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

g4O THE WAR. INVASION OF THE CRIMEA. THE DISEMBARKATION. Official despatches and private narratives in ample variety have now furnished us with a minute history of the landing effected by the allied forces in the Crimea, as well as of their gallant and victorious pro gress subsequently. Of the whole expedition, which rivals almost every military enterprise of which his tory has preserved the record in extent and impor tance, and surpasses them all in the rapidity of its events and the scientific development and use of the vast resources placed at the disposal of the com manders, we are now able to present a continuous narrative. As we stated last week, there were land ings effected at two points. Enpatoria, which was at first indicated as the place of embarkation, was ulti mately abandoned so far as the main body of the invading forces was concerned, and the beach round Staroe-Ukriplenie, or Old Fort, being some twenty miles nearer Sebastopol, was selected for the disem barkation. Nevertheless, a small squadron under Admiral Lyons was left at Eupatoria, which town for strategical reasons it was thought necessary to oc cupy. This operation was successfully accomplished, without loss, by the sailors belonging to this aqua• dron, a residuum of the garrison of Eupatoria, whence the chief Russian force appears to have been pre viously withdrawn, surrendering to the captors to the number of 400 men. The enormous fleet of ships of-war, steamers, and transports, covering thickly a sea-distance of nine miles, and conveying a military force of at least 60,010 men, proceeded south and took up its allotted position off the coast at Old Fort. The ships had been ordered on no account to approach nearer the shore than they found eight fathoms water, and at this distance the disembarkation commenced on the morning of the 14th ult., and proceeded, until its completion on the 18th, without intermission, save such as was caused by the weather, without loss ex cept one or two casualties from drowning, and with out a sign of opposition from the enemy. The progress and accomplishment of the debarkation was ' duly reported to their respective Governments by the commanders of the British, the French, and the Turk ish contingents. Their official despatches ran as fol low : ENGLISH ACCOUNT. From General Lord Raglan, G.C.8., to the Duke of Newcastle : Old Fort Bay, Sept. 10, 1854. The embarkation is proceeding rapidly and successfully, thanks to the able arrangements of Rear-Admiral Sir Ed mund Lyons, and the unceasing exertions of the officers and men under his orders. It is impossible for me to express in adequate terms my sense of the value of the assistance the army under my command derives from the Royal Navy. The same feeling prevails from the highest to the lowest—from Vice-Admiral Dundas to the youngest sailor an ardent desire to co-operate by every possible means is manifest throughout; and I am proud of being associated with men who are animated by such a spirit, and are so entirely devoted to the service of their country. Camp above Old Fort Bay, Sept. 18, 1854. I do myself the honour to acquaint your grace that the combined fleets and their convoys appeared in the Bay of Eupatoria on the pith instant, and in the course of the following night proceeded some miles to the southward, where the allied armies commenced disembarking early in the morning of the 14th—the French in the bay below Old Fort, the English in the next bay nearer to Eupatoria —and before dark the whole of the British infantry, and some artillery, and most of the French troops, were on shore. Shortly before dark the weather unfortunately changed, and it became hazardous to attempt to continue landing either troops or guns. The surf on the beach impeded the operation the fol lowing morning, and since, on more than one occasion ; but thanks to the great exertions of the navy, under the able and active superintendence of Rear-Admiral Sir Ed mund Lyons, who was charged with the whole arrange ment, every obstacle has been overcome, and I am now enabled to report to your grace that the disembarkations have been completed. I should not do justice to my own feelings, or to those of the troops I have the honour to command, if I did not prominently bring to the knowledge of your grace the deep sense entertained by all of t he invaluable services rendered by her Majesty's navy. The spirit by which both officers and men were animated made them regardless of danger, of fatigue, and indeed of every consideration but that of performing an arduous and important duty ; and that duty they discharged to the ad miration of all who had the good fortune to witness their unceasing efforts to land horses and carriages with the utmost expedition and safety, under frequently the most trying circumstances.- 1 have, itc. (Signed) RAOLAN. FRENCH ACCOUNT. From Marshal de St. Arnaud to the Minister of War : From the Tlivonack at Old Fort, Sept. M. I have the honour of confirming to you my telegraph despatch dated this day. THE PRESS. Our disembarkation was performed on the 14th, in the happiest circumstances and without the enemy being per ceived. The moral impression which the troops have re ceived is excellent, and Alit to the cry of " Vive l'Empereur !" that they stepped ashore and took possession of their bivouacka. We are encamped upon steppes where water and wood are deficient. The necessity of effecting a difficult disem barkation, and one which was complicated beyond all that I can tell you on the subject, thwarted by a sea wind which rendered the seaboard often unapproachable, has retained us to this day in these bad bivouacks. I had in the first instance wished to occupy Eupatoria, of which the narrow road is the only refuge open to us on this difficult coast. But I found the disposition of the in habitants so accommodating that 1 contented myself to es tablish a naval station and some agents there, who will be employed to collect the resources which they can meet with. The Tartars begin to arrive at the vamp. They are very quiet, very inoffensive, and appear very sympathetic towards our enterprise. 