The Press. — London, England, 1855-11-17 00:00:00

NOVEMBER 17, 1855. TII E WAR. ME campaign for the autumn may be considered at an end. The English expeditionary force, with part of the fleet, has returned to Balaklava from Kinburn ; the whole of the cavalry, French and English, is to be sent to Scutari and Constantinople for the winter; the French Imperial Guard is en route for France ; the allied fleets are leaving for the Mediterranean ; and everybody, on our side at least, seemed settling down for a comfortable winter season. From Eupa• toria, General d'Allonville has not attempted any further reconnaissances. The Turkish Contingent had arrived at Kertch, and it is expected that an attack upon Arabat or Kaffa will be attempted shortly. Upon the part of the Russians, it was stated by de serters that Prince Uortschakoff meditated a grand attack upon the allied lines, and that the Russian ar my had received orders to hold itself in readiness for an advance. Their movements lately bear a sus picious appearance ; clouds of Cossacks are seen hover ing about the hills, the furze has been burnt oft ; their line of advance, and everything, indicates, in some measure, that a great scheme is about to be executed by the Russian General-in-Chief. In Asia, Omer Paella has inaugurated his command by a brilliant victory on the banks of the Ingour, and is now rapidly advancing on Kutais. The following tele7raphic despatches have been received during thew k vi& St. Petersburg from Prince Gortschakoil; and from Nicolaieff - The Crimea, Nov. 5. The allies continue to occupy the valley of Baidar with two divisions. Nothing more to report from the Crimea. THE FLEET AT THE DNIEPER. Nicolaieff, Nov. 2. Of all the enemy's fleet there remain but the following vessels, viz. :—At sea, near the embouchure of the liman of the Dnieper, two screw.frigates of 50 to 60 guns, and two steam-corvettes ; in the same liman in the roads, two ateam•frigates of 30 to 40 guns, two steam corvettes, three floating batteries, two gun-boats, two transports, and one merchant vessel ; near the confluence of the Bug and the Dnieper, seven gun-boats—making in all twenty-three Teasels. The following despatch was receivel at the Foreign office yesterday .--- Therapia, Nov. 15, 1855. At noon Omer Pacha forded the river lngour on the sth, at the head of '20,000 men, and defeated the Russians, computed at 10,000, including militia, and partly in trenched. The enemy lost about 400 in killed and wounded, sixty prisoners, and three piocea of cannon. The Turkish loss was upwards of 300. The British officers did honour to their country. OFFICIAL DESPATCHES. An official despatch from General Williams, at Kars, dated Oct. 3, was received by Lord Clarendon od Saturday last. The despatch contained a full and detailed account of the assault up= Kars and its repulse on the 20th September. The gallant general confirms all previous private narratives which have appeared, and mentions in the highest terms the conduct of General Kmety, Hussim Padre, Lieu• tenant-Colonel Lake, Captain Thompson, Major Teesdale, Mr. Churchill, &c., and bears witness to the determined bravery of the Turkish troops under his command. After detailing the positions of the various batteries, &c., General Williams describes the first appearance of the Russian columns at daybreak on the 20th:— - • -- The mist and imperfect light of the dawning day in duced the enemy to believe that he was about to surprise us ; he advanced with his usual steadiness and intrepidity ; but on getting within range he was saluted with a crush ng fire of artillery from all points of the line. This un expected reception, however, only drew forth loud hurrahs from the Russian infantry as it rushed up the hill on the redoubts and breastworks. These works poured forth a fire of musketry and rifles which told with fearful effects on the close columns of attack, more especially on the left one, which, being opposed by a battalion of 450 Uhasseurs, armed with Mime rifles, was, after long and desperate fighting, completely broken anti sent headlong down the hill, leaving K 1) dead on the field, besides those carried off by their comrades. The central column of the Russians being repulsed at the closed redoubts, where General Kmety com manded, their right column, supported by a powerful field battery, turned the left flank of the defences, and penetrated to the rear of the position : Observing the commencement of this movement, and anticipating its consequences, Lieutenant-Colonel Lake, who had taken the direction of affairs in the English Tablas, was instructed to send a battalion from Fort Lake to the assistance of the defenders of Tahmasb, and at the same time two battalions of the reserves were moved across the flying bridge and upon the rocky height of Lax Jeppe Tabia. These three reinforcing columns met each other at that point, and being hidden from the enemy by the rocky nature of the ground confronted him at a most opportune moment. They deployed, and opened their fire, THE PRESS. which stopped and soon drove back the enemy's reserves, which were then vigorously charged with the bayonet, at the same moment when tienend Kuiety and Major Tees dale issued from the redoubts at Tabmasb and charged the assailants. The whole of that portion of the enemy's in fantry and artillery now broke and fled down