The Press. — London, England, 1855-09-01 00:00:00

StPt 1, 1855. THE WAR. The telegraphic advices received during the past week communicate little intelligence of importance. General Simpson announced, on Sunday the 20th : Oar works and those of our allies are making satisfactory progress. On the following day the subjoined despatch, the latest which the British Government have made public, was transmitted : Crimea, August 27. We have just concluded the ceremony of the Investiture of the Bath. Nothing could have gone off better. The naval anti military commander* of the allied forces assisted at the ceremony. In other respects nothing of interest has occurred. The Moniteur publishes the following from Gene ral Pelissier : Crimea, August 24. In the course of last night we carried an ambuscade on the glacis of Malakoff; five hundred Russians made a sortie for the purpose of retaking it, but they were brilliantly re pulsed, with a loss of about three hundred men. The work has been turned against them, and is definitively gained by us. General M'Mahon has arrived. Our sanitary state is excellent. Prince Gortschakoff reports from Sebastopol, under date of the evening of the 26th : The enemy's fire is slack. Nothing new. And again, dating August 27th, he states : Nothing fresh of importance has occurred. The last letters from the Crimea state that General Simpson had completely recovered from the indispo sition under which he had been labouring . Various accounts have been published as received from different commanders, naval and military, de tailing the incidents or the Tschernaya battle, but they only repeat the statements given by the offi cial letters and newspaper correspondence published in England. _ _ A report from M. Blanchot, the Intendant-General of the French army in the East, is appended (in the itoniteur) to General Pelissier's report of the hattle of the Tschernaya. The writer says :—" The number of wounded carried to the ambulances after this ocmbat was 810 French, of whom 40 were officers; and 1,661 Russians, of whom 38 were officers—form ing a total of 2,474 men." He adds " Not a single wounded French soldier remained on the field of battle two hours after the combat." Official returns published in Paris show that up to this month 208 000 officers, non-commissioned oM cers, and privates, with 38,000 horses, have been em barked at Marseilles and at Toulon for the East since the commencement of the war. The Courrier de Marseille* of Thursday states : The quantity of war material daily conveyed to our port by the railway and the Rhone steamers is truly incredible. The quays of La Joliette are literally covered with moun• tains of bombs of every size, mortars, and enormous siege guns. Independently of the transports chartered for the purpose, every large steamer leaving with troops carries on an average 1,000 tons of matiriel. Gunpowder for the army in the East is daily received in large quantities. Since the beginning of the war 7,500,000 lbs. weight were shipped in oar port. liener3l Bousquet embarked at Marseilles on Tuesday for the East, with 3,400 troops. A despatch from Berlin says:—'• It has been de cided to increase the Russian fleet in the 13Iack Sea. A ship of the line, of 131 guns, is to be built this winter at Nicolaieff." The news from Asia is encouraging. A despatch of the 25th ult. from Constantinople states that the Turks in garrison at Kars have made a successful sortie. The Russian divisions lately threatening Erzeroun► have retreated. Admiral Bruat announces that the Descartes had left for Kertch with reinforcements of 400 infantry and marines. The English were sending 800 men there. The following official despatch has been received at the War- office : Before Sebastopol, Aug. 14. During the last few days considerable activity has been exhibited in the movements of the enemy, both in the town and on the math side ; and from the information we have received from the country, as well as the examination of deserters, I have reason to believe that the Russians may attempt to force us to raise the siege by a vigorous attack from without. Every precaution is taken on the part of the allies, and the ground occupied by the Sardi- Mans above the village of Tehorgoun and in its front has been made very strong through the energy and skill of General de la Marmora, who is unceasing in his precau tions, and shows the utmost disposition to co-operate in the most agreeable manner with the allies. The tire has, if anything, been rather less during the day since my last despatch. At times, however, the enemy o; en heavily for a short period, causing many casualties ; and among them I regret to have to announce that of Brevet-Major Hugh Drummond, Scots Fusilier Guards, who was killed yesterday afternoon by a fragment of a /hell. His loss is deeply felt by all who knew him, TflE PRESS. and her Majesty has lost the services of a most promising officer. The firing on our side has been directed in a great mea sure against the large barracks, dockyard buildings, and the town, all of which show visible signs of the admirable prac tice of the Royal Artillery. I further beg to inclose the returns of casualties to the 12th inst. I have to apologise to your lordship for having omitted to inform you before that I had despatched the steamer Indiana on the Bth instant to Corfu, for the purpose of conveying the 82nd Regiment from that island to the Crimea. Draughts for the Light Division and 71st Regiment, to the number of 800 men, the remainder of the Carabi neers, and one squadron of the let Dragoon Guards, have arrived. JAItES Sruesorr, General Commanding. SIEGE CHRONICLE. The battle fought on the Tschernaya has almost monopolised the attention of the letter-writers an d chroniclers of the siege, whose accounts of the pro ceedings in front are exceedingly meagre. The letters come down to the Dith ult., at which date the Times correspondent transmitted the following re• port respecting the progress of events during the last two days : Auo. 17.