RIFLE BRIGADE, FIRST BATTALION. Colonel WILLIAM SHERBROOK RAMSAY NORCOTT, C.B.-Served in the Eastern Campaign of 1854 and 1855, including the Alma, and the entire siege of Sebastopol. LieutenantColonel ALFRED HASTINGS HORSFORD, C.B., (now Deputy AdjutantGeneral to the Forces, and K.C.B.)-Served in the Eastern Campaign of 1854, including the Alma and Inkermann, and first part of the siege of Sebastopol, until compelled to return to England on account of ill-health, after which he commanded the third battalion. Lieutenant-Colonel ALEXANDER MACDONELL, C B., and Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel CHARLES JOHN WOODFORD.-Served in the Eastern Campaign of 1854 and 1855, the battles of the Alma and Inkermann, and siege of Sebastopol. BrevetLieutenant-Colonel LORD ALEXANDER GEORGE RUSSELL.-Served in the siege of Sebastopol in 1855. Brevet-Major the Honourable JAMES STUART.-Was present with the army during the whole war, having embarked with the second battalion for Varna, and was afterwards promoted into the first battalion. He was present at the Alma as Aide-de-Camp to Colonel Norcott, in command of the left wing of the second battalion. Served during the siege in the first battalion, and commanded the storming party on the 18th. of June, for which he received his brevet rank. Lieutenant GEORGE Robert SAUNDERS.-Joined the battalion in December, 1854, before Sebastopol, and performed his duties without interruption to the end of the war; was present under Major Stuart with the covering party on the 18th. of June, 1855. Corporal J. RUDLING.-Was present at the Alma, Inkermann, Balaklava, sortie on the Woronzoff road, the storming party on the 18th. of June, and when the advanced party in the graveyard was attacked; also accompanied Major-General Windham on a reconnoitering party at the commencement of the siege. Was present at the front with the battalion from the landing in the Crimea until the withdrawal of the army. Corporal THOMAS TARRANT.-Volunteered on the 17th. of October to lie out in front of the works to keep down the enemy's fire. He was present at the sorties on the 13th. of August, 1855, and served through the whole of the campaign without leaving the front.

RIFLE BRIGADE, SECOND BATTALION. Lieutenant FITZ ROY WILLIAM FREMANTLE-Joined in the Crimea on the 1st. of December, 1854, and did duty in the trenches from that date until the 18th. of June, 1855. Was present at the last sortie made on the Quarries on the 8th. of June. Commanded the woolsack party of the right column of assault on the 18th. of June, 1855, on which occasion he was severely wounded. Lieutenant JOHN CROFT MOORE.-Joined in the Crimea on the 10th. of June, 1855, and served in the trenches until the fall of Sebastopol. On the attack of the 8th. of September he commanded an advanced party of about thirty men, which was pushed forward for the purpose of keeping down the fire of some embrasures on the proper right of the Redan, which enfiladed the attack. He was mentioned in General Simpson's despatch. Sergeant J. CHERRY.-TWO men employed as sharpshooters having ventured down to the gardens near the Woronzoff road, in July, 1855, one of them was wounded and disabled. Sergeant Cherry went to his assistance under a heavy fire, and returned to report

that it was impossible to remove him during daylight. When it was sufficiently dark he headed a party, and brought in the wounded man. Volunteered for secret service on the 6th. of September, 1855, and was employed in covering a working party throwing up the new sap. Was wounded in four places. Served during the whole campaign. Private E. TARVISH.-Served with great gallantry during the whole campaign in the Crimea, especially in the assault of the 8th. of September, 1855, on which occasion he entered the Redan and was taken prisoner.

THE TURKISH WAR MEDAL.

THIS medal was distributed generally to the allied forces. The ribbon, which is narrow, is pink, watered, with light green edges. On one side are the four flags of France, Turkey, England, and Sardinia, and beneath is a map of the Crimea spread over a gun wheel, which rests upon the Russian flag; cannons and mortars, etc., are arranged about. The word CRIMEA, and the date, 1855, are under all. On the other is the Sultan's cypher, beneath which is inscribed Crimea in Turkish, and lower still is the year of the Hegira, 1271, written from right to left, corresponding with the year 1855. There is a variation in the arrangement of the flags; in those medals intended for the Sardinian forces the flag of that country is next to that of Turkey, and the words LA CRIMEA, with the date, are inserted. This, it is needless to state, is Italian, and many of the medals first issued to the British soldiers are of that pattern, arising probably from the demand being greater than the supply, or from the fact of a number of them being lost in consequence of the wreck of the vessel conveying them to this country. The medal issued to the French army has the flag of that nation next to that of Turkey, corresponding with the Sardinian and British, and inscribed LA CRIMÉE. Those now being supplied to the latter are like the engraving, and although the difference is but slight, yet the reason of it may not be uninteresting.

THE VICTORIA CROSS.

THE year 1856 was memorable for the establishment of a decoration to which all ranks of the army and navy might aspire. This new reward of valour appropriately bears the name of the "VICTORIA CROSS," and its value is heightened by the fact of the Queen personally conferring the distinction, when the recipient happens to be in this country. It consists of a Maltese cross of bronze, attached by the letter V to a bar, on which a sprig of laurel is embossed. The royal

crest is in the centre of the Cross, and beneath is an escroll bearing the inscription "For Valour;" the reverse is plain, the name and corps of the recipient being engraved on the bar to which the ribbon is attached, and the date of the act of bravery in the centre of the Cross. The ribbon for the army is red, whilst for the navy it is blue. All are placed on an equal footing as regards eligibility for this decoration, as neither rank, long service, wounds, nor any other circumstance whatever, save conspicuous bravery, can establish a claim to the honour. Every non-commissioned officer or soldier is entitled to a special pension of ten pounds a year from the date of the act by which the decoration was gained. Should further acts of bravery be performed by a recipient, which, had he not already received the Cross, would have entitled him thereto, additional bars attached to the ribbon are accorded, carrying with them further pensions of five pounds per annum for each. The same of course holds good for the navy. The names of recipients are published in the "London Gazette," and a registry thereof is kept in the office of the Secretary of State for War. The following officers and men received the VICTORIA CROSS for services performed during the Russian war.

SECOND DRAGOONS. Sergeant-Major JOHN GRIEVE.-Saved the life of an officer in the heavy cavalry charge at Balaklava, who was surrounded by Russian cavalry, by his gallant conduct in riding up to his rescue and cutting off the head of one Russian, disabling and dispersing the others. Sergeant HENRY RAMAGE.--For having at the action at