the heights under a murderous fire of musketry. Immediately after a powerful attack was made upon the eastern portion of the works : About half-past five o'clock, a.m., a Russian column, consisting of eight battalions of infantry, three regiments of cavalry, and sixteen guns, advanced from the valley of Tehakmak, and assaulted those small redoubts, which after as stout a resistance as their unavoidably feeble garrisons could oppose, fell into their hands, together with the con necting breastworks, defended by townsmen and moun taineers from Lazistan. Reinforcements were rapidly pushed up and the battery retaken, after a desperate struggle of some time. After this final repulse a general retreat took place among the Russians. In concluding his letter, General Williams observes:— During this combat, which lasted nearly seven hours, the Turkish infantry, as well as artillery, fought with the moat determined courage ; and when it is recollected that they had worked on their intrenchments, and guarded them by night, throughout a period extending to nearly four months, I think your lordship will admit that they have proved themselves worthy of the admiration of Europe, and established an undoubted claim to be placed amongst the most distinguished of its troops. The capture of the two guns by the Russians General Williams attributed to the. " mortality among his horses," which prevented him withdrawing them from their advanced positions. Every officer and man appear to have emulated the example of their heroic generals in the combat, and, considering the circumstances, have won a niche for themselves among the most distinguished records which this war will leave to posterity. The French Government have received an official despatch from Marshal Pelissier, dated Nov. 2, de• tailing the incidents of General d'Allonville's recon naissance on the 27th ult. The French marshal's despatch presents no fact left unrecognised in the report of Lord Paget, published in TRE PRESS of the 10th. The disinclination of the enemy to fight, and tha want of water, compelled General d'Allonville to return to Eupatoria. Prince Gortschakoffs report on the first reconnaissance of the 24th has also appeared this week. The Russian general states that, so far from being disinclined to fight, the Russian cavalry advanced at a trot from Ichebotar, the allies fell back " in such haste" that the Russians could not catch them. " Two Cossacks " are admitted to have been wounded, and the rapid retreat of General d'Allonville attributed to the advance of strong re serves from Simferopol. General Mouravieff's report of the assault upon Kars has appeared in the Invalide Busse. The report is dated the 12th of Oct., and is pre faced by a brief description of the topography of Kars, the positions of the various batteries and redoubts, the disposal of the Turkish forces, and, finally, the general arrangements made by the Rus sians for the attack on the 29th. General Moura vieff seems to have made his dispositions with great forethought and care, and the arrival of the columns of attack at their opposite positions in due time left nothing undesired. At 4 a.m. he writes The Ist and 2nd battalions boldly advanced to the ramparts, and the 4th went along the road, to get round them. At the same time the hill-pieces taken from the Turks at Peniack, and which occupied spaces in the first line, opened a fire of grape shot. Battalions of the second line advanced at a running step ; the troops of the first line rushed to the assault with cries of "Hurrah," attacked with bayonet the Turks who occupied the outer fosses, leaped upon the ramparts, ran en muse against the Turkish infantry, who were there put to the route, and took possession of part of the guns. At the same time the Carabiniers of the Erivan regiment, wider their chief, De Moller, sprang upon the battery, and seized two pieces on its extreme outer angle. Two other pieces were taken by Major Baum's hlingrelians upon the side bordering upon the redoubt, but here the success of these troops was checked by the batteries erected at the right of these redoubts, and by the redoubts themselves, the sides of which had been lately milled up from the side of the gorge to the same height as those in the front. At the same time he writes that other columns had dashed upon a 4 gun battery of the centre redoubt and carried it for the time, while the two central redoubts were attacked with great force by General Maidel with the regiments of the guard, who (hove in the Turks The Turks, however, rallied in a short time, and considerable reinforce ments being brought up, the Russians, General Mouravieff admits, were forced to relinquish the battery' and retreat. General Mouravieff con tinues : It was now eleven o'clock. The troops of the second column had continued their obstinate attacks for more than five hours the greater part of the superior chiefs and officers were hors de combat, some of the pieces in position had only a few attendants, and scarcely any horses ; the losses of the troops increased every second, while the enemy's means of resistance were proportionately strength ened, and the, armed inhabitants of Kars had joined the 1089 Turks. As the other assaulting columns abandoned the geld of battle the Turks concentrated their troops and artillery against our position. In this situation of affairs, I sent Lieutenant-tleneral de Brummer to the 160011 d column with the 3rd battalion of the regiment of the Erivau Carabiniers, and the 'l,ml battalion of the Riazin Regiment, ordering him to attempt once more to take possession, if seeming possible, of the redoubts, in order to occupy the heights of Sohorakh, or to immediately commence the retreat iu the event of swimss appearing impracticable. -- Lieut.