Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/443

 APPENDIX. 399 people at one time obtained some hay in the Tchernaya valley, but the supply was scanty; and for all the forage they needed at the period now reached, the Allies were dependent upon sea- transport. As regards fuel, it may be said that the expedient of grubbing up roots with which little fires might be made could still be adopted ; but the task of obtaining this supply without proper tools for the purpose added painfully to the labours of our overworked soldiery, and so early as the 12th of October, Lord Raglan had directed his Commissary-General to lay in a stock of fuel at Scutari. — Mr Filder before the Chelsea Board, p. 358 of the Report. Note 5. — During the four days immediately following the Alma, Prince Mentschikoft' had a hold— a weak hold — of Sebastopol and the Chersonese, whilst of all the rest of the Crimea the Allies were virtually masters; but on the 25th of September, Lord Raglan exe- cuted his flank march towards the south, whilst Prince Mentschi- koft' at the same time executed his flank march towards the north (see ante, vol. iv. of Cabinet Edition, chapters 2 and 5) ; and from these cross movements it resulted that, the Allies not as yet proving able to break then- way into Sebastopol, the dominion of all the Crimea except only Balaclava and the Chersonese promontoiy passed back into the hands of the Russians. That which made this exchange of dominion prove — at least for the time^ — irrever- sible, was the difliculty of carrying either Sebastopol or the Mac- kenzie Heights by any attacks from the south. Note 6. — After landing in the Crimea, Assistant Commissary- General Rogers wrote thus on the 17th September to Sir Charles Trevelyan : ' It appears a fine' country for the commissariat, ' abounding with herds of cattle, and tracts of corn and hay leady ' cut for use ; ' and that first impression did not prove deceptive. NOTES TO CHAPTER IL Note 1. — The Engineers alone had a strength of 358, and there was besides a company of siege-park workmen, and a pontoon company. Of course the most prominent of the duties performed by the Engineers were those which engaged them in strife with the enemy; but whenever requh-ed, they might be employed upon ' ministering ' tasks, as, for instance, in making a road or draining a camp. Note 2. — Viz., 1686. The five bodies composing this admin- istrative force were 'Ambulances,' ' Subsistences,' ' Ouvriers d'ad- ' ministration,' ' Train des Equipages militaires,' and 'Gendamies.'