The Press. — London, England, 1854-10-07 00:00:00

OCTOBER' 7, 1854. lumps, being swamped upon the beach. Wood is now a most valuable article, there being little or none of it upon this open country. Yesterday a large remnant of wreck lay upon the beach, but to-day it has disappeared, having been bodily carried off by the Zouaves. During the afternoon, the surf having somewhat abated, the disembarkation of horses and artillery was resumed, and thirty guns (in addition to those already landed) were disposable before night. Several more bullock-carts have been captured, and bullocks are driven in by the Tartars fur sale in the camp. Water is the greatest deritleralam, there being none within four miles (the lake is salt), and that very indif ferent; the value of a bottle of pure water far exceeds that of a similar quantity of wine or spirits. Twu or three Russian ladies travelling, and several soldiers, have been taken to-day; the firmer, I suppose, have been politely escorted to some village for security; but the capture that excites the greatest admiration is that of several drome daries, fine, strong, aristocratic-looking brutes, who, treat ing the weight attached to them as nothing, appear as though they would say, " We are the fellows to drag your siege-train for you." The seamen assist greatly in the landing of the horses, which they evidently regard as a source of the greatest amusement. The troops are all under canvas to-night. It is feared that the horses will suffer greatly for lack of water. A fine capture is made of thirty carts of flour (Government property), containing in the whole 711) bags, on their way to Sebastopol; these were taken by riflemen, but more titan the number cap tured escaped, owing to a want of cavalry. Some cartloads of plums are also intercepted. Sept. 16.—Still disembarking artillery and cavalry. Owing to news which arrived in early morning, Lord Car digan proceeds northward with a force of cavalry to meet reinforcements which are said to be on their way from Pere kop. It is said that a Russian courier has been taken, and that upon him have been found despatches advising the Sebastopol authorities to prepare instantly for rein forcements to the amount of 15,000 men. Ships and steamers supply water to the army, who owe a great debt of gratitude to Mr. Grant's condensing apparatus. Still disembarking cavalry and artillery. Sept. 17.—Captain Brock is appointed Governor of Eupatoria, which place will contain a garrison of 500 Ma rines. The mayor of the town has been made prisoner, owing to some tricks his worship has been guilty of. Still disembarking. Spiteful joins the fleet from England with despatches. Divine service is performed. Sept. 18.—The Banshee leaves the fleet for Constantino ple at eleven a.m. ; and now, having given the principal events of each day since we sailed from lialtschilt, I will add a few lines to my diary. All is going on as well as can be ; no opposition at all was offered to the landing, and the line of troops encamped now exceeds six miles inland. The first day of landing was the day of all others to be chosen—not too hot, and the water perfectly smooth; and that day all the infantry (20,000 men) were disem barked. The rain during the night was very unfortunate; that first night on shore was a terrible night for the troops, who, of course, were without tents. The rain poured down with great violence ; however, now both officers anti men declare themselves none the worse, but, if anything, rather better for their ducking. The Zouaves, lam sorry to say, have been guilty of many excesses, and have tended to wean the country people from us. Meanwhile our troops are not ;mmaculate ; bullocks and sheep have been seized, and yesterday the regiments were formed in square and addressed by their commanding officers on the subject, the provost marshal being often alluded to. The Tartars place the Russian force at 45,000 only. The most valuable gift a naval officer can take to his friend in the army is a hottle of water; wax candles, too, are greatly-prized gifts. The troops are always under arms at daybreak ; they will advance, most probably, to-morrow. Two deaths from cholera have occurred in the 88th, and an officer of the 23rd Welsh Fusiliers has died from the same cause, but these have been brought from Varna. This immense flotilla of men-of-war and transports looks, from the shore, like the masses of shipping clustered on the Thames gathered to one point. At night, when their lanterns are hoisted, the whole looks like a populous city lighted as far as the eye can reach. The advantage of the portability of the small French tents (where each man carries a third of his canvas house) was exemplified during that first night of heavy rain. The ships were all busy yesterday (17th) in making canvas buckets for the use of the cavalry. A sketch taken on the spot gives the following as the position occupied by the allied armies on the 16th, after their disembarkation. The English fleet was on the left towards Eupatoria; then came the French fleet forming the centre ; and then the Turkish fleet, placed on the right. The English army and the French army were disposed in such a fashion as to form a triangle, of which the base was the sea, and the point Vieux Fort, which is situated across the road from Eupatoria to Sebastopol. The English army formed the side of the triangle looking towards Eupatoria, the French army that looking towards Sebastopol. Behind Vieux Fort, and