The Press. — London, England, 1855-10-20 00:00:00

THE WAR. From our own Government this week two tele graphic dispatches only have been made public, both on the 14th inst., one containing the news of the re pulse of the Russians from Kars, and the other acknowledging intelligence to have been received by Lord Panmure " that Sir Colin Campbell had been sent to Eupatoria with a considerable force of infantry and artillery." However silent to the public the French and English lines of telegraph may be, we still continue to gather a considerable amount of information from that of St. Petersburg. Hence we learn that the expedition which arrived off Odessa on the Bth remained there quietly at anchor till the 14th, and then sailed to Kinburn (about seventy-five miles distant), when the ships anchored within three miles of the shore. On the 15th a small force was disembarked near the fort, and the town bombarded for a short time in the evening by a squadron of steamers. On the 16th the bom bardment was renewed by the gun-boats of the fleet, and up to that date no further movement had taken place. In the Crimea the French would appear to be slowly working their way found the Russian posi tion, towards Baktcai. Serai. The latest despatch from the Crimea, via Paris, states that on the 13th the advanced posts of the aides were within five leagues of Baktcbi.Serai, and that the Russians were retiring upon their line of the Delbeck. TELEGRAPHIC DESI'ATCHES. Paris, Oct. 18. By accounts of the 13th from the Crimea, the advanced posts of the allies were, on the 12th, within five leagues of Baktehi•Serai. The Russians were retiring slowly. Everything led to the belief that General Liprandi in tended to defend the line of the Belbeck, and to rest upon the corps commanded by Prince Gortschakoff. St. Petersburg, Oct. 17. A despatch from Nicolaieff, of this day's date, says that up to the evening of yesterday nothing had• taken place beyond an exchange of cannonade between the fortress of Kinburn and the gun•boats of the allies. The latter had attempted no further movement. Wir Department, Oct. 14. Intelligence has been received by Lord Panmure that Sir Cohn Campbell has been sent to Eupatoria with a con siderable force of infantry and artillery. OFFICIAL DESPATCHES. Sebastopol, Oct. 6, 1855. Marshal Pelissier having signified to me his wish that the cavalry force under General d'Allonville, at Eupatoria, should be reinforced by some English cavalry, I at once acceded to hie request, and have ordered the brigade of light cavalry, under Brigadier-General Lord George Paget, composed of the Caribineers, 4th and 13th Light Dra goons, and 12th Lancers, and and troop of the Royal Horse Artillery, under Captain Tbomas, to be sent for this service I am in hopes that transport will be found to convey them early next week. I have the honour to transmit to your lordship the copy of a report I have received from Lieutenant Colonel Ready, with the details of an expedition undertaken against a fort and buildings on the Island of Taman. The object was entirely carried out, and the troops have been enabled to Mipply 'therhaelves with a large amount of firewood and building materials. "`'' Since Haat had the honour of addressing you I hays seen Lieutenant-General Vivian, and I am happy to inform your lordship that he quite approves of the decision I had formed of uniting the Contingent at Kertch. Some few thousand men have already arrived there, and every exer tion is being made to insure them their supplies of food and Awl for the winter. The corps of General de Sallee have, during the past week, pushed forward their advanced posts to the high ground on the left bank of the Belbeck, overlooking Foti Sala. Their supports occupy a ridge from this place, stretching towards the south to Markul. The main position of the army is on high bold ground, extending from Aitoda to Markul, with the reserves posted between the village of Urkusta and the bridge of The corps is further to be reinforced with the view next week of making a strong reconnaissance of the ground from Foti Sala towards Wyenbash, on the left banks of the Katscha. I have omitted to report that Lieutenant-General Mark ham has been compelled, by illness, to return to England for a few months. He sailed on the 29th ult. Jabuts SIMPSON, General Commanding. The despatch from Lieutenant-Colonel Ready merely contains the details of the expedition alluded to by General Simpson. Three companies of the 71st and six companies of French infantry started on the mornicg of the 24th ult. in four English and nine French gun-boats for the opposite coast. The disembarkation of the troops was effected rapidly at Taman, and a strong body of Cossacks, about 600, kopt at a safe distance by the fire of the gun-boats. The troops moved on to Phanagoria, took possession of the fort and buildings, captured sixty-two unser ticeable guns and four mortars, and remained in the , • • THE PRESS. town collecting wood and fuel for embarkation. It was expected that by the 3rd of October the destruc tion of Taman and Phanagoria would be completed, when the troops would re-embark and the flotilla re turn to Ketch. A despatch from Admiral Brunt had been received in Paris containing similar details of the expedition, and praising highly the " active and cordial co-operation of the English officers." The Moniteur of Tuesday contained the following despatch from General Pelissier, which gives the details of the brilliant cavalry action of the 29th of September last. It will be seen that