The Press. — London, England, 1854-10-14 00:00:00

OcToDEu 14, 1854. Bubbanach. On the 20th, as early as six in the morning, I carried into operation with the division of General MM. quet, reinforced by eight Turkish batudions, a turning movement which enveloped the left of the Russians and turned borne of their batteries. General Bosquet nomvred with as much intelligence as bravery. This movement decided the success of the day. I had arranged that the English should extend their left, in order at the same time to threaten the right of the Russians, whilst I should occupy them in the centre, but their troops did not arrive in line until half-past ten. They bravely made up for this delay. At half.past twelve the line of the allied army, occupying an extent of more than a league, arrived on the Alma, and was received by a terrible lire from the tirailleurs. In this movement the head of the column of General Bosquet appeared on the heights, and I gave the signal for a general attack. The Alma was crossed at double-quick time. Prince Napoleon, at the head of his division, took possession of the large village of Alma, under the fire of the Russian batteries. The Prince showed himself worthy of the great name he bears. Nye then arrived at the font of the heights, under the fire of the Russian batteries. There, sire , commenced a real battle along all the line—a battle with: its episodes of brilliant feats of valour. Your Majesty may be proud of your sol diers : they have not degenerated : they are the soldiers of Austerlitz and of Germ. At half-past four the French army was everywhere victorious. All the positions had been carried at the point of the bayonet to the cry of " Vise l'Empereur!" which resounded throughout the day. Never was such enthusiasm saen; even the wounded rose from the ground to join in it. On our left the English met with large masses of the enemy, and with great difficulties, but everything was surmounted. The English attacked the Russian positions in admirable order under the tire of their cannon, carried them, and drove off the Russians. The bravery of Lord Raglan rivals that of antiquity. In the midst of cannon and musket shot he displayed a calmness which never left him. The French lines formed on the heights, attacking the Russian left, and the artillery opened its tire. Then it was no longer a retreat, but a rout; the Russians threw away their muskets and knapsacks, in order to run the faster. lf, sire, I had had cavalry, I should have obtained immense results, and Menschikoff would no longer have hail an army ; but it was late, our troops were herassed, and the ammunition of the artillery was exhausted. At six o'clock in the evening we encamped on the very bivouac of the Russians. My teut is on the very spot where that of Prince Menschikoff stood in the morning, and who thought himself so sure of beating us that he left his carriage there. I have taken possession of it with his portfolio and correspondence, and shall take advantage of the valuable information it contains. September 22 (to the French Ministerof War) : The battle of Alma, in which more than 120,(X)0 men, with 180 pieces of cannon, have been engaged, is a brilliant victory, and the Russian army could not have raised its head again if I had had cavalry to cut up the broken and disjointed masses of infantry as they were'retiring before us. This battle consecrates in a signal manner the superiority of our arms at the beginning of this war. It has discon certed in the highest degree the self.conadence of the Rus sian army, and especially their reliance on the positions they had prepared long beforehand, and where they awaited us. This army was composed of the Iflth and 17th divisions of the Russian infantry, of one brigade of the 13th, of one brigade of the 14th division of reserve of the foot chas sours of the 11th corps, armed with rifles carrying oblong bullets ; of four artillery brigades, two of which were horse ; and of one battery taken from the siege park of reserve, comprising 12 pieces of heavy ordnance. Their cavalry was about 5,000 strong, and the whole force may be estimated at about 564000 men, commanded by Prince Menschikoff in person. It is difficult for us to compute the losses of the Rus sian army,hbut they mustbe considerable, if we may judge by the dead and wounded they could not remove, and who re main in our hands. In the ravines of the Alma, on the plateaux in front, on the ground forming the position carried by the English army, the soil is covered with more than ten thousand muskets, knapsacks, and different articles of equipment. We have devoted the whole of this day to bury their dead where found, and to tend their wounded, whom I cause to be conveyed along with our own to the vessels of the fleet in order to be taken to Con stantinople. All the Russian officers, including generals, are clothed with the coarse overcoat of the soldiers, and it is, consequently, difficult to distinguish them either among the dead orthe small number of prisoners we have been able to make. However, it remains certain that the English arrcy have captured two general officers. The battle of Alma, in which the allied armies have re• ciprocally given each other pledges they cannot forget, will strengthen the bonds that united them. The Ottoman division, that marched to the support of the Bosquet divi sion in its flank movement, did wonders in speed to get into line, following the while the route along the border of the sea that I had traced out for them. It could not take an active part in the combat that was being fought before it ; but these troops showed an ardour equal at least to our own, and I am happy at having to tell you all that I expect rom the aid of these excellent auxiliaries. The following letter