The Press. — London, England, 1855-07-21 00:00:00

684 Government attaches to the capture of Kars, nor will Gene" ral Mouravieffspare any effort that may enable him to take place. The strength of the Russian troops is great, and far surpasses what the Turks can oppose to it. Never theless, thanks to the skill and courage of the generals who protect the city now being attacked, thanks also to the firmess of its inhabitants, we venture to hope that the be sieged at Kars will show themselves worthy brethren in arms and race of those who defended Silistria. SIEGE CHRONICLE. The letters from the camp bring down the detailed intelligence of siege operations to the 7th instant. Their Information is however scanty, and the writers are occupied chiefly with descriptions of the ceremo nies observed when the body of the late commander in-chief was brought down to Balaklava for embarka tion to England. The following brief extracts are from the correspondence of the Herald and Daily News : JULY 6 —The 'sale of the late Lord Raglan's horses, the search after navvies who have abandoned their work, and the excesses of British sailors in tne French naval station t Kamiesch, form the chief intelligence of the day. As for the cannonade, it has been difficult during the last few days to detect the report of a single gun. The muster of British officers at the sale referred to was tolerably large, but it was remarsed that. only a very few French were present. Numerous horses were put up for sale, and, on the whole, good prices were given ; between 701. and 801. for chargers, and 301. or 401. for smaller animals. With regard to the navvies, more than a dozen have contrived to escape from Kamiesch in English vessels. As there is a scarcity of hinds on board the transports, facili ties for escaping were willingly afforded them, and all the efforts of Mr. Hart, of the Railway Police, and of Sergeant Reidy, of the Army Police, to find them proved unavailing. There have beeh several cases of illness amongst the navvies, and it is probable that that circumstance, as well ai the dread of the next three months—the most trying period in the Crimea—made the deserters desirous of re turning home. I do not think that in other respects the navvies have any good ground of complaint. JULY .—The usual firing against the working parties, and shelling on both sides, occurred during the night. The fire has been Chiefly directed against the works of our allies in progress on the east side of Careening Bay. The 12-gun battery on the north side has kept up a persevering fire in this direction. Fort Constantine has also fired frequently from some mortars placed on the roof. The charge given must be very heavy, as the shells have to pass across the mouth of the harbour, and over the Alexander Fort and other works, to reach the French approaches against which the missiles are directed. The transport of gabions, the arrival and departure of working parties near the outworks of the Star Fort, the frequent burials, and other movements on the north side, still continue. A body of troops was observed to march from the intrenched camp on the heights north of Inker mann this morning ; they moved in an easterly direction. No change in position is said to have occurred among the Sardinian troops in advance of Tchorgoum, or in the force occupying Raider. Major-General Codrington, who has been absent on account of ill-health, has sufficiently recovered to return to camp, and resume the duties of the command of the light division. JULY 6.—fra sharp musketry fire occurred on the left about half past eleven o'clock last night, but was of brief duration. Captain Alexander Gordon, of the Royal Artil lery, was killed yesterday evening in an advanced battery of the right attack. He came out from England in charge of troop horses, and, after his arrival in the Crimea, asked permission tO remain for a short time to do duty in the batteries. His request was acceded to • but his services being required at Woolwich, he was about to return in a few days. When his death occurred he was just leaving the works. The enemy had been annoying one of our working parties, and a message was sent to Capt. Gordon to request him to open some guns upon the Russians for tike purpose of directing their fire towards his own battery. This was successfully accomplished. Suddenly Captain Gordon observed a large shell coming towards the spot where he and some of his men were, and had barely time sufficient to warn the men to shelter themselves. He himself appears to have felt a momentary hesitation u to the side of the traverse on which the missile was falling, and thus lost the opportunity of obtaining protection. While he was still standing up the shell struck the side of the head, and he was killed instantaneously. The shell lodged near him and burst. No one else was injured; the men had thrown themselves on the ground, and were safely under cover of the traverse immediately after receiving Warning of their danger. JULY 7.