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

.` NOVEMBER 25, 1854. THE WAR. Since the date of the battle of the lnkermann, the military operations on both sides appear to have been conducted slowly and cautiously. The Russian de spatches convey the latest intelligence, and Prince Menschikoff writes from day to day to the Czar that "nothing of importance hail occurred." His last despatch is of the 15th, stating that "the siege works of the enemy make no progress. The bombardment continues, but causes no damage of any importance." There have been heavy storms in the Black Sea, resulting in some serious losses among the allied shipping. On the night of the 14th, according to the Russian account, during a tempest, eight transports were driven on shore, and a frigate and corvette sunk. Many other vessels lost their masts. BATTLE OF INKERMANN. The official despatches describing the battle and victory fought and gained on the sth inst., in the lnkermann valley, were received in England on Wednesday and published in an Extraordinary Gazette. Lord Raglan writes as follows : Bacon, Sebastopol, Nov. 8, 1854. My Lord Duke,—l have the honour to report to your grace that the army under my command, power fully aided by the corps of observation of the French army, under the command of that distinguished officer General Bosquet, effectually repulsed and defeated a most vigorous and determined attack of the enemy on our position overlooking the ruins of Inkermann, on the morning of the sth instant. In my letter to your grace of the 3rd, I informed you that the enemy had considerably increased their force in the valley of the Tschernaya. The following day this augmentation was still further apparent, and large masses of troops had evidently arrived from the northward, and on two several occasions persons of distinguished rank were observed to have joined the Russian camp. I have subsequently learnt that the 4th corps d'armee, conveyed in carriages of the country, and in the lightest possible order, had been brought from Moldavia, and were to be immediately followed by the 3rd corps. It was therefore to be expected that an extensive movement would not be long deferred. Accordingly, shortly before daylight on the sth, strong columns of the enemy came upon the advanced pickets covering the right of this position. These pickets behaved with admirable gallantry, defending the ground toot by foot against the overwhelming numbers of the enemy, until the 2nd division, under Major-General Pennefather, with its field guns, which had immediately been got under arms, was placed in position. The light division, under Lieutenant-General Sir George Brown, was also brought to the front without loss of time ; the Ist brigade, under Major-General Codrington, occupying the long slopes to the left towards Sebastopol, and protecting our right battery, and guarding against attack on that side; and the 2nd brigade, under Brigadier-General Buller, forming on the left of the 2nd division, with the 88th Regi ment under Lieutenant-Colonel Jeffreys, thrown in advance. The brigade of Guards, under his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge and Major-General Bentinck, proceeded likewise to the front, and took up most important ground to the extreme right, on the aligne inent of the 2nd division, but separated from it by a deep and precipitous ravine, and posting its guns with those of the 2nd division. The 4th division, under Lieutenant General Sir George Cathcart, having been brought from their encampment, advanced to the front and right of the attack ; the Ist brigade, under Brigadier General Goldie proceeded to the left of the Inkerrnann road ; the 2nd brigade, under Brigadier-General Torrens, to the right of it, and on the ridge overhanging the valley of the Tschernaya. The 3rd division, under Lieut.-Gen. Sir Richard England, occupied in part the ground vacated by the 4th division, and supported the light division by two regiments under Brigadier. General Sir John Camp bell, while Brigadier-General Eyre held the com mand of the troops in the trenches. The morning was extremely dark, with a drizzling rain, rendering it almost impossible to discover any thing beyond the flash and smoke of artillery and heavy musketry fire. It., however, soon became evident that the enemy, under cover of a vast cloud of skirmishers, supported by dense columns of infantry, had advanced numerous batteries of large calibre to the high ground to the left and front of the 2nd division, while powerful columns of infantry attacked with great vigour the brigade of Guards. Additional batteries of heavy artillery were also placed by the enemy on the slopes to our left; the guns in the field amounting in the whole to ninety THE PRESS. pieces, independantly, however, of the ship guns, and those in the works of Sebastopol. Protected by a tremendous fire of shot, sh ell, and grape, the Russian