50 SEBASTOPOL BEFOKE THE BATTLE C II A P. III. Strength and dis- position of the Kussian forces ill the Crimea at the time of the landing. III. Supposing General de Todlebcn's history to be free on tliis point from all error, the strength of the Czar in the Crimea, on the day when the "reat armada of the Allies was seen to be O approaching the coast, may be taken to stand as follows : The land forces then occupying the peninsula were 54,000 strong.* Of this force, some small portions, consisting, it would seem, of about 1000 men, were local troops ; and an- other portion, numbering 2700, was a body of artillerymen permanently stationed at the bat- teries of the coast defences ; but the rest, amount- ing in numbers to more than 50,500, were troops belonging to what the Russians call their ' active ' army,' and were available for operations in the field wherever their services might be needed. Of these Prince jNIentschikoff had under his immediate personal command a force of 38,500 meu.-j- These lay posted partly in Sebastopol and partly at other places, but all were so nearly in hand as to be capable of being assembled in
- 5i,208, thus made up : —
Strengthof the army (Todlebcn, p. 140), . . 51,500 Artillery appropriated to the coast defences (ib. p. 110), 2,708 54,208 I include tho artillerymen approjiriated to the coast defences, because, as a matter of fact, they were on the ground ; but as they remained, it seems, constantly at their batteries, it may be considered that they were kept in check liy the naval forces of the Allies. t 3?,597.— Todleben, p. 140.