1 hope we shall obtain from them cattle and mettle of transport. I take care to pay for all the resources which they offer us, and I negleet nothing to render them favourable to us. It is a very important point. On the whole, our situation is good, and the future pre sents itself with fresh guarantees of success which seem very solid. The troops are fullof confidence. The passage and the disembarkation were assuredly two of the most re doubtable eventualities offered by an enterprise which is almost without precedent as respects distances, season, and the innumerable uncertainties which surrounded them. I judge that the enemy which allows such a storm to collect at the distance of a few leagues without doing anything to dissipate it in its origin is placing himself iu a disgraceful position, of which the least inconvenience is that of ap pearing in presence of the inhabitants as if struck with impotency. I have the honour of addressing you, subjoined, the order of the day that I ordered to be read to the troops at the moment of disembarkation. Deign to accept, &c., A. DE ST. ARNAUD, Marshal and Commander-in-Chief. The following is the order of the day referred to in the marshal's despatch : GENERAL ORDER. 14th September. during the disembarkation on the coasts of the Crimea. Soldiers,—You have been seeking the enemy for the last five mouths. He is at length before you, and we are about to show him our eagles. Prepare yourselves to undergo the fatigues and privations of a campaign which will be difficult, but short, and which will raise in presence of Europe the reputation of the army of the East to the level of the highest military glories of history. You will not permit that the soldiers of the allied armies, your companions in arms, shall surpass you in vigour and ►n solidity before the enemy, or in constancy in the trials which await you. You will recollect that we are not making war on the peaceful inhabitants of the Crimea, whose dispositions are favourable to us, and who, reassured by oureseellent disci pline, by the respect which we will show for their religion, their manners, and their persons, will not delay coming to us. Soldiers, at this moment, when you plant your standards on the soil of the Crimea, you are the hope of France—in some days you will be her pride. " Vive l'Empereur !" A. DE ST.ARNAUD, Marshal Commander-in• Chief. TURKISH ACCOUNT. The following summary of the proceedings was published in the official journal at Constantinople on the 18th ult.:— " As we announced in our supplement the day before yesterday, the allied fleets disembarked at Ettpatoria about ten thousand men ; then during the night of the 13th and early morning of the 14th they set sail, in order to come to anchor off Old Fort (others say Calamita and Elmalik), which is seven leagues north of Sebastopol. At a quarter past seven the Ville de Paris anchored ; the other vessels followed her example, and at eight o'clock the admiral commanding the French fleet hoisted the signal to com mence landing. At half-past eight the flag of a French boat was flying on the land. General Canrobert and Rear- Admiral BouiA-Willaumez planted on the beach three flags to mark the spots where the three divisions were to dis embark. A few moments later and the whole of the first division had landed. The field artillery arrived in the barges. At three-quarters past nine the English troops landed on the spot marked out for them on the beach. At the same time eight steam-fiigates, French and Eng lish, cannonaded Katcha, in order to effect a diversion. At noon the French army was completely disem'arked, with twenty field-pieces. Later, the horses, guns, baggage, tire., were landed. On the 15th were landed the fourth division coming from Katcha, and the Ottoman division, and after them the provisions and horses. On the 16th the Franco-Ottoman army was ready to start for Sebas topol along the coast. The English army was making its final preparations for departure. All professional men say that this debarkation was one of the finest things they had seen both for its order and rapidity. All the opera tions were completed without the slightest accident, the weather being magnificent. At Calamita the first demon strations put to flight a small camp of Cossacks, who dis persed in three directions. The inhabitants were ignorant of Russia being at war with Turkey, and her allies France and England, and they received the combined army with great joy. They hastened to offer them provisions of all kinds, as well as all the means of transport they required. Everything indicates that, when armed, they will second the operations of the allied armies. The crops were still in the fields. More circumstantial narratives of the events are presented in the numerous accounts transmitted by eyewitnesses of the operations to our daily contem- SATURDAY, poraries. From these we select the following ex tracts, remarking that the various authorities cor roborate one another in all essential particulars. We begin with a diary kept by an English officer, noting down every day's work from the date of leav ing Baltschik Bay, namely, the 7th ult.:— On the 7th, in early morning, the Agamemnon fired ague and made signal to weigh, and before seven o'clock ship and transports had all found and taken their proper posi tions for the march. 