The Press. — London, England, 1854-11-25 00:00:00

1110 Finally, they were joined by the Grand Dukes Michael and Nicholas, whose presence could not fail to animate the army, which, with the garrison of Sebastopol, is at least 100,0(10 strong. It was under these conditions that 45,000 men of that army surprised the point of the heights of lukermann, which the English army was not able to occupy with a sufficient force. 0,000 English only took part in the action, the remainder being employed in the siege works. They valiantly sustained the shock until General Bosquet, arriving with a portion of his division, was enabled to give them a support which determined the success. It is diffi cult to say which is most deserving of praise, the energetic solidity with which our allies faced the storm so long, or the intelligent vigour displayed by General Bosquet, at the head of a portion of the brigades Bourbaki and Ante marre, in attacking the enemy that was stretching beyond their right. The 3rd Regiment of Zouaves, under the chefs de bataillon Montaudin and Dubos, there justified, in the most striking manner, the ancient reputation of the army. The Algerian sharpshooters, Colonel de Wimpffen ; a battalion of the 7th light infantry, Commander Vaissier ; the kith regiment of the line, Colonel de Camas, rivalled each other in zeal. Bayonets were crossed three times with the enemy, and it was only on the third charge that the Russians gave way, leaving the ground covered with dead and wounded. The Russian cannon and field batteries were much superior in number, and had a domi nant position. Two horse batteries, Commander de la Boussiniere, and a battery of the 2nd division of infantry, Commander Barral, the whole under the orders of Colonel Forgeat, maintained, with the English artillery, the struggle during the whole day. The enemy decided upon beating a retreat, leaving more than 3,000 killed, a great number of wounded, some hun dred prisoners, and some artillery waggons, in the hands of the allies. Their losses taken altogether cannot be under 8,000 or 10,000 men. Whilst this was taking place on the right, about 5,000 men of the garrison made a most vigorous sortie upon the left of our attacking lines, favoured by a dense fog, and by the ravines which facilitated their approach. The troops on duty in the trenches, under the orders of General de la Motterouge, advanced against the enemy, who had already invaded two of our hatteries, and drove them back, killing some 200 of them in the very batteries. The General of Division Furey, commanding the siege corps, by rapid and skilful dispositions, arrived with the troops of the 4th division to the support of the troops in guard of the trenches, and advanced himself, at the head of the sth battalion of the Cha.seeurs-ii-pied. The Russians, driven back upon the whole line, were hastily withdrawing towards the town with considerable loss, when General de Lourmel, seeing them fly before him, and giving way to a chivalrous courage, pursued them at the head of his brigade to the very walls, where he fell, seriously wounded. General Forey had much difficulty in withdrawing him from the very advanced position which by an excess of bravery he had made his brigade assume. The brigade d'Aurelle, which had taken up an excellent position on the left, Frotected this retreat, which was effected under the fire of the town with sensible loss. Colonel Niol, of the 2tlth of the line, who lost his two chefs de bataillon, had taken the command of the brigade, the energetic conduct of which was admirable. The enemy lost in this sortie about 1,000 men killed, wounded, or prisoners, and received a most considerable moral and material check. The battle of Inkermann and the combat sustained by the siege corps have been glorious for our arms, and have increased the moral strength which the allied armies carry along with them ; but we have suffered regrettable losses. The loss of the English army is 2,400 men killed or wounded, among whom are seven generals, of whom three are killed, and the loss of the French army is 1,720 killed and wounded. We bitterly deplore the loss of General de Loarmel, who died of his wound, and whose brilliant military and private qualities promised a brilliant future. I have also the regret to inform you of the death of Colonel de Camas, of the oth of the line. He fell at the head of his division at the moment they came face to face with the enemy. The vigour of the allied troops, subjected to the painful trials of a siege the difficulties of which are un precedented, and feats of arms which recal the greatest struggles of our military history, cannot be too highly praised. I enclose my order of the day to the army after the battle of the sth. General-in-Chief CANIIOIIERT. GENERAL ORDER. Roldiers—You have had a glorious day of it to-day. A great portion of the Russian army. favoured by night and fog, was enabled to establish itself, with a powerful artillery, upon the heights which form the extreme rights of our positions. Two English divisions maintained an unequal combat with that unshakable solidity which we know belongs to our allies, whilst a portion of the division llosquet, led by its worthy chief, and the horse artillery, arrived to their support and threw themselves upon the enemy with an intelligence and courage to which I new render signal homage. Definitively driven back into the valley of the Tschernaya, the enemy left more than 4.000 killed and wounded upon the ground, and carded off at least as many during the battle. While these events were taking place, the garrison of Sebasto pol made a sortie on the left of our lines of attack, which afforded the troops of the siege corps, and especially the 4th division, led with the greatest vigour by General Forey, the opportunity of giving a severe lesson to the enemy. The troops called upon to repel this sortie gave proof of an energy which adds greatly to the claims to which they are already entitled by the constancy with which they have supported the severe and glorious labours of the