The Press. — London, England, 1855-09-08 00:00:00

__ SEPT. 8, 1855. plunder from others, has been the subject of grave remon strance on the part of our allies. All property whatever on the field belongs to the victorious nation—to appro priate anything is dishonest—to purchase from those who have done so is to encourage their dishonesty and to share their guilt. The commander of the forces hopes that this caution will be sufficient to deter those to whom it is addressed from a repetition of such thoughtless conduct. Followers of the army are reminded that they are amena ble to its rules and discipline. The police and provosts will in future receive orders to punish offenders on these occasions in the most summary manner. Au°. 21.—The commander of the forces regrets that he has to notice, in terms of marked displeasure, an outrage that was committed on the 17th inst., in the camp of the 4th division, the perpetrators of which, to the discredit of the army, are still undiscovered. A number of soldiers assembled under pretence of pursuing a supposed spy, destroyed the tent of a canteen keeper, plundered its con tenti, including a considerable sum of money, and escaped in the darkness. By the Articles of War the punishment of such a crime is a disgraceful death. The soldiers of this army have met their enemies nobly in the field ; they have endured hardships and dangers with admirable forti tilde. Let them not forget their high character by reckless d sorler in camp, or by such discreditable breaches of discipline as that now published. THE SARDINIANS AT THE TSCHERNAYA. In previous accounts of the victory of the Tschernaya the part played by the Sardinian army was only imperfectly described, the official reports from General de 1a Marmora not having been re ceived. This chain in the history of the engage ment is now supplied, and the report was transmitted to the English War-office by General Simpson, ac companied by the following despatch : Before Sebastopol, August 21. In my despatch of the 18th instant I was unable to give as detailed an account of the part taken by the Sardinian troops in the battle of the rschernaya as I could have wished. I have since received General de la Marmora's report, of which l have now the honour to send you a copy. The killed and wounded of the Russian army exceed, if anything, the number I originally stated. An armistice was granted to enable the enemy to bury the dead, and vast quantities were carried away. The tire from the batteries of the allies has been very effective, and the result attained has been sufficient to enable the works against the place to progress satisfactorily. I beg to inclose the list of casualties to the 19th inst. Majo - r M'Uowan, 93rd Highlanders, who was reported by me as missing, in my despatch of the 11th of August, I have since ascertained was attacked whilst posting his sentries in advance of the trenches, wounded severely, and made prisoner. JAMES SIMPSON, General Commanding. GENERAL DE LA MARMORA'S REPORT. SARDINIAN ARMY.—Head-quarters of the Expeditionary Forces to the East, Kadikoi, August 17; 18.55. Sir,—The interest whi.th you are so kind as to evince in everything relating to the Sardinian expeditionary army makes it imperative upon me to inform your excellency of the share taken by the troops under my command in the engagement on the Tschernaya yesterday. Upon receiving the report of Colonel Dessaint, attached to the French head-quarters, which you were good enough to communicate to me on the evening of the day before yesterday, and by which we were led to expect very shortly an attack on the line of the Tschernaya, I at once gave orders that my troops should be under arms yesterday morning at an earlier hour than usual. At break of day our outposts stationed on the mamelon which commands Tchorgoun were enveloped in a well sustained fire of artillery, which 2roceeded from three bat teries posted opposite to the breastworks by which our out posts were covered, and on the two manielons further to the right, which form the two banks of the Souliou. They were at the same time vigorously charged by three Russian columns, which came on with fixed bayonets, and attacked our breastworks in front and rear. The men composing these columns carried ladders with them, to scale the parapets. The preconcerted signal of alarm was imme• diately given ; and the troops took up the positions which had been assigned to them in anticipation of this attack. I begged his Excellency Hosman Pacha to bring up the Turkish troops which were stationed furthest off ; and I ordered the 4th battalion of Rifleman ( Bersaglieri ) to the support of our outposts, which only consisted of three com panies, in order that these latter might be enabled to hold their ground as long as possible, and thus give us time to complete our arrangements. Attacked in the rear by the enemy's artillery, and charged by three columns of infantry, the outposts, after an hour's finng, fell back, the reinforcements I had sent to them greatly facilitating their retreat. At the same time, I made every effort to silence the enemy's guns. In this endeavour I was assisted by the Turkish field-pieces from Alsou, and by the English battery, with which you were good enough to reinforce us. Several of the enemy's ammunition waggons exploded between seven and eight o'clock. In the meantime the Russians had stationed fresh bat teries near the centre of their position, and had opened a most effective fire of artillery on the tete-de-pont at Tractir, and on the French positions on our left. A column this fire, attacked the mamelon, right of General Erbillon's had crossed the Tschernaya, ascent of the mamelon in spite when it was vigorously attacked . Iport, and hurled back, broken 'sehernaya. e subsequent dispositions of the intended to make a demon our position, while he et:anon of infantry, under cover of th which formed the extreme division. This first column and surmounted the steep as of the fire of the tirailleurs, w by the French troops in suppl and disordered, into the Tsch As I considered, from the