near the great head-quarters, was the Turkish corps, a little behind the French park of artillery. The English park of artil lery was a little on the left ; and still further to the left the English cavalry. The French army had its first division supported on Vieux Fort, then the 2nd division, and then the 3rd. The 4th division was behind all the others. The 3rd division, commanded by Prince Napo leon, was thus the nearest to the sea, and was conse quently the advanced guard in the march to Sebas topol. The French park of artillery was to the left of the 4th division. From a narrative of the proceedings given in the French Dibats we learn that not only were the French the first to land and place the tricolcur , A 1 the Crimean shore, but that the operations were conducted THE PRESS. so rapidly that, when at eight o'clock a cannon shot from the admiral's ship gave the signal, no fewer than 6,000 men were actually put on shore in twenty. two minutes. The English disembarked a little later. The officers landed first, each carrying a knapsack with 41b. of salt meat and biscuit, his cloak, a wooden cup for water, ammunition, and a revolver pistol. The soldiers carried the same rations, and besides au extra pair of shoes and trousers. Towards the after noon heavy rain set in, anti the surf rose so much as to suspend operations. Meanwhile some Tartars came in bringing cattle and vegetables, with whom a brisk traffic commenced. They were paid hand somely for their commodities, and pro•.nised to return on the morrow. Some of them waited on Lord Raglan, asking for muskets and powder. During the evening the rain continued, and, the English tents not being landed, the troops suffered severely. " The night between the 14th and 15th of September," says the narrator, " was terrible to pass. Rarely have 27,000 Englishmen been so miserable. Towards midnight the rain became a deluge, which steeped and soaked the unlucky and shelterless soldiers. Officers and men were alike stretched in pools of water, utterly unable to make either fire or grog. General Brown slept under an overturned cart, as did the Duke of Cambridge. General Evans was the only officer whose attendants found means of furnishing with a tent. Next day the natives resumed their commercial intercourse with the camp, and a tariff was fixed for provisions. Twenty-five eggs were valued at twelve sous, a fowl the same, a turkey at thirty sous, end a sheep at a shilling. The Zouaves we are told con tinued to distinguish themselves by their aptitude as foragers, probably being troubled with fewer scruples than other regiments, and brought in numbers of oxen, sheep, and carts at each excursion." Five whole days on the night of the 18th had elapsed since the first troops set foot on shore. The interval had been employed in landing materiel, common stores, and the miscellaneous baggage, with out which the vast army could not conveniently move, or successfully attack the formidable defence behind which the Russian foe awaited them. Every thing being at length got on shore and into place, the whole combined force made on the 19th a single march from the Old Fort encampment to the banks of the River Alma, where Prince Menschikoff had thrown up strong entrenchments, well mounted with cannon, and defended by an army of 50,000 men. At some short distance from the northern bank of this stream the allied troops rested during the night of the 19th of September, and early on the morning of the 20th formed into order, and, advancing upon the Russian entrenchments, commenced the already celebrated BATTLE OF ALMA. Although gained nearly a fortnight ago, no further details of this xictory have reached London at the hour when we go to press than the brief and some • times irreconcilable announcements transmitted by electric telegraph. These, however, sufficiently in form us that the battle was stubbornly contested and won at length by sheer pluck and daring on the part of the assailants. The first tidings reached London on Saturday evening, and were forthwith published in a Gazette Extraordinary, containing two despatches, one from Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, and the other from Lord Raglan. The former was dated Constan tinople on Sept. 23rd, and one telegraphed from Belgrade on the 30th, at seven in the morning. It ran as follows "The entrenched camp of the Russians, contain ing 60,000 men, with a numerous artillery and ca. valry, on the heights of the Alma, was attacked on the 20th inst., at one p.m., by the allied troops, and car ried by the bayonet at half-past three, with a loss on our side of about 1,400 killed and wounded, and an equal loss on the side of the French. The Russian army was forced to put itself in full retreat." Lord Raglan's missive came also from Belgrade, having been written from the field of action on the 21st., the day following the battle. The writer said : "The allied armies yesterday attacked the position of the enemy on the heights above the Alma, and carried it, after a desperate battle, about an hour and a half before sunset. Nothing could surpass the bravery and excellent conduct of the troops. The position was very formidable, and defended by a numerous artillery of heavy calibre ; our loss, I re gret to add, is very considerable, but no general officer has been wounded. The main body of the army of the enemy was estimated from 45,000 to 50,000 infantry. A few prisoners, amongst whom are two general officers, and two guns, have