1 say " march," owing to the appear ance of the whole when the divisions were formed in lung lines, steadily advancing through the smooth water with all the precision of the movements of a battalion. The weather was beautiful, and favourable as the most implicit believers in augury could wish. The fleet was innermost; then came the Light Division—first, second, third, fourth —cavalry, and provision-ships ; and this order has been invariably observed. At two o'clock passed Cape Kaliakri. Sept. B.—Weather all that could be wished. At noon distant from Cape Tarkan 118 miles. Sept. 9.—The white lighthouse upon the little island of Fidonisi was visible this morning. Towards evening the third division lost distance terribly, owing to the Cyclops, their leader, which did not appear quite adequate for tow ing so much weight. 'fhe Tynemouth assisted her off. The Agamemnon and Carailoc, the latter having on board Lord Raglan and the Duke of Cambridge, leave the fleet to reconnoitre off Sebastopol. We learn by signal that Marshal St. Arnaud is seriously ill. Sept. 10.—Anchor, shortly after eight o'clock a.m., in twenty-three fathoms water, and wait intelligence of the French fleet. Only those who are present can form an idea of the wonderful appearance of this immense assem bly of ships, anchored out of sight of land. Sept. 11.—The Agamemnon and Caratloc return to the fleet at 6.30 a.m.; the Sampson also joins. At 11.30 the armada was again on its way. The Iligliflyer, with Apollo (38th Regiment in tow), leads the third division instead of the Cyclops, which brings up the rear. Sept. 12.—At noon Eupatoria Point was distant seven teen miles north-east. At live p.m. anchor, Eupatoria Point at twelve miles south-east of the squadrons. Sept. I3.—Under way again at seven a.m. The whole anchor at three p.m. in front of Eupatoria. The weather has been generally fine, a few showers during the night and a very heavy hailstorm on the morn ing of the 12th forming the only exceptions. The water has been perfectly smooth during the whole trip, and the weather is now like our fine days at the end of November in England—cold, though sunny, and strongly indicative of winter. The troops are to land withouttheir knapsacks, carrying with them their great-coats and a blanket, which latter will contain a complete change of clothing. To morrow early the debarkation will commence. Marshal St. Arnaud is seriously ill, and General Uanrobert (a great favourite with the French) is next in command. The united army of English, French, and Turks here does not exceed 60,000 men ; no doubt there is plenty of work for them, but there is also no doubt but they will do it well. Admiral Lyons is entrnsted with the sole charge of the proceedings and arrengemeuts concerning the transports. Printed instructions have been issued to each ship, re ' ferring to the duties of each on landing the troops, and the whole appears to be admirably designed. The foregoing is dated from Kalamita; thediary is continued at litipatoria and Old Fort : Sept. 14.—At four a.m. fleets and transports were under way, leaving behind a small force at Eupatoria, and shortly after nine o'clock the whole had anchored at the disem- barking points,—the English in front of a neck of land separating Lake Kamichti from the sea; the French some two miles southward, at a point called Old bort ; and the Turks a little beyond the French. The French were the first to commence lauding; of the English, the Royal Funiliers were the first to step upon Russian ground. Our point of debarkation was a most favourable one—a broad neck of land flanked by sea and lake, not sufficiently com manded by the rising ground in front to have covered the enemy from the fire of our steamers, hail any opposition been attempted. Three or four Cossacks were seen gal. loping about, their spearheads glittering in the sun; they remained as long as possible witnessing the first debarka tion, and then sped away to Sebastopol, avoiding the French by a circuitous route. The disembarkation was most rapid to-day, and before nightfall all the infantry were on shore. Several bullock-carts were captured to day, their Tartar drivers not appearing at all averse to the proceeding, and rendering heartily all the assistance in their power at the unloading. These people wear circular sheepskin caps, broad at the top, where they are crowned by a small round piece of scarlet or other gay-coloured cloth — loose trousers and jackets, and the expression of their faces is good humour personified. Before night the camp fires were seen blazing away over an expanse of five or six miles of country ; the left resting upon a Tartar village (Baguili). Contrary to expectation, the country here is of the nature most fitted for the construction of tieldworks, but whether its soft soil undergoes a change to a thinly covered surface before reaching Sebastopol remains to be seen. A fresh breeze ( towards midnight) has set in from the west, which augurs very badly for the proceedings of to-morrow. The Agamemnon, Sanspared, Higlditer, Ma mond, and other ships acted as covering vessels, in case their services should have been required. The whole of the da's proceedings has been marked by the utmost order a y nd regularity, reflecting the highest credit on the foresight of Admiral Lyons. During the day Captain Jones, of the Sampson, so annoyed the Russian camp at Alma by his shell practice that they were obliged to decamp and retire to a more distant position. Sept. 15.—During the night a tremendous shower of rain poured down. This was most unfortuuate for the untented troops ; the westerly breeze, too, has raised $0 great a surf that proceedings are ordered to cease wont afternoon, a paddlebox boat or two, and several fiats sae