s enemy's forces, that he only i Ikration of artillery before otu THE PRESS. trated his infantry chiefly on the extreme right of the third division (Faucher's) on which point a second column was now advancing, I ordered a portion of my fifth brigade, under the command of General Mallard, to march to the support of the right wing of the French, and I posted two of our batteries in a position from whence they g:ould maintain an oblique tire upon the Russians. At the sanie time I requested the English cavalry to move down into the plain to be in readiness to charge. I had given similar orders to my own cavalry. When the soldiers of my fifth brigade arrived at the mamelon they found that the enemy's attack had been already repulsed ; but the fire of the two batteries of the second division (Troths') appeared to do great execution on the second Russian column, which, checked in front by the French troops, and harassed in the rear by the fire of our batteries and the musketry of our battalions, fell back in the greatest disorder. I then ordered some of our battalions to advance under cover of the riflemen (Ber saglieri) ; but I was requested to countermand this move ment. The enemy, repulsed at all points, commenced his re treat. One column, which appeared to me to consist of a division, retreated by the valley of the Souliou. Another division, the one which had attacked our outposts and the French right in the morning, fell back upon the zigzag marnelon ; while a third division followed the road which leads to Mackenzie's Farm. I took advantage of this state of things to reoccupy with my troops the zigzag mamelon ; in which design I succeeded perfectly, in spite of the imposing force which the enemy still retained on that point. In the meantime three batta lions of Turkish troops advanced into the valley of Tchor goun, to replace the battalion of Cialdini's brigade, which was occupying the heights of Karlooka. Later in the day, 1 crossed the Tschernaya with four squadrons, and, marching in a parallel line with the zigzag mainelon, came upon the old Russian redoubt, whence 1 could easily discern, at a little distance before us, a very fine array of regular cavalry, supported by horse artillery. It was distributed in twelve separate bodies, and must have been composed of at least fifty squadrons. This cavalry did not fall back on Mackenzie's•road till the whole of the infantry and artillery had effected their retreat. The losses sustained by our troops, a portion only of whom was engaged, were very inconsiderable. They amount to about two hundred men placed hors de combat; and I impute the fact of our not having lost more men mainly to the works with which wo fortified our position, and to the batteries of heavy guns which you were so obliging as to lend us for their defence. It is, however, my painful duty to announce to your excellency that Count Monte Vecchio, the general commanding the fourth brigade, is mortally wounded ; a ball passed through his chest... Pray accept, general, the ation. of my high consider• The General Commanding-in-Chief the Sardinian Expeditionary Forces. (Signed) DE LA MARMORA. To his Excellency the General Commanding in.Chief of the English Army. On the day after tho'battle General de la Marmora issued the subjoined order of the day to his troops : Soldiers !—Yesterday, for the first time, you encountered the enemy, to combat whom we came to these distant re• gions. Your attitude has fulfilled my hopes and won the eulogiums of our brave allies. The telegraph has announced to Europe that you have contributed to the victory of the Tschernaya. The King will be satisfied, and the nation filled with joy. I thank you for your fine conduct on this glorious day.—The General in Chief, DE LA Mammas. THE BALTIC FLEET. The following official despatches detailing some recent operations in the Baltic have been received by the Admiralty : H.M.S. Duke tif Wellington, off Nargen, Ang. 27. I have the honour to transmit for the information of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty a letter from Cap. tam Warden, of her Majesty's ship Aja.r, inclosing a report, detailing the proceedings of Captain Henry C. Otter, in her Majesty's ship Firefly, before Brandon, the seaport of Wasa, in the Gulf of Bothnia, which are highly creditable to that officer and to the officers and crew under his command; and I beg leave to recommend to the favorable notice of their lordships the gallant conduct of Lieutenants Edward Burstal and John Ward, as well as that of Mr. John A. Bull, second master, and Mr. James W. Salter, the gunner, on the occasion. (Signed) R. S. Dusoss, Rear-Admiral and Commander-in-Chief. (Inclosure.) Firefly, KOrsoren Bea . con, August 11, 1855. I beg to acquaint you that after leaving Fogle Fiord, on the 27th ultimo, I communicated with her Majesty's ship Harrier, and his Imperial Majesty's corvette D'Assar, on their stations, and on the evening of the 31st despatched her Majesty's ship Driver to you from Noorskas Light. At ten a.m., on the Ist of August, I anchored her Majesty's ship Firefly half a mile outside of Korsoren Beacon, and with the two paddle-box boats and the gig, accompanied by Lieutenant Ward and Mr. Bull, pushed on to the south east ; on our way we got information of a large barque at anchor to the eastward of Wasklot, and also that there was a military force in the neighbourhood. On arriving within two miles from Brandon a telegraph was observed on a small island in Korsham Fiord, signal ising with three large balls, and on pulling in towards it two men in a boat pushed off from the land with a flag of true ; fortunately I did not fire, for the flag was so large mistook it for the boat's mainsail, and concluded they were trying to escape. This very improper opportunity of using a flag of true could not he recognised, and I ordered the telegraph to be cut down, but released the men and their boat. No time was now to be lost, as the signal had been an swered from the main; I therefore pushed on with an 851 expedition, and on rounding the east point of Wasklot observed