been taken by thernglieh army. (Signed) " RAGLAN." The Duke of Newcastle appended to the despatches a memorandum warning the public that the full de tails of the engagement, with the lists of the killed and wounded, could not possibly arrive until the 6th (yesterday) ' • and we now learn that Lord Bnrghersh, the aide-de-camp who conveys the des patches, is not expected to reach London until to morrow night. Meanwhile some further particulars have transpired by telegraphic communications from several quarters. The following despatch from Marshal de SL Arnaud was published by the Muniteur : " Bivouac-on-the-Alma, Sept. 20. " We encountered to-day the enemy on the Alma. " The woody ravine through which the river runs, studded with houses, passable only at three points, and having very steep slopes on the left bank, was occupied by the enemy in great force. These slopes were strongly entrtnched, and covered by a powerful artillery. " The allied armies attacked these difficult posi tions with unparalleled vigour. " Our soldiers advanced to the assault with cries of ' Five l'Empereur!' and carried all that was be • fore them. - " The battle lasted four hours, and our loss was 1,400 killed and wounded. " I am as yet ignorant of the loss sustained by the English army, which fought valiantly against au obstinate resistance." It is stated that the French commander was too ill at the time to mount on horseback, and conse quently took no share in the battle, the whole com mand devolving upon Lord Raglan. Accounts are stated to have reached the French Government con taining some further circumstances. According to these reports the battle was fought within a very short distance of the seacoast. The French army, consisting of either three or four divisions, occupied the right, and was ccnsequently nearest the sea. rhe English occupied the centre, and the Turks the left. The French army being nearest the sea, fully one half of it was protected by the lire from the steamers, so that the extreme right and centre of the French line did not suffer much. The French division which suffered most was on the left of the French line, and next to the English. It was commanded by General Thornasson, who was desperately wounded, and is said to have died of his wounds. The brunt of the battle fell upon our countrymen, ' who have not only had the post of honour, but, it is feared, have been the greatest sufferers. At the French Ministry of War it is stated that, from the information which has arrived, there is reason to be lieve that the loss of the English far exceeded that of their army. The main charge must have been a tremendous one. It seems that, although the Rus sians were posted on the opposite side of a deep ravine, and on the top of a steep and difficult hank, where they had deliberately taken up their position, and where they where protected by their artillery, the whole of the English army and the left division of the army stormed this formidable position in front, and carried it. Every Military man knows what a desperate affair such an attack is, and the little we yet know of the storming of the heights of the Alma leaves no doubt that it will be recorded in our annals aS one of the most glorious exploits of our brave countrymen. Regarding the losses sustained by the allies on this memorable day, the statements hitherto for warded differ materially. The official despatches mention 1,400 as the total of deaths and casualty among the British troops. Later accounts consider ably enlarge the list, announcing that there were 1,k05 rank and file, 90 officers, 114 sergeants, and 23 drummers killed and wounded on the English side. The French lost about 1,400 rank and file, and 00 officers. The Turkish loss is not announced. There are no names of the sufferers yet transmitted, but it is stated that no general officer was killed. General Canrobert is said to have been wounded in the shoulder, arid General Brown to have had a horse shot under him. The 23rd British Regiment is stated to have suffered most severely, every officer but three having been struck. On the side of the enemy it is still less easy to form an estimate of loss. An account derived from Russian authorities gives the following estimate : One general, 2 colonels, 53 officers, and 2,800 men killed; General Chomutoff, SO officers, and 3,0(X) men wounded. Prince Menschikoff com manded the Russian forces in person on the 20th, and, together with•his entire staff, narrowly escaped being taken prisoners during the engagement. Advises from Constantinople of the 25th announce that some convoys of wounded men had already arrived there. The Vulcan had brought 820, and the Andes 200. Everything was in readiness for their reception and care at Therapia. An English steamer, the Levant, had also conveyed 340 wounded Russians to Odessa. During and after the battle of the Alma the allies were much embarrassed by the want of cavalry. From this cause, it would seem, the Russians were enabled to effect a retreat with far slighter loss, and in battle order, than could otherwise have been the case. Messengers were immediately sent to Varna for the cavalry, whose arlival in the Crimea was very shortly anticipated. The news of this victory was hailed both in Eng , • land and France with great rejoicings. The Lord L Mayor received a copy of the Government despatches L at nine on Saturday night, and, after announcing the intelligence to the meta at the sheriffs ' banque t - mummimillllllll