—No change has occurred in the general dispo sition of the troops, nor has any incident of peculiar inte - since the last mg their _dan, parti engaged with their de seen to . are also ,alakoff was to As been named. would appear that weeks—before all be brought against here has also to take the British force does not ap defend this stip- already in Po.B' 11.,-- rest in the siege operations taken place since mail. The allies are busily occupied in perfectii approaches against the Malakoff Tower and Redai cularly the former position. The enemy is engin equal activity in strengthening and adding to t fences. From the enormous number of gabions be brought over, it is suspected that the Russians constructing some inner works of large size. Rumours have been prevailing that the Malakof be attacked again shortly,—even the date has beet prom the state of our works, however, it would ap some time Must elapse—two or three weeks—b the proposed batteries and approaches to be brougt it, and the shipping, can be completed. There I been a talk that the French were to ti trench duties wholly, so as to set the Briti: r*e for taking the field, but this does fiat protatble. The tirguintiit Hied to defend t posed imengernent has been that, being great THE PRESS. session of so great an extent of the attacks, both on the left and right, the French would not find the addition of the centre any serious tax upon the resources of the vast force they now possess in the field ; while all chance of mistakes arising from a want of thorough and complete action in concert would be avoided. It is not likely, how ever, that, having once undertaken a share in the great work, the British commander would consent to abandon it, even although, by operating in the field, his efforts would tend to the accomplishment of the same ultimate object. Various circumstances have occurred to lead to the supposi tion that part of the British force would shortly leave for more active campaigning ; but nothing is known res pecting the intended operation, or what troops are likely to move. All the British divisions of infantry, including the Guards and Highlanders, are now employed in the siege duties. THE LATE LORD RAGLAN. Preparations for the reception of the cortege accompanying the body of the late commander-in chief have been made in Bristol, whither a corps of the Royal Horse Guards Blue departed by rail on Thursday. Intelligence of the arrival at Malta of the Caradoc, in which the body of Lord Raglan was conveyed, has reached us, and the steamer is ex pected almost hourly in the Severn. Despatches from General Simpson describing the ceremonies observed when the remains of the late commander-in-chief were embarked at Balaklava have been received and published in the Gazette. The general states : Before Sebastopol, July 7. I have the honour to acquaint your lordship that the remains of our late lamented Commander-in Chief, Field- Marshal Lord Raglan, were removed from head-quarters to Kazatch Bay, on Tuesday, the 3rd inst., and placed on board her Majesty's ship Caradoc, which departed for England that same evening. Nothing could be more imposing than the whole line of this melancholy procession. The day was fine, and the appearance of the allied troops splendid ; as many as could be spared from duty in the trenches, and with safety to their camp, were collected, and the procession moved from the door of this house exactly at four o'clock p.m., in the following order : In the court-yard of the house was stationed a guard honour of 100 men of the Grenadier Guards, with their drums and regimental colours; fifty men, with one field officer, one captain, and one subaltern, from the Royal Sappers and Miners, and from each regiment, lined the road from the British to the French head-quarters, a distance of about a mile ; a squadron of cavalry was stationed on the right of the line, two batteries of artillery and a squadron of cavalry on the left of it ; the infantry were commanded by Major-General Eyre, C.B. The road from the French head-quarters to Kazatch Bay was lined throughout the whole way by the infantry of the French Imperial Guard, and of the Ist Corps; bands were stationed at intervals and played as the procession passed, and field batteries (French) at intervals, on the high grounds left and right of the road, fired minute guns. The procession to escort the body was as follows : Two squadrons British Cavalry (12th Lancers). Two squadrons Piedmontese Light Cavalry. Four squadrons French Chasseurs d'Afrique (Ist and 4th Regiments). Four squadrons of French Cuirassiers (2nd and 9th Regiments). Tw i troops French Horse Artillery. Major Brandling's troop Horse Artillery. The coffin, covered with a black pall, fringed with white silk, and the Union Jack, and surmounted by the late field marshal's cocked hat and sword, and a garland of " Im mortals," placed there by General Pelissier, was carried upon a platform, fixed upon a nine-pounder gun, drawn by horses of Captain Thomas's troop Royal Horse Artillery. At the wheels of the gun-carriage rode General Pelissier, Commander-in-Chief of the French army, his Highness Omer Pacha, Commander-in-Chief of the Ottoman army, General de la Marmora, Commander-in Chief of the Sar dinian army, and Lieut.-General Simpson, Commander-in- Chief of the English army. Two field batteries of the Royal Artillery, stationed on the hill opposite the house, fired a salute of nineteen guns when the procession moved off. The united bands of the 3rd, 9th, and 62nd Regiments, stationed in the vineyard that surrounds the house, played the Dead March. The band of the Sardinian Grenadiers was stationed half way to the French head-quarters, and the band of the 10th Hussars on the left of the line. The approach to the wharf at Kazatch Bay was lined by detachments of the Royal Marines and sailors. The body was received on the wharf by Admiral Bruat and Rear-Admiral Stewart, C. 8., and a large number of (ACE rs of the combined fleets. The launch of the British flag-ship, towed by man-of-war boats, conveyed the coffin to the Caradoc, the boats of the combined fleets forming an escort ; and the troop and battery of the Royal Artillery in cluded in the escort formed upon the rising ground above the bay, and fired a salute of nineteen guns as the coffin left the shore. Everything was well conducted, and no accident oc curred. Thus terminated the last honours that could be paid by his troops to their beloved commander. His loss to us here is inexpressible ; and will, I am sure, be equally felt by his country it home. The sympathy of our allies is universal and sincere. His name and memory are all that remain to animate ns in the difficulties and dangers to which we may be called. JAMES SIMPSON, Lieut.