it was a com bined movement against the Russian advanced posts, and not a mere chance encounter in a fog, as repre sented by the Times correspondent of last week : Head-quarters at Sebastopol, Oct. 1, 1855. Monsieur le Marechal,—ln giving you an account, in my despatch of the 29th Se ptember, of my sending General d'Allonville to Eupatoria, with three regiments of his division of cavalry, I expi eased the hope that the usefhl activity of that general, cheerfully seconded by the Muchir, Ahmet Pacha, would succeed in dispersing the troops that Russia maintained around Eupatoria, and would afterwards menace the grand line of the enemy's communication from Simferopol to Perekop. A brilliant affair of cavalry, which took place on the 29th September at Koughil (five leagues north-east of Eupatoria), and in which the Rnssian cavalry of General Korf was completely defeated by ours, has inaugurated very happily that series of operations of which Eupatoria is the pivot. According to an arrangement between Abmet Muchir Pacha and General d'Allonville, three columns left Eupa toria on the 29th, at three in the morning, in order to march against the enemy. The first column directed its course to the south-east, in order to take up its position at the extremity of the isthmus, towards Saki. It had only before it a few squa drons, which it easily held in check, with the aid of two cannons, which supported it with their fire. The second column, commanded by the Muchir in person, passing by Oraz, Atchin, and Teiech, advanced upon Djollchak, destroying in its course all the provisions of the enemy. The third column, at the head of which General d'Allonville placed himself, consisted of twelve squadrons of his division, of the battery Armand (horse artillery), with 200 irregular horse, and six Egyptian battalions. It traversed one of the arms of the Lake Sasik, and marched by Chiban upon Djollchak, the common rendez vous, where the two last columns were reunited about ten in the morning. These two last columns had driven before them some Russian squadrons, who successively fell back upon their reserves. While General d'Allonville rested and provi sioned his horses he observed the movements of the enemy, who, with eighteen squadrons, several sotnias of Cossacks, and artillery, were endeavouring to turn his right by ad vancing between him and the lake. General d'Allonville, whom the Muchir supported in the rear by two regiments of Turkish cavalry and the six Egyptian battalions, advanced immediately on the point of the lake, in order to surround the enemy himself. The promptitude of this movement allowed the Hussars, led by General Wallin-Esterhazy, to fall on the enemy with their naked swords, while General Champeron, with the Bth and 7th Dragoons, engaged the Russian Uhlans, and forced them to a precipitate retreat, daring which they were harassed for more than two leagues. The enemy no longer maintaining himself on any point, and flying in all directions, General d'Allonville recalled his squadrons, and collected, before retiring, all that remained on the field of battle. We captured three cannons and three howitzers, twelve waggons and one forge; and took 189 prisoners (one oftker, Lieutenant Poreopwitch of the 18th IJhlans), and 250 horses. The enemy left on the field fifty killed, among them being Colonel Andreonaki, a cavalry officer of much merit. Our losses were comparatively very trifling—viz., six killed, and twenty-nine wounded. MM. Prigade, aide-de camp of General Walsin, and Sibert de Cornillon, an officer of the same general, were among the latter. This brilliant affair does great honour to the regiments engaged in it; also to Generals Walain and Champeron, and to General d'Allonvllle, who has much to congratulate himself on the assistance of Ahmet Muchir Pacha, and of the Ottoman corps that he commanded. Accept, eec.; The Marshal Commanding-in• Chief, PELTSSIER. The report of Prince Gortschakoff upon this affair has also appeared in a supplement to the Invalide Rune of the 9th inst. It attributes the loss of the guns to the bad arrangements of the Lieutenant,- General commanding:— On the 29th of September, at break of day, the enemy, consisting of a considerable force of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, went from Eupatoria in the direction of Tegesch. Our detachments of observation were thus disposed:— Lieutenant-General de Korff, with a regiment of Lancers of her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess Catherine Mikhailovna, and the light battery of horse artillery, No. 19, at Tup Mamai and Orta Mamai, and Major• General Terpelevaky, with the regiment of Lancers of the Arch duke Leopold, at Tegesch. In accordance with the instructions which had been issued for the case of an attack by the enemy in superior force, these two detachments were to fall back, the first on Karagonrt, and the second on Box Oglou. Major• General Terpelevaky executed this order ; but Lieutenant• General de Korff, before arriving at Karagourt, having lost sight of the enemy, who wax marching m vomit of Major-General LA SATURDAY, Terpelevsky, halted between Kouroulon-Keneghez, and Koughill, made his men dismount in order to raise the guns from their fore-carriages, and did not dispose his advanced posts in convenient order, and at the requisite distance from his position. The result was, that a great part of the enemy's cavalry, numbering from two to three thousand men, making a rapid movement to the right, appeared suddenly on the right flank and the rear of