legion in ,june1 #ahee4 #ahee ,june #bf4 ,,noah ,,deary1 served at ,woolwich1 and was discharged on receiving the appointment of foreman of works in the royal engineer department at the ,cape of ,good ,hope4 ,july #a4 ,,benjamin ,,keen ,,spencer1 serving at ,southampton4 #ahef ,jan4 #a4 ,,henry ,,brown1 serving at ,chatham4 ,,bugle-,,majors4 #ahaa ,june #a4 ,,james ,,bailey1 enlisted ,august #a1 #agig4 ,served in ,holland in #agii4 ,was first drum-major1 and a few years after was appointed bugle-major4 ,in ,july1 #ahce1 he was discharged and died at ,guernsey1 about #ahdi4 #ahce ,july #h4 ,,david ,,youle1 serving at ,chatham4 ,,staff-,,sergeants4 #ahee ,oct4 #i4 ,,james ,,rainey ,,mutch1 chief clerk to the ,assistant ,adjutant-,general4 ,see ,appendix vii4 0 ,,john ,,jones1 chief clerk and draughtsman to the director of the royal engineer establishment4 ,served five years at ,corfu1 and while with the ,baltic fleet was present at the capture of the ,aland ,islands and destruction of ,bomarsund4 ,promoted to be sergeant-major1 ,january1 #ahef4 #ahef ,jan4 #a4 ,,richard ,,leonard1 succeeded the former on promotion4 ,served nearly eight years at ,gibraltar1 where he was the chief military clerk under the commanding royal engineer4 ,so well did he discharge his duties that ,colonel ,rice ,jones--a most particular officer--treated him with unlimited confidence4 ,though the title of staff-sergeant is general in the service for all grades above that of colour-sergeant1 the designation is employed as a specific rank for the two senior clerks of the corps4 ,,appendix ,,vi4 --- ,,annuities and ,,medals to ,,staff-,,sergeants and ,,sergeants for distinguished or meritorious ,services4 ,annuities4 ,was distinguished in the discharge of his duties in #ahdf4 4 the ,west ,indies1 and at ,jan4 #a4 ,sergeant-major ,,jenkin ,,jones #bj ,chatham and ,woolwich4 ,relinquished the annuity on being commissioned to the rank of quartermaster in the corps4 ,for zealous and efficient 0 ,quartermaster-sergeant ,,robert #aj services both at home and ,,shorter abroad4 ,was fourteen years at ,corfu4 ,for distinguished conduct in action with the ,boers at ,natal1 and for highly efficient 0 ,colour-sergeant ,,james ,,young #aj services and coolness in the defence of the position during its protracted siege by the ,boers4 ,for devoted services at ,corfu1 ,gibraltar1 and ,halifax1 ,n4,s42 and particularly so on the 0 ,colour-sergeant ,,wm4 ,,black #aj ,euphrates expedition and in the ,syrian campaign4 ,was present at the taking of ,beyrout and ,acre4 ,for valuable services in connexion with the varied calculations #ahdh4 pursued on the ,jan4 #ad4 ,colour-sergeant ,,wm4 ,,young #aj ordnance survey4 ,relinquished the annuity on being commissioned to the rank of quartermaster4 #ahdh4 ,for service in the brigade-major's ,jan4 #ad4 ,sergeant ,,thomas ,,connolly #aj office at head-quarters4 ,for distinguished services in #ahec4 prosecuting the ordnance ,april #a4 ,colour-sergeant ,,wm4 ,,campbell #aj surveys of ,great ,britain and ,ireland4 ,for long service1 well-directed 0 ,bugle-major ,,david ,,youle #aj zeal in the discharge of his duties1 and proficiency in conducting the band4 ,for constant zeal and uniform #ahee4 efficiency in his duties4 ,april #a4 ,sergeant-major ,,mich4 ,,bradford #aj ,served several years at ,gibraltar4 ,relinquished the annuity on being commissioned to be quartermaster4 ,for highly useful services at ,gibraltar1 in ,syria1 the ,aland ,islands1 and ,crimea4 ,june #bf4 ,colour-sergeant ,,henry ,,brown #aj ,was at the taking of ,tyre1 ,sidon1 and ,beirout1 the destruction of ,bomarsund1 and siege of ,sebastopol4 ,for unimpeachable accuracy in observing with the three-feet instrument for the great ,dec4 #ag4 ,colour-sergeant ,,james ,,donelan #aj triangulation of the ,united ,kingdom--a duty to which he attended for many years under strange vicissitudes and difficulties4 ,for conspicuous bravery in the capture of the rifle-pits1 #aith ,april1 #ahee1 during which #ahef4 he was severely wounded4 ,april #a4 ,colour-sergeant ,,hen4 ,,mcdonald #bj ,served at ,gibraltar1 in ,turkey1 ,bulgaria1 and the ,crimea4 ,was at the battles of ,alma and ,inkermann1 and siege of ,sebastopol4 ------------------------------------ ,,appendix ,,vii4 --- ,,rewards to ,,non-,,commissioned ,,officers and ,,soldiers of the ,,corps1 from public or private sources1 for particularly commendable services4 #ahca ,second-corporal ,,henry ,,scrafield4 ,from ,royal ,humane ,society4 ,a reward of #bl4 for endeavouring to rescue from drowning1 five boys who had fallen into the ,mulgrave ,reservoir at ,woolwich4 ,for his spirited and humane conduct on this occasion1 he was also promoted to be second-corporal4 #ahcc ,sergeant ,,james ,,forbes4 ,from the ,governor1 ,royal ,military ,college1 ,sandhurst4 ,a case of mathematical drawing instruments1 8for his intelligence1 zeal1 and good conduct1 in charge of the detachment employed in the field-work instruction at the college for four years40 #ahce ,private ,,john ,,down4 ,from his officers at ,chatham4 ,a hold-all1 containing a silver knife1 fork1 and spoon1 and useful toilet articles1 with an appropriate inscription on a silver plate1 8for his gallant conduct in rescuing a comrade1 private ,thomas ,adams1 from drowning40 #ahce ,sergeant-major ,,james ,,hilton4 ,from the officers of royal engineers at ,woolwich4 ,a purse of #bj sovereigns1 and a regimental sword1 suitably inscribed1 on his promotion to the rank of quartermaster1 as a token of their esteem for his services4 #ahcg ,sergeant ,,hugh ,,lanyon4 ,from the ,governor of the ,royal ,military ,college1 ,sandhurst4 ,a case of mathematical drawing instruments1 8for the intelligence1 zeal1 and uniform good conduct evinced by him in charge of the detachment employed in field-work instruction at the college40 #ahch ,sergeant-major ,,jenkin ,,jones4 ,by the sergeants of ,chatham garrison4 ,a silver tankard1 8in testimony of their gratitude for the undeviating attention evinced by him while superintending the formation of a military swimming-bath40 #ahch ,second-corporal ,,william ,,campbell4 ,by the ,commissioners of ,education in ,ireland4 ,a case of mathematical drawing instruments1 8in testimony of the intelligence and ability he displayed in teaching surveying and levelling to the inspectors of national schools40 #ahch ,corporals ,,william ,,spry and ,,william ,,richardson4 ,gold medals from ,sultan ,mahmoud ,,ii4 for service in ,constantinople from #ahcf to #ahch4 #ahda ,private ,,henry ,,entwistle4 ,from the ,royal ,humane ,society4 ,a silver medallion and vellum certificate for courage and humanity1 during the pontoon practice on the #cjth ,august1 #ahda1 in plunging into the river ,medway1 near ,rochester ,bridge1 and at imminent personal risk1 rescuing from drowning private ,samuel ,turner of the corps1 who had accidentally fallen overboard1 and was unable to swim4 ,became a sergeant1 and died before ,sebastopol1 #bith ,november1 #ahed4 #ahdb ,sergeant-major ,,jenkin ,,jones4 ,by the ,corporation of the ,trinity ,house4 ,a gold snuff-box 8to commemorate the assistance he rendered in the destruction of two wrecks in ,sea ,reach1 by submarine explosions40 #ahdc ,corporal ,,james ,,henry ,,drew4 ,by the ,society of ,teetotallers4 ,a silver