Page:The invasion of the Crimea Vol 7.djvu/495

 APPENDIX. 451 ' to the consequences that may arise from the publication of de- ' tails connected with this army. The knowledge of them must ' be invalualile to the Russians, and in the same degx-ee detri- ' mental to H. M. 's troops. ' I enclose the article itself, and a note of the principal points ' of information which it affords, and which probably were for- ' warded to and Iiad arrived at Scbastopol by telegraph before ' the mail of the 23d reached Headquarters. ' You will perceive that it is there stated that our losses from ' cholera are very great ; that the Light Division Encampment is ' kept on the alert by shot and shell which pitch into the middle 'of it ; that 40 pieces of artillery had been sent up to our park, ' and twelve tons of gunpowder safely deposited in a mill, the ' position of which is described, and which of course must be ' accurately known by the enemy ; that the Second Division had ' moved and taken ground in the vicinity of the Fourth Division, ' in which a shell had fallen with fatal effect in a tent occupied ' by some men of the 63d Regiment ; and that the French would ' have 60 heavy guns, the British Ai-my 50, and 60 more would ' be supplied by the Navy. ' The mention of the employment of red-hot shell was then ' adverted to. ' The position of the 93d is stated, as is that of the Headquarters ' of the Commander of the Forces ; likewise the possible dearth ' of round-shot, and of gabions and fascines. ' I will not fatigue you by further alluding to what is announced ' to the interests of this Army could be effected than the publica- ' tion of such details. ' I am quite satisfied that the object of the writer is simply to ' satisfy the anxiety and curiosity, I may say, of the public, and ' to do what he considers his duty by his employers, and that it ' has never occurred to him that he is serving much more essen- ' tially the cause of the Russians, and is encouraging them to ' persevere in throwing shells into our camps, and to attempt the ' destruction of the mill where our powder is reported by him to ' Iiave been deposited ; but the innocency of his intention does ' not diminish the evil he inflicts, and something should be done ' to check so pernicious a system at once. ' I do not propose to take any violent step, though perhaps I ' should Ijc justified in doing so ; but I have requested Mr Romaine ' to endeavour to see the different correspondents of the news- ' papers and quietly point out to them the public inconvenience of ' their writings, and the necessity of greater prudence in future ; ' and I make no doubt that they will at once see that I am right ' in so warning them. ' I would request that you should cause a communication to 1 ft
 * in the letter, but I will ask you whether anything more injurious