columns advanced in great force, requiring every effort of gallantry on the part of our troops to resist them. At this time two battalions of French infantry, which had on the first notice been sent by General Bosquet, joined our right, and very materially con tributed to the successful resistance to the attack, cheering with our men, and charging the enemy down the hill with great loss. . About the same time a determined assault was made on our extreme left, and for a moment the enemy possessed themselves of four of our guns, three of which were retaken by the 88th, while the fourth was speedily recaptured by the 77th Regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel Egerton. In the opposite direction the brigade of Guards, under his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, was engaged in a severe conflict. The en2my, under the cover of thick brushwood, advanced in two heavy bodies, and assaulted with great determination a small redoubt which had been constructed for two guns, but was not armed. The combat was most arduous, and the brigade, after dis • playing the utmost steadiness and gallantry, was obliged to retire before very superior numbers, until supported by a wing of the 20th Regiment of the 4th division, when they again advanced and retook the redoubt. This ground was afterwards occupied in gallant style by French troops, and the Guards speedily re formed in rear of the right flank of the 2nd divi sion. In the meanwhile Lieutenant-General the Hon. Sir George Cathcart, with a few companies of the Nth Regiment, considering that he might make a strong impression by descending into the valley, and taking the enemy in flank, moved rapidly forward, but finding the heights above him in full occupation of the Rus sians, he suddenly discovered that he was entangled with a superior force, and while attempting to with draw his men, he received a mortal wound, shortly previous to which Brigadier-General Torrens, while leading the 08th, was likewise severely wounded. Subsequently to this, the battle continued with una bated vigour and with no positive result, the enemy bringing upon our line not only the fire of all their field-batteries, but those in front of the works of the place, and the ships' guns, till the afternoon, when the symptoms of giving way first became apparent ; and shortly after, although the fire did not cease, the retreat became general, and heavy masses were ob served retiring over the bridge of the Inkermann, and ascending the opposite heights,' abandoning on the field of battle 5,000 or 6,000 dead and wounded, mul titudes of the latter having already been carried off by them. I never before witnessed such a spectacle as the field presented, but upon this I will not dwell. Having submitted to your grace this imperfect des cription of this most severe battle, I have still two duties to discharge, the one most gratifying, the last most painful, to my feelings. I have the greatest satisfaction in drawing your grace's attention to the brilliant conduct of the alli.d troops ; Ftench and English vied with each other in displaying their gallantry and manifesting their zealous devotion to duty, notwithstanding that they had to contend against an infinitely superior force, and were exposed for many hours to a most galling fire. It should be borne in mind that they have daily for several weeks undergone the most constant labour, and that many of them passed the previous night in the trenches. I will not attempt to enter into the detail of the movements of the French troops, lest I should not state them correctly, but I am proud of the oppor tunity of bearing testimony to their valour and ener getic services, and of paying a tribute of admiration to the distinguished conduct of their immediate com mander, General Bosquet ; while it is in the highest degree pleasing to me to place upon record my deep sense of the valuable assistance I received from the Commander in-Chief, General Canrobert, who was himself on the ground and in constant communica tion with me, and whose cordial co-operation on all occasions I cannot too highly extol. Your grace will recollect that he was wounded at the Alma. He was again wounded on the sth, but I should hope that he will not long feel the effects of it. I will in a subsequent despatch lay before your grace the names of the officers whose services have been brought to my notice. I will not detain the mail for that purpose now, but I cannot delay to report the admirable behaviour of Lieutenant-Gene ral Sir George Brown, who was unfortunately shot through the arm, but is doing well; of Lieutenant- General his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, who particulatly distinguished himself; and of Major • General Pennefather, in command of the '2nd divi sion, which received the first attack, and gallantly maintained itself under the greatest difficulties throughout this protracted