the object of our search in the mud, which with little difficulty was got off, and towed out of range of auy guns that could be brought to bear. The prize proved to be the fides, of 300 tons, with from 200 to 300 csaka of tar on board. At midnight two Russian deserters came on board, and stated that the troops moved off to Wasa on seeing the boats approaching, thinking an attack was contemplated on that place. At 8.30 p.m., 2nd August, I returned to the Firefly, and immediately got under weigh for Korsoren Fiord, but the navigation was so difficult that it was not until 5.30 p.m. I came alongside the prize. At 8.30 p.m. I weighed and proceeded towards Brandon, the seaport of Wasa, and a great ship•building place ; it had immense magazines on an island, separated by a very narrow deep water channel from the town, with a custom-house and barracks. At midnight, anchored within 400 yards of the town, and sprung the broadside to enfilade the channel and protect the boats, which were sent under Lieutenant Ward to examine the magazines. Some of them were opened, and found to be empty ; others contained coal, tar, res in, salt, spars, anchors, and cables, boats, salt fish, hawsers, and numerous piles of three-inch deals, but no sails or rigging, as we were led to expect. On a few of the prin cipal inhabitants joining us on the island, they were told that the sails of the barque must be given up, and they im• mediately sent to Wasa to Mr. Wolf, a wealthy merchant and shipowner, but he refused. I therefore determined to burn the magazines ; but as the wind was blowing directly on the town, I agreed to wait a reasonable time until a change took place, and gave the inhabitants notice that they were at liberty to remove everything from the island that belonged to them, except ship's stores ; for this forbearance they expressed themselves very grateful. Towards the afternoon Lieutenant liurstal brought in • schooner, and reported having discovered two tine barques and two brigs, in a creek a mile and a half distant. As the wind was still on the shore, and the destruction of the town inevitable had the magazines been fired, I directed the schooner to be hauled close into the island, and a working party to put some casks of tar and deals into her. Everything had the appearance of security ; ladies were walking about the beach, parties of pleasure sailing round the ship, and the people employed taking their property from the island. At 8 p.m. I landed to communicate with the first lieu. tenant, and had just visited the sentry placed on a building platform, when a heavy fire of musketry, from different parts of the town, was opened upon the working party and the ship, and was immediately replied to by the latter with shot and shell, which appears to have done great execution. The deck of the schooner was so enfiladed that it was impossible to get on board for the arms, and had it been practicable to do so, nut a man could be seen from her to fire at. Providentially all escaped on board uninjured, and Mr. Bull having returned in the paddle-box boats with a fine barque in tow, a fire from the four guns and rifles was kept up, so hot that in about an hoar aud..a half the fusi lade from the shore nearly ceased. At midnight I moved the ship into a better position for sinking the schooner, and the bows being nearly driven in by the shot, I proceeded to the destruction of the barque and two brigs before the enemy could rescue them. This was successfully performed with the assistance of the second master, Mr. Bull, and Mr. Salter, gunner. It was ascertained afterwards, from two different sources, that the enemy had twenty five killed arid from four to eighteen wounded. The injury appears to have been in flicted chiefly by the first three shots, whilst the troops were drawn up abreast of the ship. On our aide 1 am thankful to report that no more serious casualties occurred than a man and a boy being struck with spent balls. During the 6th and 7th the weather was so wet and boisterous that it was impossible to act against the enemy, but I ascertained during the night that reinforcements had arrived to the amount of 200 or 300 sharpshooters and Cossacks, with several guns. On the morning of the fith, the weather being moderate, I took up a position 1,500 yards from the magazine, and the same distance from a battery of four guns, and opened fire upon the latter, which not being returned I com menced firing red-hot shut at the magazines. At 20.30 p.m. smoke began to issue from the houses, and Lieutenant Ward, who had volunteered to try and cut out the schooner, pushed in with paddle-box boat, and with great gallantry drove the soldiers three times out of the woods ; but ultimately was obliged to retire before an overwhelming force secreted in the Custom-house. The boat was struck in many places, but, I am thankful to say, not a man hurt. At 8 p.m., the principal magazines being all in a blaze and their destruction inevitable, I closed the battery to 1,000 yards, but still receiving no return (though both guns and soldiers could be seen ), and the ammunition nearly expended, I was backing out, when suddenly several heavy guns, from an elevated position masked by trees, opened tire, chiefly with shells, and at the same time the whole force of riflemen; and the power of these weapons may be imagined when I mention that a ball cut through a spar on the bridge two inches thick at a distance of fifteen hundred yards. It is with the greatest pleasure I have to speak of the coolness of the officers and men at this trying juncture : the narrowness of the channel and shoalness of the water (at the most 2f fathoms) rendered it injudicious to attempt turning the Firefly round, and she was slowly backed astern a mile and a quarter before she was out of range, an evolution which, from the lightness of the wind, was not performed under forty minutes. I cannot conclude without mentioning how much I am indebted to the first lieutenant, Mr. Edward Burstal, who so materially assisted in inflicting this serious blow on the enemy's property. C. Oros, Captain.