—At four this morning the English batteries opened a heavy fire along the whole of their line. The Russians kept silence for full twenty minutes, when they replied in good style. The French were slow in co operating with us. It was fully half-past five before they opened ou the left, and when they did it was a sort of intermittent fire. A report had been current that bat for the action on the Tschernaya the long•talked-of bombard ment was to have commenced yesterday at noon, and when at daybreak to-day the roar of artillery was heard, it was supposed the cannonade had commenced in earnest, and would be vigorously sustained. After a short time, how ewer, it slackened considerably, and it became evident that no serious bombardment was intended. Its real object is, I believe, to enable the French to continue their approaches to the Malakoff. Meanwhile, we have casualties to la ment, and have suffered some damage to our batteries. Four guns of No. 7 battery, left attack, were silenced, the other two thereupon suspending their fire. Two guns of the Naval Brigade were disabled. Captain Oldfield, Royal Artillery, was killed. Major Henry, of the same corps, lost Lis arm at the shoulder joint, but was doing well this evening. He had just been relieved, and was about to quit the battery when the hall struck him. Lieut. Dennis, 3rd Buffs, has been very badly wounded, and there is scarcely a chance of his recovery. Captain Hammet, com mander of the Albion, was killed in the trenches. He saw the ball coming, called to his men to stand out of the way, and himself remained, and was instantly killed, either by the ball or by a spoke of the wheel which it smashed. I have heard of other similar instances. There is some times a sort of fascination, it would appear, in a cannon shot when it comes at you. The Naval Brigade suffered severely. About 200 were in the trenches, and they had twenty-three casualties, including six men and an officer killed. This afternoon, about six o'clock, one of our mortar bat teries on the right discharged six mortars simultaneously at one spot in the Malakoff, and blew up a magazine of shells, which popped off in succession in beautiful style, while the Russians jumped over the parapets in mortal terror, and our fellows in Gordon's Battery jumped on theirs and cheered with delight. The 15th of August, the fhe day of the Emperor of the French, was celebrated with due honours. The French army was reviewed, by divisions ; altars, surrounded by such trophies and decorations as could be got up here (guns, branches, tte. ), were raised, and mass was per formed at them. The French soldiers had au extra ration of wine. The salute fired by the fleet at noon caused a number of persons in the English camp, who had for gotten the motive of the broadsides, to run up to elevated points, in the belief that the fleet was attacking the forts. Colonel Macmurdo, commanding the Land Transport Corps, and Major Napier, his second in command, have gone on board ship in consequence of ill health. The latter proceeds to Malta. It is reported that Generals Airey and Jones are indispose-I, but this is not yet confirmed. A very large number of carts of stores entered Sehas topol this evening. The amount of the reinforcements that had actually reached the fortress was exaggerated. Only two divisions arrived in time for the action on the Tscher naya, but three others are close at hand. AEG. 18.—The fire continued more or less all night, at times heavy. This morning it is not very severe. As write, the funeral of poor Captain Oldfield is taking place. It appears that he was careless about exposing himself. He was hit in three places by fragments of shell. Half•past twelve o'clock.—There has been some very heavy firing since I wrote the preceding lines. Upon the whole, the results of the cannonade appear pretty satis factory. The Redan has suffered a good deal. Our fire has been very well directed, and that of the Malakoff had been considerably checked. THE BATTLE OF THE TSCHERNAYA. Full details of the Tschernaya engagement have been received since our last publication, and con firm the previous accounts respecting the serious character of the Russian assault as well as the heavy loss sustained in the battle. The allies, it seems, were completely taken by surprise on the occasion, and it was only the daring gallantry of the French and Sardinian soldiers which averted the most serious consequences from this want either of vigilance or caution on the part of the commanders. The following description of the battle is given by he correspondent of the Daily News 825 For some time past rumours have been afloat every night that an attack in force along the whole line would be made on the morrow. For a long while, however, these appear to have had no better foundation than the fact, which seemed pretty well ascertained, that the Russians had received large reinforcements, and, from hearing so many warnings, which time did not justify, as is usually the case, the French and Piedmontese fell into a state of greater carelessness than if they had never received any warning at all.' Still the air seemed thick with omens ; nobody could fully satisfy himself that no danger was imminent, though he could not make up his mind as to when or in what shape it would present itself. The deserters had so often proved false prophets that people began to doubt all their stories, until on Wednesday even ing, the 16th