THE RUSSIAN ARMY.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2601, 9 May 1877, Page 3

THE RUSSIAN ARMY.

:Among the""curious." falsifications of recent history, must be numbered the reports assiduously circulated as to the condition of the .Russian army. We,bave heirCi. much, as to the defects of its mobi-, lisation, as to mutiny and discontent in its ranks, and as to the. ravages of disease. The conciliatory attitude of General Ignatieff, at -Constantinople, was ascribed to his knowledge of these facts. We have powj however, authentic information. The -Russian army is ready. Even the correspondent of the Standard speaks of it as being in splendid.condition.^ The Daily News has despatched a special correspondent to-the head-quarters of the troops at Kischenk. He writes that "all the deports about officers and men being discontented are the purest nonsense. The soldiers have good cpiarters, often among, friends and relations, plenty to eat, and generally. too much to drink. The roads have been frozen hard, enabling the whole army—infantry, artillery, and cavalry—-to exercise for health regularly." He does not see how the army can reach the Danube under a month from declaration of war. But in another letter he states that everything is ready for the army to take the field at a moment's notice. '.' A thousand horses have been bought for the train, a bridge for crossing the Danube, boats, barges, steam launches, and torpedo boats; to operate v against the Turkish gunboats have been Eroyided. Masses of ammunition of all inds are heaped up. Long trains of railway, waggons are standing jn- sidings at every, station as well as here, awaiting the word which shall set them all moving. Nothing, in short, seems wanting. The bridge laying here is capable of passing the whole army over the Danube in one day. There are enough boats to put a small army over the Danube. There are 13 enormous steam launches large enough ta cross the Atlantic, two large barges, seven smaller boats, five torpedo-boats, and masses of other things, showing that everything is looked after to the smallest detail.": As regards the numbers of the army, the same authority gives.the follow-. - ing particulars :—" Six corps have been mobilised, besides the army of the Caucasus, numbering 65,000 men. This makes altogether about 275,000 men, with . 900 guns. Of this force two corps (the 7th and 12th) are at Odessa and Sebastopol; four* viz., the Bth, 9th, 10th and 11th are in Bessarabia. The army, therefore, which would be the first to move^against the Turks, numbers 120,000 men, with 8000 cavalry, 72 batteries of artillery, and 720 guns ready for action in European Turkey, without counting, the army of the Caucasus, which would probably operate against Asiatic Turkey. The Grand Duke Nicholas is still unable to return to his duties as Commander-in-Chief. „ ■ •■• - ••..:•. ■■•