was written on the same day. It is the last despatch which the marshal lived to prepare. In its concluding paragraph there is an evident presage of his approaching death : My official report gives an account to your excellency of the details of the splendid day of the 20th, hut I cannot allow the courier to start without saying a few words about our brave soldiers. The soldiers of Friedland and Austerlitz are still under Our colours, Monsieur le Marechal; this the battle of Alma Las proved. There is the same glow, the same brilliant courage. Everything can be done with such men whoa THE PRESS. they have been inspired with confidence. The allied armies have carried positions truly formidable. In going over them yesterday I recognised all the advantages they poa seaaed for offering resistance ; and, indeed, if the English and French had held them, the Russians could never have taken them. Now that everything is more calm, and that the accounts brought in by the deserters and prisoners are more precise, we can probe the enemy's wounds. The loss of the itua sians is considerable. The deserters affirm it to be above 0,000 men. Their army is disheartened. In the evening of the.2oth it had split iii two. Prince Menschikoff, with the left wing, marched on Bagtehe.Serai; the right wing proceeded to Belbek. But they were without pro visions, their wounded encumbered them, the road is strewed with them. This splendid success adds a glorious page to our military history, and gives to the army a mural force equivalent to twenty thousand more men. The Rua sians have left on the field of battle ten thouaandknapsacks and more than five thousand muskets. It was* regular rout. Prince Menschikoff and his generals were very vain boasting in their camp I now occupy, on the morning of the 2t/th. 1 think they have now somewhat changed their tone. The Russian general had demanded at Alma pro visions fur three weeks ; I have an idea he will have stopped the convoy on its way. Your excellency will be able to judge if there is much prospect for the Russians. In three days I shall be before Sebastopol, and I shall be able to tell your excellency all that is real about that place. The moral courage and spirit of the army are admirable. The vessels, going to Varna for reinforcements of troops of all arms, left here on the 18th. They will reach me at Belbek before the end of the month. Itly health is as usual ; it is sustained amidst sufferings, crises, and duty. All that does not prevent me keeping the saddle twelve hours on the day of battle. But will my strength not give way ? Adieu, Monsieur le Marechal I shall write to your excellency when I am before Sebastopol. After the battle the following " Orders of the Day " were issued to the troops of either nation by their respective commanders-in-chief. From Lord Raglan : Head-quarters, Alma River, Sept. 22, 18.54. The Commander of the Forces congratulates the troops on the brilliant success that attended their unrivalled efforts in the battle of the 20th instant, on which occasion they carried a most formidable position, defended by large masses of Russian infantry and a most powerful and numerous artillery. Their conduct was in unison with that of our gallant allies, whose spirited and successful attack of the left of the heights occupied by the enemy cannot fail to have attracted their notice and admiration. The Commanders of the Forces thanks the army most warmly for its gallant exertions. He witnessed them with pride and satisfaction, and it will be his pleasing duty to report, for the Queen's information, how well they have earned her Majesty's approbation, and how gloriously maintained the honour of the British name. Lord Raglan condoles most sincerely with the troops on the loss of so many gallant officers and brave men, whose memory it will be a consolation to their friends to feel will ever be cherished in the annals of our army. (Signed) J. B. B. ESTCOURT. From Marshal de St. Arnaud : Soldiers,—France and the Emperor will be satisfied with you. At Alma you have proved to the Russians that you are the worthy descendants of the conquerors of Eylau and of the Moskowa. You have rivalled in courage your allies the English, and your bayonets have carried formidable and well-defended positions. Soldiers, you will again meet the Russians on your mad, and you will conquer them as you have done to-day to the cry of "Five l'Erapereur ! " and you will only stop at Sebastopol; it is there you will enjoy the repose which you will have well deserved. Field of Battle of Alma, Sept. 20. From the able letters which thsir correspondents on the spot have transmitted to our daily contem poraries we select the subjoined extracts, which give a more detailed and picturesque account of the battle than can be gathered from the official despatches : THE MARCH ON THE 19TH. On the 19th of September, the British, French, and Turkish camps at Lake Kimishli were broken up, and the onward march commenced. The way led along continual steppes, affording no shelter from the burning heat of the sun, nor water to assuage the intolerable thirst suffered by all. The only relief was afforded by the muddy stream of Bulganak, which the men drank with avidity. That day an insignificant skirmish took place between a body of Cossacks and the light division. On passing over the brow of a hill the former were discovered drawn up in order. A slight fire was opened, which wounded three or four of our men, but a gun drove up and threw a shell with such wonderful precision in the midst of the enemy that above a dozen were knocked over by this one projectile, and the Cossacks speedily disappeared. THE BIVOUAC. Orders were given to halt and bivouac for the night, and our tired men set to work to gather the weeds for