conflict; of Major-Gene- 1109 ral Bentinck, who is severely wounded ; Major- General Codrington, Brigadier-General Adams, and Brigadier-General Torrens, who are severely wounded, and Brigadier-General Buller, who is also wounded but not so seriously. I must likewise express my obligations to Lieute nant-General Sir Richard England for the excellent disposition he made of his division, and the assis tance he rendered to the left of the light division where Brigadier-General Sir John Campbell was judiciously placed, and effectively supported Major- General Codrington ; and I have great pleasure in stating that Brigadier-General Eyre was employed in the important duty of guarding the trenches froi any assault from the town. Lieutenant-General Sir de Lacy Evans, who o la • been obliged by severe indisposition to go on b ship a few days previously, left his bed as soon as h• received intelligence of the attack, and was promptly at his post, and though he did not feel well enough to take the command of the division out of the hands of Major-General l'ennefather, he did not fail to give him his best advice an assistance. his deeply distressing to me to have to submit to your grace the list of the killed, wounded, and missing on this memorable occasion. It is indeed heavy, and very many valuable officers and men have been lost to her Majesty's service. Among the killed your grace will find the names of Lieutenant General the Honourable Sir G. Cath cart, Brigadier-General Strangways, and Brigadier- General °oldie. Of the services of the first it is almost unnecessary to speak. They are known throughout the British empire, and have within a short space of time been brought conspicuously before the country by his ach►evements at the Cape of Good Hope, whence he had only just returned when he was ordered to this army. By his death her Majesty has been deprived of a most devoted servant, an officer of the highest merit, while I personally have to deplore the loss of an at tached and faithful friend. Brigadier-General Strangways was known to have distinguished himself in early life, and in mature age throughout a long service he maintained the same character. The mode in which he had conducted the command of the artillery, since it was placed in his hands by the departure through illness of Major-General Cator, is entitled to my entire approbation, and was equally agreeable to those who were confided to his care. Brigadier. General Goldie was an officer of con siderable promise, and gave great satisfaction to all under whom be bas served. It is difficult to arrive at any positive conclusion as to the actual numbers brought into the field by the enemy. The configuration of the ground did not ad mit of any great development of their force, the attack consisting of a system of repeated assaults in heavy masses of columns; but, judging from the numbers that were seen in the plains altar they had withdrawn in retreat, I am led to suppose that they could not have been less than sixty thousand men. Their loss was excessive, and it, is calculated that they left on the field near 5,000 dead, and that their casualties amount in the whole, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, to not less than 15,000. Your grace will be surprised to learn that the number of British troops actually engaged little ex ceeded 8,000 men, while those of General Bosquet's division only amounted to 0,000, the remaining avail able French troops on the spot having been kept in reserve. I ought to mention that, while the enemy was at tacking our right, they assailed the left of the French trenches, and actually got into two of their batteries ; but they were quickly driven out in the most gallant manner with considerable loss, and hotly pursued to the very walls of Sebastopol. RAGLAN. The French official narrative of the battle was published on the same day, when the subjoined despatch from General Canrobert appeared in the Moniteur Head•gnarters before Sebastopol, Nov. 7. Monsieur le lilarechal,—l have the honour to confirm my telegraphic despatch of the 6th of November. The action of which that telegraphic despatch was a summary was most furious and most disputed. After the first few shots fired, the deserters that came over to us revealed to us the real situation of the Russian army as regards its effective strength, and we were able to calculate the reinforcements it had, successively received since the battle of the Alma. They consist :- 1. Of reinforcements from the Asiatic side, from Kertch, and from Kafa. 2. Six battalions and detachments of sailors from Nicolaieff. 3. Four battalions of Cossacks of the Black Sea. 4. A great portion of the army of the Danube—the 10th, 11th, and 12th divisions of infantry, forming the 4th corps, commanded by General Dannenberg. These three divisions were conveyed in post haste, with their artillery, from Odessa to Simferopol in a few days.