medallion with gold lozenge-shaped coat-of-arms in centre1 8as a token of respect for his talented lecture on the principles of total abstinence and ,rechabitism1 as well as for valuable services as local secretary at ,chatham in promoting the cause40 ,died from wounds received at the siege of ,sebastopol1 #bbnd ,november1 #ahed4 #ahde ,private ,,patrick ,j4 ,,hogan4 ,from ,h4 ,r4 ,h4 ,prince ,albert4 ,a present of #el4 in admiration of his talents as an artist1 as displayed in a beautiful etching of the ,victoria ,oak1 in the ,green ,park at ,windsor4 ,he had previously received the high honour of an audience with the ,prince ,consort on his presenting to ,h4 ,r4 ,h4 an etching of the ,adelaide ,oak in the ,home ,park4 #ahde ,privates ,,patrick ,j4 ,,hogan and ,,charles ,,holland4 ,from ,h4 ,r4 ,h4 ,prince ,albert4 ,each a case of mathematical drawing instruments1 8as a mark of his approbation for merit in the execution of a survey and drawing of ,windsor and its vicinity40 #ahdg ,corporal ,,john ,,rae4 ,from the ,governor of the ,royal ,military ,college1 ,sandhurst4 ,a case of mathematical drawing instruments1 8for intelligence1 zeal1 and uniform good conduct in charge of the detachment employed in field-work instruction at the college40 ,is now staff-sergeant at the college4 #ahdg ,sergeant ,,james ,,rainey ,,mutch4 ,by the members of the ,woolwich ,literary and ,scientific ,institution4 ,a silver snuff-box 8for his valuable and successful services as secretary to the ,institution40 ,this non-commissioned officer was chief clerk in the ,assistant-,adjutant-,general's office at ,chatham4 ,his attainments are of a character to make his services very efficient and satisfactory4 ,having studied in ,king's ,college1 ,aberdeen1 where he graduated ,m4,a41 he has a fair knowledge of ,greek and ,latin1 and is well grounded in mathematics4 ,for many years1 apart from his military duties1 he held the office of secretary to the ,woolwich ,institution2 and to his perseverance and untiring advocacy1 it was mainly indebted for continuing so long in existence4 ,when it passed from under his superintendence into other hands1 it gradually lost energy and vitality1 and1 in time1 uniting itself to a local speculation1 fell to pieces with the insolvency of its new alliance4 ,it should also be mentioned1 to his credit1 that sergeant ,mutch had the honour of originating in ,woolwich the movement in favour of the ,great ,exhibition4 ,by consulting a few leading men1 the project received the countenance it merited1 and eventually1 a meeting to extend the object1 the largest demonstration ever known in ,woolwich1 was held in the riding-school1 under the auspices of ,lieutenant-,general ,sir ,thomas ,downman1 who presided on the occasion4 #ahdg ,private ,,james ,,peat4 ,bronze medallion1 from the ,royal ,humane ,society1 for prompt and intrepid conduct in assisting to rescue from drowning1 two gunners of the royal artillery1 who had sunk while bathing in ,st4 ,mary's ,creek4 ,private ,peat was pontooning at the time4 #ahdi ,privates ,,william ,,thomas1 ,,daniel ,,jones1 and ,,james ,,cray4 ,bronze medallion each1 from the ,royal ,humane ,society1 8for their noble courage and humanity in endeavouring to rescue from drowning their comrade1 private ,joseph ,cox1 who had fallen into the river ,medway1 on the #bfth ,april1 #ahdi40 ,the first private1 on a previous occasion1 had jumped into the ,medway after a civilian1 and brought the body ashore too late for resuscitation4 #ahej ,private ,,robert ,,mcdonald4 ,a handsomely-bound ,polyglot ,bible1 from the teachers and children of the village of ,elrig1 ,mochrum1 8in token of his ,christian benevolence in founding the ,sabbath school at ,elrig1 and conducting it with unwearied labour and at much sacrifice of his limited means and time to its present flourishing condition40 ,the ,bible was presented at a soiree1 and ,mr4 ,routledge1 on the part of the meeting1 8expressed the gratitude felt to private ,mc,donald for having reclaimed so many poor children1 and brought them together for a purpose so calculated to promote their interests40 #ahea ,colour-sergeant ,,john ,,carlin4 ,gold pen and engineering pencil-case1 from ,lord ,frederick ,fitzclarence1 8for showing himself exceedingly clever in calculations of a rather puzzling nature1 and being a most zealous1 active1 and painstaking non-commissioned officer40 #aheb ,sergeant ,,henry ,,quodling4 ,by a number of civilians at ,york4 ,a case of professional instruments1 8was a token of their affectionate regard on his leaving ,england for ,van ,diemen's ,land40 ,it was presented to him at a dinner provided by the subscribers2 8and it must10 writes the #8,yorkshire ,gazette' of ,june #ab1 #aheb1 8be highly gratifying to the members of the corps connected with the ordnance survey in the city1 to find that their general conduct has been such1 as to win for them the respect of the citizens of ,york40 #ahed ,sergeant ,,benjamin ,,castledine4 ,from the ,governor of the ,royal ,military ,college1 ,sandhurst4 ,a case of mathematical drawing instruments1 8for intelligence1 zeal1 and uniform good conduct in charge of the detachment employed in the field-work instruction at the college40 #ahee ,quartermaster ,,michael ,,bradford4 ,from the non-commissioned officers of the corps at ,woolwich4 ,an elegant double-handled silver goblet1 8as a mark of regard and esteem40 #ahee ,sergeant-major ,,james ,,steel and ,quartermaster-sergeant ,b4 ,,keen ,,spencer4 ,each a present of #ajl4 from ,prince ,albert1 8as a mark of ,h4,r4,h4's approval of their attention and care in making the survey of ,osborne40 #ahef ,quartermaster ,,michael ,,bradford4 ,from ,captains ,theodosius ,webb1 ,g4 ,ross1 ,f4 ,e4 ,cox1 ,fitzroy ,somerset1 and ,lieutenant ,g4 ,r4 ,lempriere1 ,r4,e4 ,a regimental sword1 8as a mark of their regard and esteem for his character and conduct40 ,he was the sergeant-major at head-quarters1 while the officers who made the presentation successively filled the appointment of ,acting ,adjutant4 #ahef ,staff-sergeant ,,james ,,rainey ,,mutch4 ,from 8inhabitants of ,woolwich40 ,a neat silver tea-service of three pieces1 8in grateful acknowledgment of the eminent services he has rendered to the ,literary and ,scientific ,institution1 the ,mutual ,benefit ,building ,society1 and other associations1 having for their object the benefit of the community40 ,the service was handed to sergeant ,mutch by ,richard ,pidcock1 ,esq41 the church-warden1 at a public meeting of the subscribers4 ,mr4 ,mutch has since been promoted to be ,quartermaster in the ,corps4 #ahef ,corporal ,,james ,,frankham ,,church4 ,from the ,royal ,geographical ,society of ,london4 ,a silver watch and appendages1 by ,frodsham1 in appreciation of 8his meritorious and intelligent services on the ,central ,african ,expedition1 #ahec-ed40 ,the testimonial was presented to him by the ,president1 ,admiral ,beechey1 and ,sir ,john ,burgoyne did the corporal the honour of replying to the observations of the ,admiral1 and thanking the society for the gift4 ------------------ ,,appendix ,,viii4 --- ,,rewards to ,,non-,,commissioned ,,officers and ,,men of the ,,corps1 for ,services at the ,great ,exhibition of #ahea under the ,royal ,commissioners4 ,each man received a bronze medal1 a certificate