APPENDIX.
General Tvlden’s Report on the Deficiencies of the Engineer Department.
Sir, Varna, 2d July 1854.
I beg most respectfully and earnestly to bring to the notice of his Lordship the Com-mander of the Forces, the following requirements, which I consider essentially necessary for theflue efficiency of the Engineer Department serving with this army.
1st. The addition of ten officers of Royal Engineers, to meet the frequent demands for service,■which are, and will be made upon the corps, to supply which, it is now necessary to detachofficers from the companies of Sappers, thereby rendering those companies, to a certain degree,ineffective.
Likewise, two additional companies of Sappers : as Varna is likely to become the base of ouroperations, the services of at least one company will be required to keep in an efficient state ofrepair, during the winter months, the several landing wharves and military buildings in the townmid its vicinity ; and the second company to supply detachments for coast operations with thenavy, and for the pontoons ; this can now only be effected by taking men from the companiesattached to divisions, and thereby reducing their efficiency, to the dissatisfaction of some of theGeneral Officers commanding, who are desirous of having their brigades of Engineers andSappers, complete and effective.
2d. A supply of 160 draft horses from England, with due proportion of drivers, for movingthe pontoon train, forges, and waggons to be laden with heavy stores and materials for theformation of boat bridges, and siege operations ; the transport at present sanctioned by his Lord-s hip, and which is the most appropriate the country can furnish, being only calculated to conveytools and materials of a light description, necessary for repairing roads, sinking wells, and slightheld operations.
After five months’ experience of the means of transport used in this country, and a carefulobservance of the roads, both in winter and summer, I am convinced of the extreme difficulty, ifU°t impracticability, of moving our stores and materials so as to keep pace with the army, exceptT means of draft horses ; those used in vans and omnibuses are the best adapted for this purpose,blemishes being of no importance, provided the horse is sound.
3 d. I am a i SOj most unwillingly, under the painful necessity of again bringing to his Lordship’sa °tice the embarrassment and difficulty experienced, generally, by officers of the Engineers, ona °count of servants, many of them being destitute not only of personal attendance, but without aBe t’vant to look after their horses or draw their forage.
Ihose servants hired at Malta and Constantinople , at very high wages, deserting at the firsta Ppearance of privation or difficulty, others refusing to go up the country at all, and such boorsas can occasionally be hired here, speaking only Turkish or Bulgarian, they have no means offaking them acquainted with their wishes or orders. I therefore submit for his Lordship’suvourable consideration, in order to render those officers effective in the field, which at present,,?y arc not, that the regulation with regard to servants, should so far be modified, that such(h 06X8 Engineers as absolutely require it, may be allowed one batman each from the Sappers
6 not being a mechanic), as without this indulgence or some other remedy to meet the difficulty,
ArPEFDIXNo. 1.