Lieutenant-General de Korff, who, after that, had no time to draw up for battle or prepare for a combat. The regi ment of Lancers were compelled to disperse, and to fall back upon Karagourt, fighting with the enemy. Six pieces of the Horse Artillery opened fire on the appearance of the enemy; but they had lost the opportune moment kr attack, and they were surrounded and captured. Two other pieces which were not loaded were replaced on their carriages, and carried off at a gallop. Our loss consists of 150 Lancers, one subaltern officer, and the six pieces, with a part of their attendants. MOVEMENTS OF THE ALLIES IN THE CRIMEA. The French still continue to push forward towards Baktchi-Serai. In their advance from Baidar to Albat they appear at one time to have been in i critical position, from which the address of Pelissitr saved them : I mentioned, a few posts ago, that two French divisions and the whole of the Sardinian cavalry had pushed on beyond Balder, with the view of turning the lines of the Belbeck, and securing a position beyond Mangnp•Kaleh, to operate on the rear of the enemy, whilst another force took them in the flank front Eupatoria. From the en. trance of the pass beyond liaidar to the near neighbour hood of the Mangup-Kaleh Fort, which commands the eastern mouth of the Aitodar pass, they met with no numerous body of the enemy; but on reaching the fort, and reconnoitring, they found several strong columns camped along the slopes of the adjacent heights, and, to avoid a collision with these, made a slight detour to the eastward Thence on to the river their line of march was unobstructed, and they crossed at a point a little above Albat, where they now are. They reached this village, however, during the night, and, when the heavy fog cleared away at dawn, discovered that they had almost entered the lines of a very strong encampment of the enemy. The situation was critical; but, with admirable generalship, the French chief made a show of moving forward his advanced columns, as if for attack, and the Russians, sup posing that they only saw the leading division of a much stronger force, packed up whatever light baggage could be seized on the moment, and beat a rapid retreat. Had they discovered the comparative weakness of our allies, the latter might have fared in a way which would have in some degree squarred accounts for the affair at the Tractir-bridge; but by the masterly feint of the French general this mishap was happily averted, and their posi tion secured—Daily News Cur., sth. Still, the difficulties of any successful advance against so strong central a position as the Russians hold are numerous, and not the least is the chance' of their making a dash across the harbour at any favorable opportunity, and establishing themselves once more in the town : The chief difficulty arises from our being obliged to guard the ruins of Sebastopol, in order to prevent the Russians from establishing themselves there once more. We have thus to occupy a long line and to divide our army, which gives the advantage to the Russians of operating in a central position, and of falling with their whole force upon one or other point of our line of operations. To obviate this we must either destroy what is destructible on the south side, and retire behind the lines of liamiesch and Balaklava, which would free at once the greatest part of the army for field operations, or make the south our bases of operations, forcing the plateau from Baktchi•Serai down the north plateau of Sebastopol, leaving only a flying corps, principally of cavalry, to harass the communications of the Rnssians ; or else, as a third alter. native, only take up positions this year which may serve as bases of operations for the next. —Times Cor., 6th. A private but military correspondent of the Daily News is of opinion that the Russian position is too strong to be forced from the front:— Since then we have seen the Times, and most of us could not help smiling at the editor laying down the law' about our taking the field. If good people in England could only find a road for us round to the north side, we should gladly avail ourselves of it; but the hills on the other side of the Tscbernaya are like the cliffs at Dover, and we could not very well manage to climb them, guns, commissariat transport corps, and all. Yesterday evening, after church, I rode to the Sardinian observatory, and had a look through the telescope, which is first rate. 1 had no idea the opposite hills were so steep. I could see the Russians distinctly at their guns, and about their huts, or rather caves. A thousand men could keep an army of fifty thousand at bay for any length of time, for the road up would only admit of eight or ten men going abreast. There is not any passage through the range but by foot paths ; but the hills are like the (Amite of Western Indic, in having tablelands or plateau. There is no way to operate upon the Russians but from Eupatoria, and as the Russians have more than 100,000 men in position it would require a proportionate force to set against them.—Oct. 4th. THE STATE OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY. From the miserable appearance of the deserters who frequently deliver themselves up to our out posts, the Russians do not seem to be well off for clothing or provisions : The pickets bring in some foot-sore, ragged, emaciated; sickly-looking deserter, who tells a sad tale of want and suffering. Is he a Dolon or not? That is the question. The deserters who come in to the Sardinians are sent to