[British Armed Forces, Crimea]

The official returns on the 18th of October show that the numerical strength of the British forces in the Crimea was at that date 50,000 men of all ranks. The number of sick and wounded was nearly 4500—a remarkably low proportion, and, when the service on which the troops have been engaged is taken into consideration, speaks highly in favour of the medical and sanitary arrangements of the army. The force in the East is composed of the following cavalry regiments:—The 1st, 4th, 5th, and 6th Dragoon Guards; the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th, and; 13th Dragoons; the 8th,10th, and 11th Hussars; and the 12th and 17th Lancers—in all 14 regiments, of which 7 are heavy and 7 light cavalry—giving a force of 5000 horses. The infantry, which numbers fifty-two battalions, or about 33,000 officers and men, includes the following regiments:—Guards, Grenadier (3rd Battalion); Coldstream Guards (1st Battalion), Scots Fusiliers (1st Battalion). Infantry of the Line:—1st (two battalions), 3rd, 4th, 7th, 9th, 13th, 14th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 23rd, 28th, 30th, 31st, 33rd, 34th, 37th, 38th, 39th, 41st, 42nd, 44th, 46th, 47th, 48th, 49th, 50th, 55th, 56th, 57th, 62nd, 63rd, 68th, 71st, 72nd, 77th, 79th, 82nd, 88th, 89th, 90th, 92nd, 93rd, 95th, and 97th Foot, besides two battalions of the Rifle Brigade. The Artillery and Sappers muster about 9000, leaving the remaining 10,000 to be made up of Commissariat, Land Transport, Army Works, and Medical Staff Corps. In addition to four reserve battalions of Guards, there are at the present time eight regiments of the Line in the United Kingdom—the 15th, 22nd, 25th, 60th Rifles (3rd battalion), 80th, 96th, 98th, and the 3rd battalion of the Rifle Brigade; in the Mediterranean five—the 51st, 54th, 66th, 91st, and 94th. Two regiments—the 58th and 99th—are ordered home from New Zealand and Van Diemen's Land. There are also seven regiments of cavalry at home, exclusive of the Life Guards. The Foreign Legion will shortly number in its ranks from 5000 to 7000 men, and the Turkish Contingent may be estimated at 20,000.