-General Commanding. The following is the order of the day issued by General Pelissier on the occasion of the death of Lord ftaglan SATURDAY, Death has just surprised Field• Marshal Lord Raglan in the exercise of his command, and has thus plunged the English army into mourning. We all share in the grief of our brave allies. Those who knew Lord Raglan, who knew the history of that noble and pure life, so full of services rendered to his country—those who witnessed his intrepid attitude in the days of Alma and I nkermann, who recal the calm and stoic grandeur of his character during this routzh and metro-able campaign—all men of heart, in short, will deplore the 1035 of such a man. The sentiments here expressed by the general-in chief will be those of the entire army, itself struck by this un looked fur blow. The public sorrow will be augmented for the army by the regret of being separated fur eve.- from a companion in arms, whose cordial spirit it loved, whose virtues it admired, and whose frank and anxious assist ance it was always sure of. PELTSSIEB, General-in-Chief. Head-quarters before Sebastopol, June 29, 1855. A similar order was issued by General de la Mar rnora to our Sardinian allies Soldiers,—Last night the illustrious Field-Marshal Lord Raglan, Commander•in-Chief of the British army, expired after a short illness. His long career, the important ser vices rendered to his country; his heroin courage, and the exemplary constancy with which he bore with his army the hardships and privations of a winter campaign, cause his loss to be deeply lamented. Our army enjoyed his esteem, and he did much to provide for its wants. Let us unite with our brave allies in deploring his death and venerating his memory. STATE OF SEBASTOPOL. In a letter from the camp of the sth inst. we are told . The deserters and prisoners report that the Russian line-of-battle ships anchored in the roadstead opposite Fort St. Nicholas begin to suffer from the fire of the mortar battery on the side of the Quarantine Bay. On the 27th a shell passed through the three decks of the Tchesmi, killing and wounding several men, and then bursting in the hold set fire to her for a short time. Some days before a projectile, fired by a French vessel, berating in a work shop near the Artillery Bay, caused the explosion of a number of loaded shells, killed several artillerymen, and caused such damage that the Russians have not since dared to collect together such a quantity of combustibles in one place. The shells from the allied vessels occasion much damage to the place and severe losses to the garrison. Their effects are more feared than those of the rockets. The number of naval artillerymen in the place has been reduced from 111,000 to 3,501), and there are now only three artillerymen for each gun. The rations of vegetables and brandy have been diminished one-half on board the Russian vessels, and the captains of them have received orders to economise their consumption of salt pork as much as possible. The commander-in-chief has ordered the inhabitants to quit the town. The opinion that the place must infallibly fall into the power of the allied armies is more and more general among the besieged, and that feeling has greatly increased their discouragement, parti• cularly during the last few days. THE BALTIC. The news from the fleet, which reached Dantzio yesterday, announces that Admirals Dundas Sey mour, and Penaud were at Nargen. Admiral Baynes, with the rest of the fleet, was before Cronstadt. On the 14th the Raby gun-boat, with the boats of the Arrogant and Magicienne, had a sharp affair at Wiborg. One officer and one man were killed, and ten wounded. According to a correspondence from the northern parts of the Gulf of Bothnia, inserted in the Aflonbladel, nu vessels of the allied fleets had arrived as far nurth as the Umea by the 4th inst. In Wasa there were at that time 200 to 900 Russian troops, and in Ny-Carleby only twenty to thirty Cossacks. Gamla-Carleby, where they louk forward to another visit from our countrymen, has a garrison of 2,000 men in the town and th 4 neighbourhood ; earthworks also have been thrown up round the town. All pilots that formerly had their stations in the outer channel had been compelled to take up their abode in the town. The fortress of Svartholm and town of Lovisa were destroyed on the sth by an English squadron. The latter was burnt by accident, it appears, although the Russian journals speak of the occurrence as an act of wilful and useless barbarism. An authentic account of the affair is transmitted by the following despatch Duke of Wellington, Tolboukin Lighthouse, July 7. The Magicienne returned this morning from Lovisa, and I have received a report from Captain Yelverton, of her Majesty's ship Arrogant, who has been again successful in destroying a well•constructed fort at Svartholm, in the entrance of the Bay of Lovisa; but their lordships will observe with regret that, notwithstanding the humane desire of that officer, the town of Lovisa was unfortu nately destroyed bt fire, which occurred acnitlentally, on the night following the visit of her Majesty's ships. Cap• tam Vansittan. informs me that the authorities of the town have themselves admitted and explained the accidental origin of the fire. SIR CHARLES NAPIER received a summons to attend at court for the purpose of being installed. He, however, declined the proffered boon. The United Service Gazette adds that the reason assigned by the gallant admiral, if not officially given, is well known to his friends. " I have been," he says " censured and degraded, and have been denied the opportunity of clearing my reputation. Yet am I now offered a G.C.13,"