fuel. As soon as the rations of rum and meat were served out, the casks were broken up, and the staves served to make fires for cooking, aided by nettles and long grass. At night the wat.Ph fires of the Russians were visible on our left. The vatchtires night was cold and damp, the were mere tlaNhes, which gave little heat, and barely sufficed to warm the rations. All night. arabas were arriving, and soldiers who had fallen out or got astray came up to the sentries to find their regiments. Sir George Brown, Sir De L. Evans, the brigadier generals and stall officers went about among their divisions and brigades ere the men lay down, giving directions for the following day, and lawn alter dusk the regi ments were on the ground, wrapped up in great coats and blankets to find the best repose they could afier the day's exertions. THE REVEIL. At three o'clock in the morning the camp was roused by the reveil, and 30,000 sleepers woke into active life. The boats from the ships lined the beach to receivi, the tents. The commissariat officers struggled in vain with the very deficient means at their disposal to meet the enormous re quirements fur the transport of baggage, ammunition, and food, and a scene which to an unpractised eye would seem one of utter confusion began and con tinued for several hours, relieved only by the steadi ness and order of the regiments as they paraded previous to marching. The French, iu advance on our right, were up be, times, and the camp fires of the allied armies, ex tending for miles along the horizon and mingling with the lights of the ships, almost anticipated the morning. Seven thousand Turkish infantry, under Suleiman Pacha, moved along by the seaside; next to them came the divisions cf Generals Bosquet, Canrobert, Forey, and Prince Napoleon. Our order of march was about four miles to the right of their left wing, and as many behind them. The right of the allied forces was covered by the fleet, which moved along with it in magnificent order, darkening the air with innumerable columns of smoke, ready to shell the enemy should they threaten to attack our right, and commanding the land for nearly two miles from the shore. After a march of an hour a halt took place for fifty minutes, during which Lord Raglan, accompanied by a very large staff, Marshal St. Arnaud, Generals Bosquet, Forey, and a number of French officers, rode along the front of the columns. The men spon taneously got up from the ground, rushed forward, and column after column rent the air with three thundering English cheers. It was a good omen. As the marshal passed the 55th Regiment he ex claimed, " English, I hope you will fight well to day!" " Hope!" exclaimed a voice from the ranks, "sure you know we will!" The troops presented a splendid appearance. THE RATTLE-FIELD. A remarkable ridge of mountain, varying in height from 500 to- 700 feet, runs along the course of the Alma on the left or south side with the course of the stream, and assuming the form of cliffs when close to the sea. This ridge is marked all along its course by deep gulleys, which run towards the river at various angles, and serve to carry off the floods produced by the rains and the melting of the winter snows on the hills and table lands shove. At the top of the ridges, between the gulleys, the Russians bad eructed earthwork batteries, mounted with 3'2lb. and 241 b. brass gulls, supported by numerous field pieces and howitzers. These guns enfiladed the tops of the ravines parallel to them, or swept them to the base, while the whole of the sides up which an enemy, unable to Maud the direct fire of the batteries, would be tnrced to ascend, were filled with masses of skirmishers armed with an excellent two-groove rifle, throwing a large solid conical ball with force at 700 and 84X) yards, as the French learnt to their cost. The principal battery consisted of an earthwork of the form of two aides of a triangle, with the apex pointed ti wards the bridge, and the sides covering both sides of the stream, corresponding with the bend in the river below it, at the distance of 1,000 yards, while, with a fair elevation, the 32-pounders threw, as we saw very often, beyond the houses of the village to the distance of 1,400 and 1,500 yards. This was constructed on the brow of a hill about 600 feet above the river, but the hill rose behind it for another 50 feet before it dipped away towards the road. The ascent of this hill was enfiladed by the fire of three batteries of earth work on the right, and by another on the left, and these batteries were equally capable of covering the village, the stream, and the slopes which led up the hill to their position. In the first battery were thirteen 32-pounder brass guns of es • quisite workmanship, which told, only too well. In the other batteries were some twenty-five guns in all. It wee said that the Russians had Ito► guns on the hills and 40,000 men (40 battalions of infantry 1,000 strong each of the 10th, 31st, 32nd, and 52nd Regiments). The Russian sitillery was concentrated in the centre; consequently the fire which encountered the French was chiefly that of musketry. The fleets were anchored near shore, but were unable to afford any assistance to the land forces, owing to the great distance. A few of the smaller steamers threw, I have heard, a few shells amongst some Russian cavalry, but nothing further. The Russian left wing was established about two milts inland, and the centre at a distance of perhaps four miles from the beach. THE PLAN OF OPERATIONS. Our plan of operations was, that the French should establish themselves under the fire of the guns on the heights on the extreme of the enemy's left. When that attack was sufficiently developed and had met with success the British army was to force the