-General de Brnmmer halted his troops out of range, surveyed the position of aftiirs, and imme diately ordered a general retreat. That movement accomplished, General Mouravieif concludes with a paragraph announcing that the troops reoccupied their old positions, and the blockade of Kars, raised for some hours, was resumed. - - The nominal list of killed and wounded officers is returned as follows :-1 general (General Kova levski), 4 colonels, 2 lieutenant-colonels, 5 majors, 14 captains, 1R lieutenants, 15 subalterns, and 17 ensigns, making a total of 76 officers, killed. The list of wounded comprises —3 generals, viz., Generals Prince Gagarine, Alaidel, and Bronetfsky ; 5 colonels, 3 lieutenant-colonels, 14 majors, 30 captains, 35 lieutenants, 39 subalterns, and 47 ensigns—making a total of 176. The killed and wounded number together no less than 252 officers, while 8,527 are admitted as the loss of men. CAMP MOVEMENTS. Few events worthy of record hare lately occurred in the English camp. The usual routine of road making, draining, and hutting, still supply the main employment of the army. The preparations for the destruction of the docks are progress►ng rapidly, but it is doubtful whether they will be carried into effect while the allies retain their present position. The docks are six in number, arranged in two rows of three. They are built of white limestone, edged with fine granite from Aberdeen. The whole of the machinery and workmanship is so perfect, and the scale of the buildings so magnificent, and their use so obvious to the allies, that the destruction would -- seem improbable . The French and English engineers are preparing to destroy the three docks. They have adopted different methods for effecting this object. The English engineers are sinking shafts at certain intervals outside the walls of the several docks ; the French engineers are excavating galleries beneath the foundations of those which are in their hands. The French method will probably be the most complete, but, as they have to work in the rock beneath the paved atone of the dock, it is by far the more laborious. By the English plan, the shaft is sunk through a gravelly soil of recent formation, and has to be supported by wooden linings. The force of the charge will be directed against the side walls, and the masonry will be projected into the bottom of the dock. By the French plan the foundation, as well as the walls, will be raised and broken up, and the whole will fall in a heap of ruin, such UM we now behold the remains of Fort Paul, the most successful effort of Russian mining.-1). News etre., Oct. '29. Our soldiers at length are getting well supplied with good bread, and the two baking vessels sent out by Government appear to answer very satisfactorily : The troops are now getting good bread four days in the week, in fact as otten as the French. This is brought about by means of two bakeries attached to divisions, a third at Kadikoi, and the steamers Abundance and Brinier. These two iron vessels are each of about 600 tons burden, and HO-horst. power, their original names having been the Alfred and Robert Stephenson. They were purchased by Government, fitted up at Deptford, the Abundance as a bakery, and the Bruiser as a mill ; and finally came out here in May. The former vessel contains four beautifully. made brick ovens, each of which holds thirteen to four. teen bushels, and with the assistance of a small 10-horse power engine twenty-four bakers, three superintendents, and a few lab ourers, tarns out 18,000Ibs. of bread daily, or 6,0)0 31b. loaves, equal to 12,000 men's daily rations of bread, at a pound and a half for each suldier.—D. News eor., Oct. 90. Some combined attempt against the northern batteries was in contemplation. A despatch in the Gazette des Portes of the 11th contains the following information from Varna, Nov. lth:— The fire of the batteries on the south side of Sebastopol against the northern forts redoubled on the closing days of last month. Since the 30th, the floating batteries, armed with cannons of the strongest calibre, have been ready at Kamiesch, and are to take part in the fire against Fort Constantine. The fleet at Kinburn has received orders to send the mortars and large gun-boats at the mouth of the Dnieper to Kainiesch. It is positively stated that after the arrival of these boats • fire from land and sea will be simultaneously opened against the forts on the north. The destination of the cavalry for the winter ap pears to be decided. The heavy brigade are to embark at once for Scutari, while the light cavalry go to Ismis. The monotony of the camp continued unbroken by any but domestic occurrences. There was a rumour of an expedition to Kaffa : There has been a rumour the last day or two that an expedition was to start for KOS, with the intention of securing a position there during the ensuing winter. A small body of Freachltroope has leftlaud proceeded Lin a 1