signed by ,prince ,albert1 and a present1 according to the value stated against the respective classes4 #a,,st ,,class4 ,presents value #ajl4 each4--,no4 #ac4 ,colour-sergeant ,,thomas ,,harding ,acting sergeant-major1 and general superintendent4 ,ditto ,,noah ,,deary ,in charge1 foreign ,gold watch side4 each4 ,sergeant ,,william ,,jamieson ,in charge1 ,british side4 ,silver watch1 ,corporal ,,archibald ,,gardner ,clerk and draftsman box of instruments1 and writing-case4 ,second-corporal ,,william ,,dickson ,clerk and draftsman ,gold watch ,ditto ,,john ,,vercoe ,clerk1 charge of each4 stationery1 c4 ,box of instruments ,ditto ,,west ,t4 ,,birmingham ,clerk and draftsman and colours1 and writing-case4 ,lance-corporal ,,james ,,mack ,clerk and draftsman ,gold watch ,silver watch ,lance-corporal ,,joseph ,,barrow ,testing fitments1 and box of draftsman1 c4 instruments4 ,ditto ,,robert ,,fleming ,testing girders1 columns1 c4 ,gold watch ,ditto ,,richard ,,rice ,,lindsay ,clerk and draftsman each4 ,ditto ,,john ,,pendered ,clerk1 autographer1 c4 ,silver watch1 ,private ,,george ,,campbell ,clerk and draftsman box of instruments box of colours4 #b,,nd ,,class4 ,presents value #el4 each4--,no4 #da4 ,sergeant4 ,,james ,,henry ,,prance ,lance-corporal ,,john ,,flude ,private ,,henry ,,hunt ,,smith ,box of instruments each4 ,ditto ,,james ,,william ,,newton ,corporal ,,james ,,stein ,ditto ,,george ,,jarvis ,ditto ,,thomas ,,dumvill ,ditto ,,william ,,robinson ,ditto ,,william ,,fraser ,ditto ,,george ,,moore ,ditto ,,john ,,mcquillan ,second-corporal ,,john ,,kendrick ,ditto ,,robert ,,shears ,ditto ,,aaron ,,crout ,ditto ,,william ,,king ,ditto ,,george ,,lendrim ,ditto ,,nicholas ,,marshall ,lance-corporal ,,thomas ,,hanns ,ditto ,,thomas ,,wm4 ,,noon ,ditto ,,charles ,,wm4 ,,fear ,ditto ,,nicholas ,,clabby ,ditto ,,michael ,,kelly ,ditto ,,henry ,,jarvis ,silver watch each4 ,ditto ,,william ,,barnard ,ditto ,,thomas ,,jane ,ditto ,,george ,,gall ,ditto ,,james ,,miles ,ditto ,,david ,,mitchell ,ditto ,,james ,j4 ,,george ,ditto ,,thomas ,,baker ,ditto ,,robert ,,dow ,ditto ,,john ,,venner ,ditto ,,james ,,wright ,ditto ,,thomas ,,pike ,ditto ,,charles ,j4 ,,mortimer ,ditto ,,george ,,pearson ,ditto ,,john ,,ferguson ,ditto ,,john ,,rose ,private ,,james ,b4 ,,murray ,ditto ,,andrew ,,anderson ,ditto ,,john ,,smith #c,,rd ,,class4 ,presents value #cl4 each4--,no4 #da4 ,lance-corporal ,,william ,,taylor ,box of instruments each4 ,ditto ,,thomas ,,bennett ,sergeant ,,jacob ,,cavill ,ditto ,,john ,,spencer ,ditto ,,thomas ,p4 ,,cook ,second-corporal ,,william ,,wilson ,lance-corporal ,,william ,,chambers ,ditto ,,william ,,strachan ,ditto ,,william ,,thomas ,ditto ,,james ,,hart ,ditto ,,joseph ,,gartshore ,ditto ,,william ,,james ,ditto ,,john ,,ancell ,ditto ,,richard ,j4 ,,letton ,ditto ,,james ,,curgenven ,ditto ,,william ,,stewart ,private ,,edward ,,gill ,ditto ,,william ,,jose ,ditto ,,thomas ,,hay ,ditto ,,john ,,doust ,ditto ,,james ,b4 ,,miller ,ditto ,,william ,,maddick ,silver watch each4 ,ditto ,,william ,,webb ,ditto ,,john ,,rae ,ditto ,,servetus ,,bispham ,ditto ,,james ,,craig ,ditto ,,alexander ,,dunlop ,ditto ,,samuel ,,harding ,ditto ,,william ,h4 ,,hayman ,ditto ,,james ,,kelly ,ditto ,,john ,,lidford ,ditto ,,lewis ,,miller ,ditto ,,james ,,mcadam ,ditto ,,charles ,,nobbs ,ditto ,,thomas ,,paterson ,ditto ,,george ,,bartlett ,ditto ,,william ,,ferguson ,ditto ,,charles ,,reeves ,ditto ,,thomas ,,thomas ,ditto ,,lawrence ,,bowers ,ditto ,,robert ,,robertson #d,,th ,,class4 ,presents value #al4 each4--,no4 #ig4 ,corporal ,,edward ,,taylor ,lance-corporal ,,francis ,,irwin ,ditto ,,william ,,simpson ,private ,,alfred ,,andrews ,ditto ,,richard ,,bridgman ,ditto ,,christopher ,,brown ,ditto ,,mark ,,day ,ditto ,,george ,,fraser ,ditto ,,george ,l4 ,,law ,ditto ,,farquhar ,,mcrae ,ditto ,,richard ,,newcombe ,ditto ,,john ,,pheasant ,ditto ,,john ,,stewart ,ditto ,,william ,,turner ,ditto ,,alexander ,,cook ,box of instruments each4 ,ditto ,,william ,,chapman ,ditto ,,george ,,farrar ,ditto ,,charles ,,burton ,ditto ,,matthew ,,bowling ,ditto ,,alexander ,,douglas ,ditto ,,william ,,kelly ,ditto ,,benjamin ,,mann ,ditto ,,adam ,,mckechnie ,ditto ,,james ,,peacock ,ditto ,,john ,,smith ,ditto ,,alfred ,,spencer ,ditto ,,william ,,bilton ,bugler ,,edward ,,charles ,,dean ,ditto ,,joseph ,,lyndall ,private ,,thomas ,,evans ,case of instruments and penknife each4 ,ditto ,,edwin ,l4 ,,gwyther ,corporal ,,william ,,hutchens ,ditto ,,william ,,threipland ,second-corporal ,,william ,,wakefield ,ditto ,,william ,,millin ,ditto ,,john ,,cosh ,private ,,james ,,holton ,ditto ,,james ,,mcnicholl ,ditto ,,george ,,low ,ditto ,,george ,,anderson ,ditto ,,charles ,,symon ,ditto ,,david ,,lindsay ,ditto ,,samuel ,,coles ,ditto ,,charles ,h4 ,,cronk ,ditto ,,peter ,,collings ,ditto ,,robert ,,dixon ,ditto ,,james ,,inkpen ,ditto ,,george ,,james ,ditto ,,thomas ,,jones ,ditto ,,robert ,,parker ,ditto ,,michael ,,park ,ditto ,,william ,h4 ,,reeves ,ditto ,,george ,,stewart ,ditto ,,seth ,,scottow ,ditto ,,john ,,summers ,ditto ,,john ,,stephens ,ditto ,,john ,,beaton ,ditto ,,thomas ,,booler ,ditto ,,arthur ,,gwin ,ditto ,,thomas ,,harvey ,ditto ,,james ,,osborne ,ditto ,,samuel ,,orr ,ditto ,,william ,,thomas ,ditto ,,nicholas ,,bowers ,ditto ,,walter ,,travenar ,ditto ,,william ,,dickenson ,ditto ,,john ,,wilson ,private ,,john ,,whyte ,ditto ,,john ,,stewart ,,rowley ,writing-case each4 ,ditto ,,john ,,gogan ,ditto ,,john ,,henderson ,ditto ,,william ,,brown ,ditto ,,john ,,bandey ,ditto ,,john ,h4 ,,biles ,ditto ,,william ,,frost ,ditto ,,charles ,,hayman ,ditto ,,frederick ,,hazard ,ditto ,,john ,,henderson 7#bnd7 ,ditto ,,david ,,lloyd ,ditto ,,robert ,,lennox ,ditto ,,edward ,,mitchell ,ditto ,,john ,,mcgowan ,ditto ,,william ,,philpin ,ditto ,,richard ,,potter ,ditto ,,william ,,thompson ,ditto ,,john ,,thompson ,ditto ,,william ,h4 ,,townsend ,ditto ,,james ,,thompson ,ditto ,,william ,,crowdy ,ditto ,,william ,,dowling ,ditto ,,samuel ,,morgan ,ditto ,,alexander ,,mcintosh ,ditto ,,james ,,reynolds ,ditto ,,john ,,stickland ,bugler ,,john ,,warner ,ditto ,,john ,,waycott ,private ,,john ,,cummings ,pocket-compass4 #e,,th ,,class4 ,presents value #ajs4 each4--,no4 #ad4 ,corporal ,,thomas ,,parker ,ditto ,,richard ,p4 ,,jones ,ditto ,,james ,b4 ,,walker ,second-corporal ,,john ,,donaldson ,private ,,charles ,,perry ,ditto ,,edwin ,,prowse ,case of instruments each4 ,ditto ,,richard ,,davis ,ditto ,,william ,,hawkins ,ditto ,,william ,,holland ,ditto ,,james ,,ransey ,ditto ,,john ,,williamson ,private ,,john ,,cameron ,writing-case4 ,ditto ,,john ,,langfield ,penknife each4 ,ditto ,,thomas ,,riddle ,the four last classes attended to the general duties of the exhibition1 both during the preliminary arrangements and during the exhibition4 ,many were classmen2 several were clerks and draftsmen2 a detachment attended to the fire arrangements2 a few to the ventilation and registration of the thermometers2 one was a modeller and in charge of carpenters2 and one or two were attached to the photographical department4 ,see also year #ahea of the memoir4 ,,appendix ,,ix--,,casualties4 --- ,,increase4 ,additions by ,,year4 ,deserters ,total ,strength4,recruits4,transfers4rejoined4 ,increase4,strength4 #ast ,jan4 #ahca #acdb #ci #d #b #de #achg #ahcb #acab #ce #a #cf #acdh #ahcc #aagi #cf #a #a #ch #abag #ahcd #aajb #ab #c #ae #aaag #ast ,april#ahce #ajaa #fe #a #ff #ajgg #ahcf #ihe #ij #b #ib #ajgg #ahcg #ajjd #ia #b #a #id #ajih #ahch #ajaf #fj #bj #a #ha #ajig #ahci #ajbh #aff #f #c #age #abjc #ahdj #aabf #acd #f #c #adc #abfi #ahda #aafi #bjd #d #e #bac #achb #ahdb #acaj #eb #e #c #fj #acgj #ahdc #abif #fh #c #f #gg #acgc #ahdd #abfj #ajb #c #a #ajf #acff #ahde #abhj #acd #e #a #adj #adbj #ahdf #acaa #cdi #ac #d #cff #afgg #ahdg #aeee #cef #bb #ac #cia #aidf #ahdh #agfh #ccc #cg #aj #chj #badh #ahdi #aigi #aig #bh #h #bcc #bbab #ahej #bjdb #abi #f #h #adc #bahe #ahea #bjfd #aae #f #aba #bahe #aheb #bjhd #ajj #g #ab #aai #bbjc #ahec #bjdf #ahi #bb #ad #bbe #bbga #bdd ,,decrease4 ,discharges4 ,free by reduction1 ,for ,by or for ,on ,limited ,for ,,year4,total disab- pur- ineffic- modified service miscon- ,trans- ,deaths4ility4chase4iency1 c4pension4 expired4 duct4 ported4 #ast ,jan4 #ahca #da #ai #b #a #g #a #ahcb #ca #ce #e #hd #h #a #ahcc #be #fj #b #bd #a #a #ahcd #bg #eg #a #ai #ast ,april#ahce #bg #dg #c #e #h #ahcf #bj #bi #e #e #f #ahcg #ba #cc #aa #e #a #c #ahch #ba #bb #e #g #b #e #ahci #ba #be #aj #h #a #b #ahdj #be #cg #ai #g #ahda #ai #bd #aa #a #d #ahdb #bj #ca #aj #ahdc #dd #ci #i #c #a #ab #ahdd #bg #db #e #d #d #ahde #af #dh #bj #aa #b #c #ahdf #ba #ef #be #d #ahdg #bb #fe #af #cb #e #ahdh #bf #gg #bd #e #b #e #b #ahdi #ej #gc #ah #b #a #f #ahej #bc #fj #e #b #g #a #ahea #bh #bf #ae #a #e #aheb #dj #fa #ad #b #a #b #ahec #dh #ch #ci #h #b #bdd ,,decrease4 ,transient to other regi- ments1 and ,deser- deserters ,wanting ,,year4 tions4 removed to ,total ,total to ,establish- ,,year4 their ,decrease4 ,strength4 complete4ment4#bci regiments4 #ast ,jan4 #ahca #d #ge #acab #cd #acdf #ahca #cast ,dec4 #ahcb #e #afi #aagi #e #aahd #ahcb #ahcc #b #aae #aajbbdj #ajfg #ahcc #ahcd #b #ajf #ajaa #ef #ajfg #ahcd #ast ,april#ahce #b #ib #ihe #hb #ajfg #ahcf #cast ,march #ahcf #h #gc #ajjd #fc #ajfg #ahcg #ahcg #g #a #hb #ajaf #bi #ajde #ahch #ahch #d #c #fi #ajbh #fe #ajic #ahci #ahci #i #a #gg #aabf #ga #aaig #ahdj #ahdj #aj #b #ajj #aafi #cf #abje #ahda #ahda #aj #c #gb #acajbda #abie #ahdb #ahdb #ac #gd #abifbdb #abhg #ahdc #ahdc #e #aac #abfj #bg #abhg #ahdd #ahdd #b #b #hf #abhj #g #abhg #ahde #ahde #g #b #aji #acaabdc #abhg #ahdf #ahdf #ae #a #abb #aeee #db #aeig #ahdg #ahdg #ca #g #agh #agfh #bi #agig #ahdh #ahdh #bb #f #afi #aigi #bjc #bahb #ahdi #ahdi #ai #a #agj #bjdb #adj #bahb #ahej #ahej #bc #aba #bjfd #aah #bahb #ahea #ahea #be #a #aja #bjhd #ih #bahb #aheb #aheb #cg #aeg #bjdf #acf #bahb #ahec #ahec #ed #a #aij #bjha #egb #bfec #ahed #bdd ,,appendix ,x4 --- ,,names of ,,men who have been ,,killed or ,,drowned while on ,,duty or otherwise1 by ,accident1 but not in ,action1 as far as the same can be now ascertained4 ,date4 ,rank4,names4 ,where4 ,under what circumstances4 ,july #ac1 ,private,john ,dobbs ,killed ,blown up whilst #aggb blasting rock4 ,sergeant,george ,sherriff ,michael ,gib ,george ,shearer ,robert ,taylor ,william ,robertson ,john ,mair ,william ,scott ,andrew ,lindsay ,edward ,fryer ,david ,buney ,francis ,hardie ,william ,cleghorn ,henry ,lyall ,william ,mc,lean ,william ,duguid ,john ,brown ,george ,henry ,john ,steedman ,john ,burns ,robert ,garrow ,thomas ,peacock ,david ,bain ,john ,stuppert ,george ,burn ,john ,napier ,charles ,comb ,archibald ,fullerton ,in the wreck of ,william ,muir the brig ,peter ,anderson ,near ,dunkirk1 #8,mercury'1 ,sept4 #bd1 ,recruits,thomas ,hastie on passage ,perished with all their #aghf ,john ,hutton from ,leith wives and ,james ,ore to ,gibraltar children1 ,robert ,young numbering #bh ,john ,brander of the former ,james ,douglas and #ad of the ,henry ,lawson latter4 ,thomas ,moscrip ,charles ,ross ,gustavus ,ross ,james ,tosh ,alexander ,gray ,george ,duguid ,john ,macdonald ,simon ,fraser ,william ,ross ,timothy ,clark ,charles ,crosbe ,joseph ,abdy ,james ,burnton ,david ,hunter ,james ,comb ,alexander ,forbes ,james ,burgoes ,john ,westwaters ,alexander ,white ,andrew ,white ,william ,ramage #be or #bf ,recruit,daniel ,thomson ,mardyck near ,perished ,after gaining ,sept4 ,dunkirk the shore from the #8,mercury1' from cold1 wounds1 and exhaustion4 ,june #d1 ,private,francis ,pearce ,plymouth ,killed ,in a riot4 #aghi ,june #bf1 ,drummer,thomas ,chatham ,killed ,by a wooden pipe #ad feet long1 falling from a pump on his head4 #agia ,sergeant,john ,fraser ,gibraltar1 at ,drowned ,ragged ,staff ,dec4 #ah1 ,private,john ,vernon ,woolwich ,drowned #agid ,private,miles ,barbadoes ,drowned ,ratcliff ,aug4 0 ,alexander ,on passage from,drowned #agig ,wright ,england to ,west ,indies4 ,aug4 #a1 0 ,john ,on expedition ,drowned #agih ,nancarrow to ,surinam ,april #ai1 0 ,philip ,on passage ,drowned ,washed #agii ,patterson from ,england overboard4 to ,turkey ,may #bg1 0 ,george ,laken ,off ,turkey ,drowned #ahjj ,aug4 #ba1 0 ,james ,strang ,chatham ,drowned ,when mooring 0 a boat opposite ,cockham ,wood4 ,oct4 0 ,walter ,allen ,halifax1 ,drowned ,fell ,nova ,scotia overboard in the harbour4 ,june #b1 0 ,john ,rogers ,river ,nile1 ,drowned ,while assisting #ahja near in the con- ,rahmanieh1 struction of a ,egypt temporary bridge across the ,nile4 ,aug4 #ae1 0 ,john ,bain ,from ,st4 ,thomas,drowned 0 to ,martinique ,april #d1 0 ,daniel ,brown ,jersey ,killed ,by falling from #ahjd the top of a tower while mounting guns4 ,feb4 #ahjf 0 ,john ,marley ,from ,england ,drowned to ,gibraltar ,june #bb1 0 ,james ,dane ,spike ,island ,drowned ,by the upsetting 0 of a boat4 ,jan4 #i1 0 ,thomas ,gibraltar ,killed ,by blocks of #ahjh ,mitchelson stone falling on them from ,jan4 #bf1 0 ,charles ,gibraltar ,killed the quarry 0 ,cranham at the ,devil's ,tower4 ,sept4 #ae1 0 ,george ,spratt ,merida1 ,spain ,killed4 ,by private #ahji ,robert ,costello in a quarrel2 stabbed with a sword4 ,oct4 #g1 0 ,thomas ,lane ,madeira ,killed ,by an explosion 0 when reloading the evening gun at ,ilches ,rock4 ,mar4 #ba1 0 ,thomas ,hughes ,tarifa1 near to,killed ,by the springing #ahaj of a mine4 ,june 0 ,john ,screech ,newfoundland1 ,killed ,by being blown #ae1 0 ,signal ,hill up in blasting a well4 ,oct4 #bb1 0 0 ,william ,cock ,newfoundland ,drowned ,dec4 #c1 0 0 ,benjamin ,hall ,puntales1 ,cadiz,killed ,by the fall of a wall under which he was mining4 ,may #bf1 ,corporal,james ,roope ,newfoundland ,killed ,by suffocation #ahaa in a lime-kiln while on duty4 ,oct4 #d1 0 0 ,william ,brown ,cadiz1 near ,murdered ,supposed by a ,isla de ,leon private of the corps1 who was tried1 but escaped for want of evidence4 ,june #bd1 ,private,thomas ,grewer ,carthagena ,killed ,by being blown #ahab up whilst mining4 ,nov4 #bh1 0 0 ,paul ,harvey ,tarifa ,killed ,april #ba1 0 ,william ,liddle ,gibraltar ,drowned ,by being #ahac carried down the main drain during a storm1 into the sea4 ,june #ba1 0 0 ,william ,gibraltar ,killed ,by the ,dunstan springing of a mine4 ,july #f1 0 0 ,james ,ashcroft ,woolwich ,drowned ,dec4 #bg1 0 ,sergeant,patrick ,dublin ,drowned ,by losing his ,o',brien way in a dense fog1 and fall- ing into the ,ring's ,end ,docks4 ,dec4 #ca1 0 ,private,edward ,mooney ,nive1 near ,drowned ,ustaritz ,nov4 #bb1 0 0 ,michael ,from ,england ,drowned ,fitzgerald to ,peninsula ,jan4 #a1 0 ,james ,duffy ,york1 ,canada ,burned ,by the #ahad to death conflagration of the barracks4 ,jan4 #ad1 0 ,corporal,george ,mulrean ,falmouth ,perished ,in the wreck of the ',queen ,jan4 #ad1 ,private,james ,falmouth ,perished ,charlotte4' 0 ,mc,cartney ,jan4 #bh1 0 ,john ,stewart ,from ,plymouth ,drowned ,fell overboard4 0 to ,portsm4 ,feb4 #bd1 0 ,john ,mc,night ,adour1 near ,perished 0 ,bayonne ,in the found- ering of a ,feb4 #bd1 #bnd ,patrick ,power ,adour1 near ,perished chasse-mare 0 ,corpl4 ,bayonne in crossing the dangerous ,feb4 #bd1 #bnd ,patrick ,power ,adour1 near ,perished bar of river4 0 ,corpl4 ,bayonne ,sept4 #ah1 ,private,john ,benoy ,chatham1 ,st4 ,drowned ,whilst bathing4 0 ,mary's ,creek ,feb4 #ai1 0 ,daniel ,newfoundland ,frozen ,was benighted1 #ahae ,dougherty to death and falling from exhaus- tion in the snow1 was smothered1 and thus died4 ,he was discovered by a ,newfound- land dog4 ,march #f1 0 ,edward ,miah ,off ,dauphine ,drowned 0 ,island1 ,amer4 ,april #g1 0 ,robert ,hoston ,bermuda ,drowned 0 ,july #ac1 0 ,thomas ,newfoundland ,drowned ,he was pursued 0 ,williams by a party sent in quest of in him1 and jump- ing into the ,great ,pond at ,signal ,hill to effect his es- cape1 was lost in the attempt4 ,july #bj1 0 ,james ,white ,seine1 near ,drowned ,by falling 0 ,paris off the bridge on arousing from sleep4 ,july #ca1 0 ,david ,morgan ,st4 ,denis1 ,killed ,by falling 0 ,france from a window1 supposed in a state of somnambulism4 ,nov4 #a1 ,sergeant,william ,ritchie ,epinay1 ,france ,murdered ,by private 0 ,david ,smith of the corps1 who was executed #ab ,dec41 #ahae4 ,may #a1 ,corporal,morgan ,plymouth ,killed ,by a stone of #ahaf ,williams #b tons weight falling on him in a quarry when mining4 ,aug4 #h1 0 ,james ,miller ,gibraltar ,drowned 0 ,dec4 #bd1 ,private,walter ,white ,st4 ,amand1 ,drowned ,lost his way and #ahag ,france fell into the canal4 ,june #bb1 0 ,john ,tretheway ,chatham ,drowned ,whilst bathing4 0 ,aug4 #af1 0 ,james ,verner ,barbadoes ,killed ,by the explosion 0 of a mine4 ,june #ai1 0 ,alexander ,milne ,rheims1 ,france ,murdered ,perpetrators #ahah were never discovered4 ,oct4 #bb1 0 0 ,james ,scott ,france ,murdered ,jan4 #aa1 0 ,william ,liddle ,kingston1 ,drowned ,while #ahai ,upper ,canada endeavouring to cross the ice on ,lake ,ontario4 ,jan4 #ai1 0 ,gamaliel ,ashton ,corfu ,killed ,by falling #ahba from a scaf- fold4 ,jan4 #aa1 0 ,walter ,urie ,chatham ,killed ,by falling into #ahbb the ditch of the fortific- ations4 ,april #a1 0 ,michael ,connolly,at sea1 on ,killed ,by falling down 0 board ,h4,m4,s4 the hatchway4 #8,salisbury4' ,sept4 #h1 ,corporal,michael ,harle ,from ,drowned 0 ,gibraltar to ,england ,april #e1 ,private,james ,blake ,bermuda ,drowned #ahbc ,nov4 #ad1 ,corporal,william ,williams,gibraltar ,killed ,by a fall4 ,he given orders to fire a mine1 and was spring- ing by means of a rope across a chasm1 to take cover from the explosion be- hind a bold rock1 when the rope was cut through by a projecting ledge1 and falling many hundred feet down the east- ern precipice1 he was dashed to pieces4 ,july #bi1 ,private,james ,ross ,chatham ,drowned ,fell overboard #ahbd from a pontoon raft4 ,sept4 #bf1 0 ,william ,berry ,chatham ,drowned ,fell overboard #ahbe from a pontoon raft4 ,dec4 #bc1 0 ,william ,widders ,bermuda ,drowned 0 ,july #ad1 0 ,david ,marshall ,corfu ,killed ,whilst blasting #ahbf rock4 ,march #ag1 0 ,richard ,rosevere,bermuda ,killed ,by being blown #ahbg up when blast- ing rock4 ,july #bd1 0 0 ,andrew ,mathieson,chatham ,drowned ,whilst bathing4 ,sept4 #c1 0 0 ,henry ,bennett ,gibraltar ,killed ,by falling from the rock when at work4 ,dec4 #a1 0 0 ,james ,masters ,rideau ,canal1 ,killed ,by being blown ,canada up whilst blasting rock4 ,feb4 #af1 0 ,walter ,sim ,at sea1 on ,drowned #ahbi passage to ,fell overboard ,bermuda4 from the #8,weymouth4' ,march #d1 0 ,peter ,bamford ,bermuda ,drowned ,aug4 #bd1 0 0 ,thomas ,duffy ,rideau ,canal1 ,killed ,by blasting in ,canada a quarry4 ,may #bi1 0 ,james ,simmons ,rideau ,canal1 ,killed ,by being blown #ahcj 0 ,canada ,killed up in a quarry4 ,june #ah1 0 0 ,john ,kerr ,halifax1 ,killed ,by a stone fal- ,nova ,scotia ling on him on the works4 ,july #f1 0 0 ,alexander ,bermuda ,killed ,by the explosion ,mc,micken1 of a box of gunpowder when blasting rock4 ,jan4 #bh1 0 ,leonard ,jasper ,rideau ,canal1 ,killed ,by being #ahca ,canada blown up in a quarry4 ,march #i1 0 0 ,john ,higford ,rideau ,canal1 ,killed ,by an ,canada explosion in the canal4 ,by the falling of ,may #ca1 0 0 ,gumple ,nathan ,gibraltar ,killed large pieces of rock 0 0 0 ,william ,street ,gibraltar ,killed upon them1 which crushed them to death4 ,aug4 #aa1 0 0 ,charles ,barbadoes ,killed ,by the fal- ,shambrook ling of the hospital during a hur- ricane1 which crushed him to death4 ,nov4 #aj1 0 0 ,william ,gunn ,rideau ,canal1 ,drowned ,canada ,july #bb1 0 ,nathaniel ,halifax1 ,nova ,killed ,by falling over #ahcb ,fulcher ,scotia the works at ,fort ,george4 ,nov4 #f1 0 ,john ,strachan ,bermuda1 ,morris,drowned #ahcd ,island ,feb4 #f1 0 ,james ,bennie ,lough ,strang- ,drowned ,by the upset #ahce ford1 ,ireland ting of a boat while surveying the islands in the ,lough4 ,feb4 #bb1 0 ,matthew ,rosevere,bermuda ,killed ,by the explosion #ahcf of a box of gunpowder when blasting rock4 ,may #ba1 0 0 ,archibald ,river ,euphrates,drowned ,by the upsetting ,mc,donald of the #8,tigris' steamer1 during a hurricane4 ,july #c1 0 0 ,john ,crossett ,leixlip to ,killed ,by a fall from ,chapelizod a car4 ,july #ag1 0 ,corporal,john ,reid ,l',agulhas ,reef1,perished ,with his wife #gj miles ,s4,e4 and four child- ,cape of ,good ren in the ,hope wreck of the barque #8,doncaster4' ,mar4 #h1 ,private,john ,porteous ,passages1 ,spain,killed ,by a fall4 #ahcg ,july #ai1 0 0 ,robert ,steele ,chatham ,drowned ,whilst bathing4 ,may #ba1 #bnd ,henry ,mitchell ,off ,tilbury ,drowned ,in a diving #ahch ,corpl4 ,fort apparatus1 while employed at the demo- lition of the brig #8,william4' ,mar4 #ca1 ,private,thomas ,bonds ,bermuda ,killed ,by an explosion #ahdj in blasting rock4 ,dec4 #aj1 0 0 ,joseph ,maxwell ,coast of ,drowned ,by being washed ,kerry from a rock into the sea1 whilst en- deavouring to recover his note-book4 ,he was surveying ,valentia ,island4 ,april #bd1 0 ,edward ,lowe ,kat ,river1 ,drowned #ahdb ,cape of ,good ,hope ,oct4 #ae1 0 #bnd ,william ,finlay ,moorsunde1 ,drowned ,in endeavouring ,corpl4 ,river ,murray1 to recover ,south a wounded duck4 ,australia4 ,when found he was entangled in the reeds at the bottom of the lagoon1 with the duck clenched in his fist4 ,april #bg1 ,private,john ,skelton ,spithead ,drowned ,by falling over #ahdd the gunwale of a boat1 during a lurch in a swell of the sea4 ,july #cj1 0 0,daniel ,martin ,st4 ,roque1 ,killed ,in a quarrel1 by ,spain a ,spaniard striking him on the head with a chair4 ,oct4 #bb1 0 0,george ,shanks ,bermuda ,drowned ,whilst trying to swim from the sloop #8,annawan' in ,grassy ,bay to the shore4 ,by the boat in which they ,may #af1 #bnd ,thomas ,bone ,bermuda ,drowned were crossing #ahde ,corpl4 the little sound near 0 0 ,private,peter ,marshall ,bermuda ,drowned ,hunt's ,bay1 striking against a sunken rock and founder- ing4 ,june #ab1 0 0,william ,w4 ,chatham1 ,st4 ,drowned ,riddle ,mary's ,creek ,whilst bathing4 ,july #aa1 0 0,john ,hamill ,bermuda ,drowned ,nov4 #bf1 0 0,john ,trellevin ,hong ,kong1 ,killed ,by falling down ,china a steep bank4 ,june #af1 0,thomas ,kilbride ,river ,ouse1 ,drowned ,whilst bathing4 #ahdf ,york ,dec4 #ad1 0 0,joseph ,rawlings ,near ,bermuda ,drowned ,fell overboard from the #8,athol1' during one of the heavy lurches of the vessel4 ,jan4 #b1 0,hugh ,arnold ,kowie ,river1 ,drowned ,on the tide #ahdh ,cape of ,good receding1 he ,hope was found not far from the shore1 in a hole4 ,he is supposed to have missed his way1 and fallen into the river4 ,june #be1 0 0,thomas ,hudson ,red ,river1 ,drowned ,whilst bathing4 ,hudson's ,bay ,aug4 #c1 0 0,william ,miller ,hong ,kong to ,drowned ,fell overboard4 ,macao ,april #bf 0,joseph ,cox ,chatham ,drowned ,fell from a raft #ahdi whilst pontooning4 ,june #ai1 0 ,sergeant,john ,sutton 0 0 ,corporal,bartholomew ,griffiths 0 0 ,bugler,william ,henderson 0 0 ,private,david ,john 0 0 0,joseph ,mc,lachlan 0 0 0,robert ,martin 0 0 0,james ,scott ,in the wreck of 0 0 0,charles ,quigley ,prince the ',richard 0 0 0,james ,baker ,edward's ,dart1' freight- 0 0 0,william ,walsh ,island1 #ab ship1 with 0 0 0,malcolm south of the ,perished their wives ,nicholson and 0 0 0,samuel ,pinch ,cape of ,good children1 num- 0 0 0,alexander ,clark ,hope1 on bering four 0 0 0,william ,c4 ,green passage to of the former 0 0 0,john ,mulreany ,new ,zealand and nine of the 0 0 0,robert ,alexander latter4 0 0 0,nathaniel ,vicary 0 0 0,samuel ,peters 0 0 0,paul ,orchard 0 0 0,richard ,holt 0 0 0,robert ,bruce 0 0 0,james ,ferguson 0 0 0,william ,thomas 0 0 0,william ,mitchell ,aug4 #bd1 0 0,william ,prince ,edward's,perished ,from frostbite1 ,goldsmith ,island1 #ab ,s4 exposure1 and of the ,cape4 exhaustion4 ,sept4 #d1 0 0,william ,hillman ,fort ,brown1 ,killed ,by a waggon run- ,cape of ,good ning over him4 ,hope4 ,by an explosion ,oct4 #aj1 0 ,sergeant,john ,cameron ,sandhurst ,killed of gunpowder1 whilst employed in blowing up ,oct4 #bc1 0 ,private,robert ,player ,sandhurst ,killed an experimental stockade4 ,mar4 #cj1 0,john ,burgess ,bermuda ,drowned ,by missing his #ahej way in the dark and falling into the sea4 ,sept4 #f1 0,thomas ,w4 ,noon ,bicester1 near ,killed ,by the upsetting #ahea ,oxford of a railway train4 ,aug4 #i1 0,david ,jones ,keiskama ,hock1 ,killed ,by an explosion #aheb ,cape of ,good when blasting ,hope4 rock4 ,oct4 #ca1 0 0,john ,callan ,keyhaven1 nr ,drowned ,by the upsetting ,hurst ,castle of a boat4 ,nov4 #i1 0 0,james ,hicks ,malta ,killed ,by falling from a wall #cf feet high1 on the works4 ,dec4 #bg1 0 0,john ,harris ,corfu ,killed ,by a blow in the face from a comrade1 who was tried for the offence1 and sen- tenced to six months' imprison- ment4 ,may #bg1 0,john ,olivey ,river ,swale1 ,drowned ,whilst bathing4 #ahec near ,richmond1 in ,yorkshire4 ,in a heavy gale of wind1 by the swamping of a boat of peculiar construction1 known as a ,in a lake on 8twin- boat10 the north consisting of ,may #ad1 ,private,alfred ,hawkins shore1 about ,drowned two bottoms un- #ahec 0,samuel ,parsons #f miles from ited by one ,auckland1 ,new deck1 while out ,zealand with ,lieut4 ,c4,t4 ,hutchinson1 ,r4,e41 who also perished4 ,the officer had been taking sketches of the shore4 ,mar1 #aa1 0,henry ,clark ,bermuda ,killed ,by falling into #ahed ,barrack-hill quarry4 ,june #g1 0 ,recruit,john ,bell ,bangor ,drowned ,whilst bathing4 ,june #aj1 0 ,private,richard ,pemble ,elvanfoot1 ,perished ,from exhaustion ,lanarkshire and the inclem- ency of the weather4 ,after a fatiguing day's work he lay down to rest by the side of a moun- tain stream1 and died4 ,june #bi1 0 0,richard ,halifax1 ,murdered ,was shot through ,wilkinson ,nova ,scotia4 the heart by private ,william ,sime1 of the corps4 ,nov4 #ad1 0 ,sergeant,william ,carne ,during a storm 0 0 ,private,samuel ,lewis ,outer ,harbour in the wreck of 0 0 0,thomas ,price of ,balaklava1,perished the screw 0 0 0,thomas ,toohey ,crimea steamer #8,prince4' 0 0 ,corporal,john ,pendered ,outer ,harbour ,during a storm 0 0 ,private,john ,hammond of ,balaklava1,perished in the wreck ,crimea of the #8,rip ,van ,winkle4' ,nov4 #ai1 0 0,donald ,mc,kenzie ,belfast ,lough1 ,drowned ,by falling out of off ,bangor a boat while sitting on the gunwale4 ,jan4 #d1 0,james ,deacon ,near the camp ,perished ,found frozen to #ahee in front of death in the ,sebastopol4 snow4 ,feb4 #bc1 0 0,daniel ,law ,st4 ,george's1 ,drowned ,whilst bathing4 ,bermuda4 ,feb4 #bc1 ,corporal,john ,rowse ,on passage from,drowned ,fell overboard #ahef ,natal to ,cape from the #8,wand- ,town erer' schooner1 during a heavy lurch of the vessel4 ,aug4 #aa1 0 ,private,michael ,mc,greevy,river ,tweed1 ,drowned ,went to fish4 ,was ,inverleithin subject to fits1 and it is sup- posed that being seized with one1 he fell into the stream4 ,his body was found at ,kelso1 upwards of forty miles from the spot where he per- ished4 ----- ,footnote #bch3 ,appointed ,assistant-,director1 #afth ,march1 #ahae4 ,footnote #bci3 ,officers not included4 ,footnote #bdj3 #ce excess4 ,footnote #bda3 #ae excess4 ,footnote #bdb3 #i excess4 ,footnote #bdc3 #bd excess4 ,footnote #bdd3 ,no returns have been prepared since #cast ,march1 #ahed4 ,,index ,,to ,,vol4 ,,ii4 7,not including the ,,appendix47 ,africa1 central1 #aad-aai ,airy1 ,professor1 #dj1 #df1 #di1 #eac1 #ebd ,aitcheson1 ,james1 private1 #dca ,akers1 ,lieutenant1 #ag2 ,captain1 #dhi ,aladyn1 #ahd1 #ahe ,aland islands1 #agb ,albert1 ,prince1 #hb1 #aci1 #ade1 #dij1 #eae ,alderney1 #if1 #ig1 #aba1 #die ,aldershot1 #adh1 #afc1 #afi1 #dhd1 #dij1 #die ,alderson1 ,lieutenant-,colonel1 #ah ,algar1 ,william1 bugler1 #ddf ,allan1 ,alexander1 private1 #bch1 #dgh ----1 quartermaster1 #abh ,alexander1 ,colonel1 #bje ,alma1 #aih ,alti1 #dhh ,anderson1 ,andrew1 #ahe-ahg1 #aid1 #bcf1 #ccc1 #cdj ----1 ,james1 sergeant1 #bj1 #bbh1 #bfg1 #cdb1 #ddg ----1 ,lieutenant1 ,w4 ,c41 #adf1 #bdf ----1 ,lieutenant #ifth regiment1 #cbe2 ,captain1 #dah ,andrews1 ,mr41 ,mayor of ,southampton1 #eae ,anglesey1 ,marquis of1 #dj1 #hb ,arctic expedition1 #g-ae1 #bh-ca ,armit1 ,captain1 #cce1 #ccf ,arms and accoutrements1 #aeg ,army-works corps1 #bca ,armstrong1 bugler1 #bec ,art and ,science1 ,department of ,practical1 #hf1 #aai1 #adi1 #dij1 #die ,arthur1 ,john1 private1 #ajd ,asylum4 ,see ,cambridge ,asylum4 ,augmentations1 #af1 #bh1 #afe1 #aff1 #agh1 #bee1 #dia ,australia1 #ca1 #db1 #eg1 #id1 #abc1 #adh1 #bce1 #die ,austrians1 the1 #aid ,azof1 expedition to ,sea of1 #cja1 #cji ,bainbrigge1 ,lieutenant1 #beh ,baker1 ,thomas1 corporal1 #fh1 #ga1 #gb1 #gc ----1 ,william1 corporal1 #bei ----1 ,william1 private1 #bge2 corporal1 #djb1 #dcj1 #dca1 #dcb1 #dgd1 #dge1 #dhe ----1 ,william1 second corporal1 #cee1 #ceh1 #cfj ,balaklava1 #bjj1 #bah1 #bbg1 #bdc1 #chb1 #dgh ----1 monument at1 #dhb ,baltic1 #agb-agg ,band1 the1 #aff ,bank of ,england1 #ag ,barnard1 sergeant1 #chc ,barnes1 ,joseph1 private1 #cej ,barrow1 ,joseph1 corporal1 #gd1 #ge ,base line on ,salisbury ,plain1 #cg-dj ,baston1 ,john1 private1 #bfh ,bay1 sergeant1 #b1 #dih ,bayne1 ,james1 private1 #bgb ,baynes1 ,lieutenant1 #bha1 #bhb1 #bhd ,beaton1 sergeant1 #e1 #dih1 #eji-eab ,beatty1 ,captain1 #ebb ,belson1 ,captain1 #bfc1 #cce1 #cfc ,bell1 ,charles1 corporal1 #daf ,bennett1 ,william1 private1 #dca ,bent1 ,captain1 #ig1 #aha1 #ahb1 #ahc1 #ahe-ahg1 #aia1 #aib1 #aic2 ,major1 #bcf1 #bdi1 #cfh1 #cgg1 #ddj1 #ded2 ,lieutenant-,colonel1 #dfe1 #dgc ,berea1 #aji ,bermuda1 #abd1 #afc1 #bce1 #die ,berry1 sergeant1 #if ,bessarabia1 #dhi1 #die ,bizot1 ,general1 #bea ,bland1 ,james1 private1 #bag1 #bch ,bloomfield1 ,lord1 #bj ,boem ,plaatz1 #bc ,bomarsund1 #agf ,borbidge1 corporal1 #cdc1 #cdd ,boudroun1 #dia1 #die ,bourchier1 ,captain1 #aha1 #ahb1 #cee ,bowman1 ,john1 private1 #dcb ,boyce1 ,john1 private1 #dah1 #dai ,boyd1 ,david1 private1 #cif1 #dca ,boyland1 private1 #bgi ,boyles1 ,john1 private1 #bch ,bradford1 quartermaster1 #a1 #ag1 #afa ,bramley1 ,john1 private1 #bch1 #daj ,brennan1 ,james1 private1 #bja-bjd ,bridgman1 corporal1 #beh ,brine1 ,lieutenant1 #cfi1 #cha1 #def1 #deh1 #dei1 #dfj1 #dhb1 #dhc ----1 ,william1 private1 #dcc ,broad1 ,james1 private1 #dca ,brodie1 ,david1 #ae1 #bh-cj ,brooking1 ,thomas1 private1 #fd ,brotherston1 bugler1 #ajd ,brown1 ,down1 #eh ----1 ,henry1 sergeant1 #abg1 #abi1 #acj1 #bbi ----1 ,sir ,george1 #aha ,browne1 ,captain1 #bdc1 #bhf1 #cbe1 #cca1 #cce ,bruce1 ,william1 private1 #bfh1 #ddc1 #dhe1 #dhf ,bucharest1 #aid1 #aig1 #bbg1 #bcd4 ,bulganak1 causeway across the1 #aih ,bulgaria1 #ahb-ahh1 #aij-aic1 #aie ,buliack1 bridge of1 #aii ,buller1 ,henry1 private1 #dhe ,burgoyne1 ,sir ,john1 #df1 #agi1 #aii1 #bje1 #bac1 #bec1 #bed1 #deb1 #dic ,burke1 gunner ,r4 ,a41 #cag ----1 ,lieutenant1 #agi1 #ahj1 #ahe-ahg1 #bcf ,burt1 ,john1 private1 #deh ,calder1 ,william1 private1 #aba ,calderwood1 private1 #cge ,caledon1 passage of the1 #ajh1 #aji ,callaghan1 ,thomas1 private1 #dda ----1 private1 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sergeant1 #bji1 #bah1 #bfe1 #bff1 #bhe ----1 ,philip1 sergeant1 #bih1 #cgj1 #chh ,morrison1 ,john1 private1 #daf ----1 ,william1 private1 #bch ----1 sergeant ,r4 ,a41 #dba ,moscow1 #dhi ,moustache1 #aej ,muir1 ,david1 private1 #ib1 #cfc ----1 ,thomas1 private1 #bff ,mulligan1 ,james1 #dih ,murphy1 ,john1 private1 #aje ,murray1 ,lieutenant1 #baj1 #cji1 #cce1 #cde1 #cdg ----1 ,bernard1 private1 #cgf1 #daj1 #dbd ----1 ,james1 private1 #fd ,navvies1 the1 #bca ,nelles1 ,patrick1 private1 #daj1 #dib ----1 ,francis1 private1 #dib ,neville1 private1 #dfi1 #dgj ----1 ,lieutenant1 #cce1 #ceb-ced1 #cfc ,newman1 sergeant #fbnd regiment1 #dah ,new ,south ,wales1 see 8,mint40 ,newton1 ,mr41 ,consul at ,mitylene1 #dia ,new ,zealand1 #dc1 #die ,nicholas1 ,rowland1 private1 #chb ,nicholson1 ,major1 #dgj1 #dga1 #dgb1 #dhd1 #dhe ,niel1 ,general1 #bea ,nightingale1 ,miss ,florence1 #dhc ,noon1 corporal1 #gi1 #he ,normansell1 corporal1 #dgj ,north ,pole1 see 8,arctic ,expedition0 ,norval1 ,alexander1 private1 #cif ,nugent1 ,lieutenant1 #agb ,odessa1 #agi ,oldfield1 ,colonel1 #ie ,oldham1 ,john1 private1 #dbi1 #dca ,omar ,pacha1 #ahj1ahg1 #aij1aib1 #aic1 #bcf ,orange river1 passage of the1 #bb1 #aaj-aab ,old1 ,captain1 #abh1 #agc ,orr1 ,william1 private1 #cbh1 #ddc1 #dhe ,osment1 corporal1 #dca1 #deg ,owen1 ,captain1 #fi1 #hb1 #hc1 #ic1 #aai1 #adi1 #bha1 #bhd ,paris1 ,palais de l',industrie1 #aea-aed ,pasley1 ,sir ,charles1 #dj1 #df1 #dic ----1 ,lieutenant ,r4 ,a41 #fb ,patterson1 ,john1 private1 #cah ----1 ,thomas1 private1 #cda ,paul1 ,john1 corporal1 #bac1 #cdg-cej1 #cij1 #dac1 #dad1 #ddc1 #dhe1 #dhf ,paulett1 ,lord ,william1 #dhc ,pay1 regimental1 #afe ---- working1 #ha1 #ahb1 #ejf ,pearson1 ,edward1 private1 #cej ----1 ,george1 corporal1 #ha1 #baj ,pechell1 ,captain1 #gg1 #daj ,peel1 ,captain ,r4 ,n41 #bfe1 #bgb1 #cbb ,pelissier1 ,marshal1 #dee ,pemble1 private1 #e ,pendered1 corporal1 #ga1 #abj1 #adi1ahi1 #bbd ,penn1 ,lieutenant ,r4 ,a41 #beg2 ,captain1 #cce1 #ceb1 #dea 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,purfleet1 #afi ,quarries1 capture of the1 #cbc-cbf ,quartermasters1 new appointments1 #aba ,queen1 ,james1 private1 #acf1 #bhj ,races at ,chatham1 #dib ,raglan1 ,lord1 #cef1 #dhc ,ramsay1 ,andrew1 corporal1 #ij1 #ib ----1 ,alexander1 corporal1 #bci1 #bea1 #bfi ----1 ,george1 private1 #ced ,ranken1 ,lieutenant1 #dbg-dcb1 #ddd1 #dgc-dge1 #dhb ,ravenhill1 ,lieutenant1 #bje1 #bbb ,read1 ,john ,f41 sergeant1 #ia1 #ahb1 #aij1 #aic1 #bch ----1 sergeant major1 #abh ,rebellion in ,ireland1 #ag ,redan1 assaults of the1 #cdd1 #dbg ----1 monument1 #dhb ,redout ,kaleh1 #aha1 #ahh1 #aig ,reid1 ,james1 private1 #cb-cg ----1 ,colonel1 #fh1 #gj1 #ge1 #hb ,relf1 ,william1 private1 #beh ,reynolds1 ,james1 private1 #ajd ,richard ,dart1 wreck of1 #cb ,richards1 private1 #ahh ,richardson1 ,sir ,john1 #g-ae1 #bh-ca ,rifle-pits1 capture of the1 #bha-bhd ----1 practice at ,chatham1 #agj ,rinhy1 corporal1 #bae1 #bfa1 #chc1 #ddc ,roberts1 ,lieutenant ,r4 ,m4 ,artillery1 #aha ----1 ,william1 corporal1 #ii ,robertson1 ,captain1 #ag1 #fc1 #ff1 #ii1 #aja1 #ajg2 ,major1 #dhd ----1 ,william1 private1 #cif ,rollings1 ,william1 private1 #cea ,ross1 ,captain1 ,a4 ,p4 ,g41 #abc ----1 ,captain ,george1 #abh ----1 ,john1 sergeant1 #bj ----1 ,john1 corporal1 #chd1 #dja1 #dcc-dcf1 #ddc1 #ddd1 #dhb ----1 ,thomas1 private1 #age ,rowlett1 ,alfred1 private1 #chh ,rowley1 ,john ,s41 private1 #age2 corporal1 #bec ,rumble1 ,mr41 ,engineer of the ,london1 #dfe ,runnymede1 ,bridge over the ,thames at1 #adb ,russell1 ,robert1 private1 #beh ,rustchuck1 #aij1 #aib ,ruthven1 ,peter1 private1 #dca ,rylatt1 corporal1 #aic1 #bch1 #dei ,salisbury ,plain1 base line on1 #cg-dj ,sanderson1 ,william1 private1 #ajd ,sandham1 ,major1 #ai ,sandhurst1 #da1 #die ,sapper1 substituted for grade of private1 #dic ,sappers' church in the ,crimea1 #cbi-cca ,sargent1 sergeant1 #chc1 #dhc ,saville1 ,lieutenant and ,adjutant1 #bef1 #dhj ,st4 ,paul1 ,cape1 #ccc1 #chb ,schaw1 ,captain1 #dgg1 #dgi ,scott1 ,henry1 private1 #ajd ----1 ,william1 sergeant1 #ejh ,scown1 ,george1 private1 #bch ,scutari1 #bbg1 #bcd1 #chb1 #die ,seaford ,bay1 cliff at1 #dc-df ,seaman1 ,thomas1 private1 #ajd ,seaton1 ,lord1 #ade1 #adf ,sebastopol1 siege of1 #bjj-dch ,sector observations1 #df-ee ,sedley1 ,lieutenant1 #ag2 ,captain1 #dbg1 #dcb ,sergeants1 supernumerary1 #afa ,servants1 #chb1 #chc ,sewer at ,woolwich1 sappers replaced convicts in its construction1 #dj ,shadforth1 ,colonel1 #bia ,sharp1 ,robert1 private1 #chi ,sheehy1 ,lieutenant1 #bhe ,shetland ,islands1 #ai1 #ca1 #hh-ib ,shipwrecks1 #cb1 #bbd ,shoeburyness1 #dj1 #die ,siborne1 ,lieutenant1 #aja1 #ajh-aab2 ,captain1 #bef1 #deb ,sillifant1 sergeant1 #abi1 #acj1 #ace ,simpson1 ,general1 #cef2 ,sir ,james1 #def ----1 quartermaster1 #bdh ----1 ,david1 corporal1 #cai ,sinnett1 corporal1 #aca ----1 ,james1 sergeant1 #ejg ,sinope1 #bdg ,slade1 ,peter1 private1 #cbe ,slobedsie1 bridge over the creek at1 #aia1 #bcg ,smale1 private1 #bgf1 #cda ,smith1 ,miss1 ,heroine of the ,amazon1 #eae ----1 ,sir ,harry1 #ff ----1 ,r4 ,m41 ,lieutenant1 #dia ----1 ,joseph1 sergeant1 #b1 #ai ----1 ,harry ,b41 corporal1 #cig ----1 ,alexander1 private1 #ib ----1 ,mr4 7,post-office at ,chobham71 #acf1 #acg ,smythe1 ,piazzi1 ,astronomer ,royal1 #eai1 #ebj ,somerset ,fund1 #aie ,somerset1 ,fitzroy1 ,lieutenant and ,adjutant1 #abg ,somerville1 ,lieutenant1 #cah1 #cce1 #cde ,southampton1 #bdh ,spackman1 corporal1 #dib ,spalding1 ,alexander1 sergeant1 #ajd ,sparks1 ,alexander1 #chi ,spear1 ,samuel1 private1 #cej ,spence1 ,mr41 of ,unst1 #eb ,spencer1 ,benjamin ,k41 #dg1 #aca1 #bdh ,spike ,island1 #ie1 #bce ,spry1 ,james1 sergeant1 #ddd ,stabling for cavalry horses1 #bdd1 #bde1 #dgh ,stace1 ,w4 ,a41 ,captain1 #fg ,stacey1 corporal1 #dgh ,stancombe1 private1 #ccc ,stanton1 ,lieutenant1 #ajh2 ,captain1 #ahb1 #cji1 #ccc1 #ccd2 ,lieut4-,colonel1 #dhi ----1 ,joseph1 ,j41 corporal1 #bch1 #bei1 #bgh1 #cag1 #cbd1 #cbe1 #djc1 #ddc1 #dhe1 #dhf ,stavely1 ,major-,general1 #bd ,steel1 sergeant1 #e1 #cg-dj1 #dg-ee2 sergeant-major1 #bdh1 #dih1 #dii1 #eaj1 #eaf-eba ,stephens1 ,john1 private1 #dca ----1 ,edward1 corporal1 #dhg-dhi ,stevens1 ,matthew1 corporal1 #bic ,stewart1 ,captain ,houston1 #dhd ----1 ,roderick1 #chi ----1 ,james1 corporal1 #dih ,stokes1 ,major1 #dhi ,stopford1 ,lieutenant1 #fi1 #hc1 #bff1 #dde1 #dej ,stotherd1 ,lieutenant1 #cb1 #abg1 #acj ,stredwick1 corporal1 #dag ,stupple1 corporal1 #bjh ,sulter1 ,john1 #g ,surveys1 #a-g1 #cb1 #df1 #hf1 #abj1 #abg1 #acj1 #adh1 #agi1 #dgf1 #dhg-dhi1 #dia1 #dif-ebh ,sutton1 ,colonel1 #eh-fj ,swan ,river ,settlement1 #db1 #eg ,swann1 ,william1 private1 #adc2 corporal1 #ahe-ahg1 #aib1 #aic1 #cji ,swenny1 ,edward1 private1 #aad1 #aae ,sydney4 ,see 8,mint40 ,sykes1 ,john1 private1 #cbh ,tagnier1 sergeant1 ,french sappers1 #bdh ,taylor1 ,james ,s41 corporal1 #ie1 #abb ----1 ,william1 private1 #bfi ----1 ,william1 corporal1 #daj-dab ----1 the ,rev4 ,mr41 #cbi ,tchernaya bridge1 #dhj ,telegraphy taught in schools at ,chatham1 #afi ,teos1 now ,boudroun1 #dia ,thomas1 ,james1 private1 #dda ,thompson1 ,david1 private1 #bgf1 #dhb1 #dhc ----1 ,william1 private1 #daf ,tickell1 ,aaron1 private1 #cea ,tides1 #if ,todleben1 ,general1 #cbj ,toohey1 ,thomas1 #bbd ,towell1 ,peter1 corporal1 #bfh1 #bhc ,tower4 ,see 8,london40 ,trade ,museum4 ,see 8,art and ,science40 ,treasury barricaded1 #ah ,trigonometrical stations4 ,see 8,latitudes40 ,trimble1 corporal1 #bba1 #cfc1 #ddc1 #dhe ,truscott1 corporal1 #cdc ,turkey1 #agg-aha1 #ahb ,turton1 ,messrs41 of ,sheffield1 #gi ,tylden1 ,b4 ,general1 #aic ,tylden1 ,captain1 #fj1 #ajh2 ,major1 #bea2 ,lt4-,colonel1 #bfe1 #bfi1 #bhj1 #bha-bhd1 #cbc-cbf ,tylee1 ,captain1 #ag1 #bg ,van ,diemen's ,land1 #if1 #aba1 #afd ,varna1 #ahb-ahd1 #ahe1 #aic1 #aig1 #bbg ,varren1 corporal1 #cbj1 #ceh ,veal1 ,james1 corporal1 #cfj ,veitch1 ,john1 private1 #agg ,venner1 corporal1 #gb1 #gf ,vercoe1 corporal1 #gd ,vetch1 ,captain1 #if ,vicars1 ,lieut4-,colonel1 #abg1 #add1 #adf ,victoria1 ,the ,queen1 #ach1 #aci1 #ada1 #ade1 #dhe1 #dhf1 #dij ,virginia ,water1 #ach-adb ,vogel1 ,dr41 #aad-aai ,waddell1 ,james1 #g ,waddy1 ,colonel #ejth regt41 #ceb1 #cec ,walker1 ,colonel ,s4 ,f4 ,guards1 #bad ,wallace1 ,john1 private1 #baf ,wallachia1 #aic-aie ,walpole1 ,major1 #ai1 #adg ,walsh1 ,richard1 private1 #caj ,ward1 ,lieutenant1 #dc ,waters1 ,lieut4-,colonel1 #abc ,webb1 ,captain1 #ai1 #ca1 #hh ,weir1 ,alexander1 private1 #cid ----1 ,james1 private1 #ejb ,wellesley1 ,major1 #agi1 #ahj ,welton1 sergeant ,r4,a41 #dfe ,west1 ,lord1 #bii ----1 ,john1 sergeant1 #hf ,westacott1 ,michael1 private1 #aic2 corporal1 #bch ,wheeler1 ,james1 private1 #bbh ,white ,barracks1 ,sebastopol1 #dgc-dge ,whitford1 ,john1 private1 #dca ,whitmore1 ,lieutenant1 #abd ,whittingham1 ,captain1 #bcd ,whyte1 ,thomas1 private1 #dca ,wiles1 ,reuben1 private1 #cjd ,wilkinson1 ,lieutenant1 #ag ,williams1 ,john1 private1 #agg1 #bcf ----1 ,simon1 private1 #aba1 #bii1 #cfh2 lance-corporal1 #dha ----1 ,samuel1 #dgh ----1 ,john ,g41 private1 #dda ,wilmore1 ,edward1 corporal1 #ajd1 #aje ,wilmot1 ,major ,r4,a41 #fa-fc ,wilson1 ,sir ,robert1 #bd ----1 ,j4 ,h41 ,lieutenant1 #afc ----1 ,james1 corporal1 #fe ----1 ,william1 corporal1 #bea2 sergeant1 #cid1 #dba ----1 ,george1 private1 #fa ,windham1 ,general1 #dbi ,winter clothing1 #bcd ,winzer1 sergeant1 #dia1 #dih1 #dii ,wohlman1 ,cornet1 #ddd ,wolseley1 ,captain #ijth regt41 #cbd1 #cce1 #ccf1 #cgf1 #dja1 #daj ,wood1 ,george1 private1 #caj ,woolwich1 #dj1 #abj1 #aba1 #abc1 #afd1 #dhd1 #die ,wotherspoon1 private1 #f1 #dca1 #dii ,wray1 ,captain1 #eg ,wright1 ,edward1 sergeant1 #de ----1 ,james1 corporal1 #bgb ----1 ,john1 corporal1 #dbd ----1 ,john1 private1 #cae ----1 ,george1 private1 #cbb ,wrottesley1 the ,hon4 ,cameron1 #agd ----1 the ,hon4 ,george1 #agi ,wylde1 ,major-,general1 #dde ,yenikale1 #ccc ,yolland1 ,captain1 #a1 #e1 #dj1 #dg-di1 #hg1 #agj1 #ejc1 #ebb1 #ebe ,yorke1 ,major1 #adg2 ,lieut4-,colonel1 #afd ,young1 ,quartermaster1 #ebc-ebg ----1 ,robert1 corporal1 #cbe ,zenith ,sector1 observations1 #df-ee ,zetland1 ,see 8,shetland ,islands40 ,,the ,,end4 ,,london3 ,,printed ,,by ,w4 ,,clowes ,,and ,,sons1 ,,stamford ,,street ,,and ,,charing ,,cross4 ,footnotes ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,transcriber's ,note ,hyphens appearing in compound words on a line or page break are retained or removed based on the preponderance of instances of the word elsewhere in the text4 ,on p4 #dh1 the table at the top of the page appeared in mid-paragraph4 ,it has been moved to precede that paragraph4 ,on occasion1 tabular data which spanned pages repeated some headings4 ,these repetitive lines are moot in this format1 and have been removed4 ,on p4 #aff1 the tabulation of corps strength incorrectly computes the total comprising 8the band01 missing the three non-commissioned officers4 ,the total strength should have been #ccca4 ,appendix ,,ix consists of a very wide table of casualties1 presented in landscape orientation4 ,it has been separated into three separate tables here3 the first containing #8increases'1 the second two1 both containing #8decreases'1 include #8discharges' and other outcomes1 respectively4 ,errors deemed most likely to be the printer's have been corrected1 and are noted here4 ,the corrections below refer to page and line in the original printed text4 ,the prefix #8n' refers to the note number as it is numbered in this text4 iv4#ac ,storming ,fort ,will_/tshire ,replaced4 #bc4ad four ammunition waggons ,inserted4 #dh4bc commemorated the suce_/cess ,replaced4 #ia4ad he ordered the workmen to leave the pit1_/4 ,replaced4 #aae4ba was again in motion4 ,added4 #aah4bg to carry on the metere_/orological ,replaced4 observations #abd4e was indefinitely postponed4 ,inserted4 #abg4i ,at_/s soon as it was determined ,replaced4 #abi4be with a wooden canteen1 havre_/ersack and ,transposed4 blanket #add4ah a company of the #bcrd fusile_/iers ,replaced4 #agd4cd that they escaped unhurt4 ,added4 #aha4be in a cruize sic obsolete form4 #ahc4aj and then transshipped into another ,removed4 #ahe4ca to the beleaguered fortress of ,silistria ,inserted4 #beh4cb and ,thomas ,mc,nie_/eil severely wounded ,transposed4 #cjf4cf as trying as perillous ,removed4 #cab4cg considering the disadvantages ,inserted4 #cbd4cf in giving to the lodgment ,restored4 #cdj4bi ,eventntu_/ually their toils end ,replaced4 #cdb4aj the #ahth of ,june1_/4 ,replaced4 #cdc4af and enabled ,captain ,ducane_/,du ,cane ,replaced for consistency4 #cde4ci the skirts of the wool-bag party ,inserted4 #ceb4d but he was stone dead4 ,added4 #dfh4cc waiting for a gust of wind ,restored4 #eah4f in the construction of scaffolding ,inserted4 #ede4bf ,non-commissioned ,officers ,inserted4 #ede4cj the ,mulgrave ,reservoir at ,woolwich1_/4 ,replaced4 #ede4de ,e_/,from the ,governor ,replaced4 #eei4cg ,moorsunde1 ,river ,murray1 ,south ,australia4 sic3 probably ,moorunde