siege. I shall have to mention corps and soldiers of all arms who greatly distinguished themselves on this day. I shall make them known to France. to the Emperor, and to the army. But I wished at once to thank you in their name, and to tell you that you have added a great page to the history of this difficult cam- Paign. tieneramn-Uhler CANRODERT. Head-quguters.before Sebastopol, Nov. 6,1864. THE PRESS. Prince Menschikoff's version of the battle was pub lished in St. Petersburg, in the columns of the Invalids Busse, on the 12th inst. : This morning, November 12, his Majesty the Emperor received from tne hands of the Captain of Cavalry Count Levaschoff, the following report from General Prince Mens chikolf, under date of November 6 : Yesterday, the sth, a sortie was made from Sebastopol, on the side of the bastion No. 1 ; the following troops took part in it :—Of the 10th division of infantry, the regiments of Catherinebourg, Tomsk, and Kolyvan ; of the 11th divi sion of infantry, the regiments of Selingliitisk, Yakoutsh, and Okhotsk; of the 16th division of infantry, the regi ments of Vladimir, Souzdal, and Ouglitch ; and of the 17th division of infantry, the regiments of Boutiralt, Borodino, and Taroutino. As many guns were employed as the diffi culty of the gates permitted the men to take with them. LA part of the troops passed over the bridge of Inkermann.] The command of the troops was confided to Gen. Dannenberg, the commander-in-chief of the 4th infantry corps. Our first attack on the heights was very fortunate : the English fortifications were carried, and eleven of their guns spiked. Unfortunately, in this first movement, the commanders of the troops, who were attacking the en trenchments and redoubts, were wounded. While these events were passing, the French forces arrived in aid of the English. The siege artillery of these last was placed in position on the field of battle, and it was no longer possible for our field-pieces to contend with it to advan tage. The numerical superiority of the enemy's infantry, armed with rifles, occasioned great losses in horses, artillerymen, and infantry officers. This circumstance made it impossible for us to coo plete, except by a great sacrifice of troops, the redoubts which, during the fighting, we had begun to throw up on points which the enemy's position commanded, even as far as the town of Sebastopol itself. The retreat was effected in good order on Sebastopol and over the bridge of lnkermann, and the dismounted guns were carried off the field of bat , .le back in the place. The Grand Dukes Nicholas Nicholaievitch and Michael Nicholaieviteh were in the midst of this terrible tire, setting an example of calm courage in the fight. Simultaneously with this sortie the infantry regiment of Minsk, with a light battery of artillery, under the com mand of the Major-General of Artillery Timofe'reff, exe cuted another sortie against the French batteries, and spiked fifteen of their guns. Our loss in dead is not yet exactly known, but the number of the wounded amounts to 3,500 men and 109 officers. Among the latter there are :—Lieutenant-General Soi monoff, shot through the body, and who soon sank beneath the effects of his wound; the Major-Generals Vill.bois and Ochterlone ; the Colonels Alexandroff, commanding the infantry regiment of Catherinebourg; Poustovoitoff, commanding the infantry regiment of Tomsk ; Bibikoff, commanding the Okhotsk chasseurs ; Baron Delwig, commanding the infantry regiment of Vladimir; and Vereuvkine-Scheluta 11., commanding the regiment of Borodino chasseurs. Major-General Kischinsky, chief of the artillery, received a contusion from the splinter of a bomb; Major-General Prince Menschikoff, in the suite of your Imperial Majesty, was hurt in the neck; Colonel AlbOdinsky, the aide-de camp of your Imperial Majesty, and the cavalry captain Groigh, my aide-de-camp, was struck on the head. General Dannenberg had two horses killed under him, and all the persons surrounding him were wounded. The loss of the enemy cannot have been less consider able either, and the sortie of General Timofeiff cost the French dear, tier, whilst pursuing him with dense masses, they fell under a heavy fire of grape from the bastion No. 6. While these movements were going on, the troops placed under the command of Prince Gortschakoff exe cuted a strong demonstration against Kadykol, and thus kept the enemy's detachment at Balaklava in a state of inaction. In a subsequent number of the Invalide, the Rus sian loss on the sth is officially stated to have been 42 officers and 2,969 men killed, and 206 officers and 5,701 men wounded, giving the total of 9,008 killed and wounded. The number of prisoners taken by the allies is not given. Fuller details of this great battle are given in the voluminous correspondence from the seat of war published by the daily journals. We extract the more important passages and the most graphic descriptions. The Chronicle writer gives the following estimate of the allied force which took part in the engage ment The entire force which the British mustered to defend their vast front and flank lines, were confined to the following. The remainder of the army were in the trenches, prepared to oppose any attack upon the siege battaries : Ottani% about l ,OOO 2nd Division, about Light Division, about 4th Division 3rd Division Total The odds were, therefore, frightful, and it was only three hours later that General Hosquet opportunely arrived with his splendid division ((,000 strong), the same which had fought with us at the Alma. - - The same correspondent thus describes the com mencement of the battle : It was on Sunday, the Oth of November, that the battle of Inkermann was fought and won. The action coin• SATURDAY, menced at daybreak, and terminated at five in the after noon. In the night and the early hours of the sth the bells of Sebastopol were heard sounding the tocsin. Towards three in the morning the Russian batteries before the town opened a fearful fire upon the French advanced works, and at the rear of Balaklava. The