THE WAR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 347, 27 February 1856, Page 7

THE WAR.

THE NEW COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. General Sir William Codrington has been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in the east, in place of General Simpsons who has resigned through ill health. General Codrington entered the army in 1821, and is not yet fifty years of age. His first commission was an ensign in the Coldslream Guards. He attained to a colonecy in 1846, and his appointment as major-sjeneral is dated June, 1554. 'v As to his services,'" remarks the 'Times,' " it is sufficient to say that he has held a command in the army of the Crimea ever since it landed, and fought, always with distinction, in every battle. His conduct in the attack on the Redan has been sharply criticised, but it has been amply and satisfactorily explained. We believe that the experience of war gained in one such year as has just passed away is worth all that half a century could teach a military secretary in Spain or at the Hoise Guards, or that could be learnt by any length of warfare against Asiatic mountaineers." The appointment seems to be generally regarded with hopefulness and satis faction, and tie ' Times ' hopes that the public will be patient and forbearing in their criticism on the new Commander-in-Chief. Lieutenant General Sir William John Codrington, X.C.8., is the eldest surviving son of Admiral Sir Edward Codrington, G.C.8., whose name is so intimately associated with the great exploits of England upon the sea at the close of the last and in the early part of ihe present century, and whose crowning achievement was the victory of Navarino, when the squad m.is of England, France, and Russia acted under his general directions. Sir William was born, we believe, in 1805, and is in his fiftieth year. He entered the Ooldsueam Gourds in 1821, and rose through the different regimental steps to the rank of eapUin and lieutenant-colonel. He received the brevet rank of colonel in 1843, and became a major-general in the brevet of June 20, 1854. During his connection of thirty-three years with the Coldstreams, Jsir William Codrington enjoyed no war experience, lie was known in his regiment as a very steady officer, fond of bis profession, and kind and courteous to those

around him. His promotion to the rank o* major-general last year left him unemployed just at the commencement of the war, and he went out to Turkey as an amateur. Shortly hefore the sailing- of the expedition to the Crimea, Lord de Runs, who held the olfic« <>i Quftr-termaster-Genenil to the army, wa> compelled to return homehy ill health, and Brigadier-Genpral Airey was appointed to succeed him. This left the command of a brigade to he filled up by Lord Raglan. General Codringion was at hand, liis qualities were known, ami within, we believe, a few hours of the departure of the expedition from Varna he was placed at the head of the Ist Brigade of the Lisiht Division, then composed of the7ih, 23rd, and 33nl Regiments. The distinguished part placed by the brigade and its commander at the Atma need scarcely be repeated here ; it is sufficient to say, that, unlike the case of most of the general officers present, it was Codrington's first engagement, and the perfect coolness and absence of excitement with which he went through the day were remarkable.

A general order, dated Horse Guards, Ist of November, published in the Gazette, announces that Brevet-Colonel William Fen wick Williams, C.8., of the Royal Artillery, has been promoted to the rank of Major-General in the army, for his distinguished conduct in the defence of Kars. Another general order states that Brigadier General John Edward Dupuis, C.8., has been promoted to the rank of Major-General, for his distinguished services in the Crimea.

The Gazette contains a report and an enclosure addressed hy Major-General Dacres, commanding the Royal Artillery in the Crimea, to General Simpson. After alluding to the share borne by tlse Royal Artillery throughout the operations amidst extreme difficulty and hardship, and to the unfailing zeal and cheerfulness displayed by both officers and men of the siege train, be particularizes the conduct of the following officer*: — Captains Old field, Hope, Luther, W. Bniton, and Oven ; Lieutenants Ruch, Keene, Addison, and Fillard; LientenantColonels St. George and Adye ; Captain Field ; Majurs Forte.«cue, Gage, Harnlev, and Gordon; Captain Williams ; Surgeons Bent and Fogo, and Assistant-Surgeon Taylor. Major-General Dacres concludes by expressing his best thanks id the whole of the corps uuder his command for their good, zealous and intelligent services. The enclosure i^ from Lieutenant C done! St. George, coinm:ndhig the .*ieire train, who also particularizes the conduct of Captain Campbell, Lieutenant-Colonel N. Turner, Major Strange, Captains .Ar!iuthn«>t. Philip, Dicksoi», Broughton, Hasting*, Cliff >rd, Williams. Reiiley, Fitzrny, Hawkins, W. Bultmi. and D.vis; Lieuts. Ward, Ridcourr, and C. Brown ; Major Alexander, Deputy-Assistant Commissaries Hayterand. Yelon ; Surgeons Bent and Fogo,and Assistant Surgeon Tyler.

No movement of consequence is recoided to have taken place in the Crimea since the departure <>f the last mail. We give below the more interesting particulars now received. There was in the camp a rumour of a grand attack being meditated agahm the northern foits, so as to lir'ne tiie Russians out of tliem, and give the allies inure tranquil winter quarters. The preparations a<e said to be making on a large scale, ami are to combine all the offensive arms that can be mustered both in the fleets ami armies. The mortars and gunboats which did so much execution at Kiiilnnn hare been ordered to return to Kuiniesch and Balaclava, where several large floating1 batteries, armed with guns of enormous calibre, tire already in waiting. When this formidable'fleet shall have assembled which may jet take some days, the land batteries constructed on the south, and the mortars, gunboats, and floating batteries from the sea, will open a fire on the northern forts which it is to be hoptd will make them too hot longer to hold the enemy. Tiiis rumour is also mentioned in a telegraphic despatch from Vienna, of the -lib November Prince Gortschakoil announces, under d.ite of October 00, that the enemy h.td again come down from the mountains that sepaia'.e tii* valley of Baidar from that of the Beibec, and that "he had halted. He has reinfoiced himself evidently at Eupatoria, but has not jet uiulertaken anything from that point. The following telegraphic despatch has been received at St. IV'ersburgh :—iv Nu-holait'tf, October 23,8 p.m. — The position of tho etu-inv's squadron oft" Kinburn has not changed. '1 her steamers and floating batteries are in the Oza-

koff voad<, in the embouchures of the Bug, opposite the village of Pariotivo, and in the embouchure of the Dnieper, between Sianislnr and Rybaltcbia. At the mouth of the Dnieper the euemy is actively engaged in taking sounding's aloiiir the southern bank of the river. The number of tumps lavmed on the Spii of Kinburu lias not beeu increased. According' to the statement of three English sailors, who had ventured on shore and were made prisoners by the Cossacks of one of our detachments, o part of the invading army »f the enemy is still on board the vessels of the fleet. It amounts, including the troops disembarked, to about 15,000 men.1' Paris, Nov. 2.—Despatches hare arrived from the Crimea. The allies-have completed important reconnaisances and retired. The bases of action are all satisfactory Peziekop to be Bksieged—lt is affirmed that Perekop will he besieged. A corps of 30,000 men is to be disembarked To the north of Perekop. Another corps is prepared to be placed before v he fortress to invest it on i he other side. Berlin, Oct. 28th. The Russians believe that the presence of the Allied Squadron at the mouth of the Dnieper Js intended to cover the attack of Perekop, which is to be made from Kupatoria. Cherson is to be attacked they say to employ ihe Bits Man Forces concentrated at Aleschki, between Gherson and Peiekop.