August, three spies came in, who positively declared that an attack would be made in force on the following morning; and hardly had they ceased speaking when General Allonville, commanding the French cavalry at DeWitt, telegraphed that the heights around were covered with troops, and that he wished to retire, from the fear that he might be cut off, but could not, owing to the road being blocked up by some hundreds of commissariat waggons. He went on to give some details regarding the attack, which made it evident that he had likewise received some information, when a fog came on, and the telegraph ceased working. The Turks remained under arms all night ; but, strange to say, the French, who were must of all interested in the matter, seem to have given themselves no trouble whatever about it, but went to bed and slept tranquilly. A peloton of I ..hasseurs d'Afrique went out to patrol during the night, and on the other aide of the river fell into an ambuscade, and were all made prisoners, ez cept two men, who escaped and gave the alarm ; but even this was treated as one of the ordinary incidents of night duty in presence of the enemy. About an hour before daybreak the French sentinels in front of the bride thought they could perceive shadows gliding past them in the darkness, and tired. There was nu reply, and silence deep as death followed ; about the same time a few shots were heard from the hill occupied by the Piedniontese outpost, but, as the utmost stillness prevailed aflerwards on every side, no precautions were taken till solar as the first streak of light made itself visible in tie horizon sharp fire was opened from a patty of skirmishers against the tele de punt, and a regular assault made upon the Sar• dinian picket. General de la !deniers was alr.,y on the ground, and sent a battalion of bersaglieri to reiuforce the post, so that they might defend themselves till the troops could be got under arms, and the necessary arrangements made. When the reinforcements arrived half the picket was already hors Jr combat, and the assailants were up on the parapet of the little redoubt, tiring down into them. 't o prolong the conflict here would only have caused a useless massacre, and the Sardinians consequently withdrew be hind an epaulement on the other side of the river, near the aqueduct, and there defended themselves till the day broke clearly, and the attack became general. On the side of the French, the tete de punt was assaulted in great force, and carried very soon after the enemy first showing himself on the ground, notwithstanding the heroic resistance of the 20th Regiment of the Line, which in one battalion alone lost twelve officers. The bridge was now occupied, two batteries of artillery were brought across, so as to sweep the road leading between the two heights towards Balaalava, and a strong column was pushed on to the assault and mounted the declivity. Strange to say, al though General Pelissier had received full warning the previous night, he refused to believe in an attack until it actually commenced, and consequently no dispositions were made, and nobody was ready. The Russians had already reached the crest of the hill, while the French were still asleep ; many officers were awakened by the round shot passing through their tents; a sergeant had his head taken off while writing the orders of the day fur the division. At this critical moment two battalions alone of the 2nd Regiment of Zouaves held the whole assaulting column in check, and contested the ground inch by inch till they were forced back upon their own tents. In the meantime the alarm was soup ling, the troops got into order, the artillery into position, and a vigorous onset drove the Russians down the declivity, leaving it covered with their dead and wounded. All this occurred in the grey of the morning, which the smoke of the action converted into something like positive darkness, leaving everybody as yet in complete ignorance as to the force they had to contend with, ur the dangers they had to bear. In the short pause which followed, however, and during which both sides prepared fur a re newal of the struggle, the sun came out from behind the hills, the smoke rose, and the valley of the Tachernaya lay before iis like a picture. The tract of table-land lying at the foot of the Mackenzie heights was covered with masses of cavalry, infantry, and artillery. About thirty guns were ranged in a crescent outside the bridge, und thundered un ceasingly against the French position. On the bill from which the Piedmontese picket had been driven were crowds of men around a battery of field artillery, which fired incessantly, though against what I could never clearly make out. They had previously shelled two battalions of Turks encamped in the hollow near the Woronzoff road, and forced them to retire. This retro grade movement was the only part the latter bore iu the whole affair ; but it is right to add they were under arms already, in case the positions had been attacked. The Piedmontese were drawn up in line behind a small emi nence close to the ford on the Tehorgoun road, and their batteries on the heights to the right were vigorously reply ing to the Russian fire ; the three divisions of French, Camouz, Erbillon, and Faucheux, were under arms, front line a little way back from the brow of the bill, and a great number of Zunaves were lying down in shelter behind a small ridge. Below, on the plain, along the hollow on which the English light horse died so gallantly last winter, were ranged the English and French cavalry, squadron after squadron, extending back nearly to the Turkish re doubts, ready to act in cue the enemy should force the Piedmontese position and attempt to debonch upon the