enemy brought forward a large force of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, apparently with the intention of menacing that place. This, it was discovered ere long, was but a feint to occupy the French division under General Bosquet, which later in the day took part in the battle. The real point of attack was on the British position, which was assaulted in face and on the right flank. It was skirted by a road connecting Bala klava and Sebastopol. From this road to the heights which crown the beautiful valley of the Tschernaya extend the British lines. These heights form a right angle nearly opposite the ruins of I ukermann, and there run parallel with the river from which the valley has derived its name. On the other side of the 'l'schernaya rise a suc- cession of curiously-formed hills, which tower over the ruins of lnkermann. Here the Russians had established themselves in force, and only awaited their expected rein forcements to assail the British lines. From what has since been ascertained the garrison of Odessa, increasing itself on the line of march, had partially arrived two days before the battle. The remainder entered Sebastopol the preceding night in post-chaises, carriages, arabas, and every means of transport that could be impressed for the service of hurrying up the troops without fatigue. Prince Menschikoff had joined himself, with the army we had de feuted at Alma, to the Odessa army under Osten-Sacken ; making together 511,000 men, with a heavy artillery of forty-four guns;opposed to the little British force. The narrative continues:— At the right angle formed by the heights, and slanting off along the course of the Tschernaya, a small battery having embrasures for two guns had been constructed by our engineers. This was the only defence erected to secure the flank of our army from an attack. Sir De. Lacy Evens had repeatedly pointed out the un protected nature of the position, but his sound views were apparently not entertained elsewhere. This small work, called " Sandbag flattery," had only been established when the enemy had erected some threatening work in the direction of Inkermann. Upon the Russians discontinu ing these works, the two lti-pounders which had been mounted on Sandbag Battery were taken away, and the battery left without guns. The Russians in great strength now assailed this redoubt and the line of heights flanking the valley. The Guards advanced to repel them, and a dreadful struggle took place. Four times were the Guards driven from the battery, and four times did they repulse the enemy and regain their position. More than half of the Guards who entered action fell here, but around them lie heaps of the enemy. About this redoubt alone not less than 1,500 Russian corpses have been counted. The posi tion of the Guards became every instant more critical. Fresh masses of the enemy had advanced between their lines and the second division, thus taking them in the rear. Pressed by this new foe, the Guards prepared to fall back, contesting every inch of ground, when another Russian column, which had ascended the height below their posi tion, now attacked them on the flank. They were thus simultaneously assaulted in the rear and right flank. Nothing remained but to break their way through at the point of the bayonet. The Russians evidently considered the Guards either doomed to destruction or to capture, for they gave a tremendous cheer, or rather a druukeu yell, which was taken up by the whole Russian army, and sus' tallied for full ten minutes. The Guards, undaunted by their horrible position, back to back fought their way out of the surrounding masses, and were now rejoined by part of the 4th division (the twentieth part of the 63rd, and two companies of the 40th), under Sir George Cathcart. Another of the fearful hand-:o-hand struggles which cha racterised this sanguinary day again took place at this spo'. Opposed to those 1,800 Englishmen were more than 9,00 u Russians, animated with great courage, and confident in their superior numbers. Our troops met the attack, and the bayonet or butt-end of the musket repelled the foe when the closeness of the quarters prevented the use of tire, arms. Sir George Cathcart was at the head of his men, encouraging them with his undaunted bravery, when a bullet struck him in the breast, breaking, it is said, a little cross of the Bath, attached to a ribbon round his neck. Sir George continued to advance, and when at five paces from the enemy a second bullet struck him mortally, and the brave old hero fell dead from his horse. His body was recovered mutilated with bayonet wounds. Colonel Charles Seymour, assistant-adjutant-general to the 4th division, tell by the side of Sir George, shot through the heart. 'l' he Russians had the brutality also to transfix the body three times with the bayonet. Major Maitland, deputy-assistant adjutant-general, received at the same time a severe wound. After a rigid struggle against the superior number of the enemy, who was bringing up fresh battalions every instant, a welcome sight offered itself to our brave men. On the crest of the hill dashed the well-known red garments of the Zonaves, and before the enemy had recovered from bis surprise at this timely succour to our weakened lines, these splendid soldiers were amongst them. Then, advancing at pas de charge along the ridge of the heights flanking the valley, appeared a strong column of French infantry (chiefly of the Foreign Legion). The Russians, wearied already at the deadly struggle they had sustained with our little band, drew back, and the musketry, which the French now poured in incessantly, took frightful effect in their confused ranks. The English and French drove them to the redoubt, and down the hill into the valley below. Several stands were made by the Russians, and it was not until four in the afternoon that the rout was complete. The Times correspondent writes : Th e battle of Inkerrnann admits of no d escr iption. It was a series of dreadful deeds of daring, of sanguinary hand. w..,.1•...•••1=•1•0