The Press. — London, England, 1855-10-06 00:00:00

Otrrottn 6, 1855. The Itusgians do net take much notice of the rrench shells, but continue to work steadily at their earthworks :-- Three or four times in the day Fort Constantine gives a 'alien reply to the allies, sad the twelve•gun battery at Inkerwaun throws an odd shot at the French battery of the Malakoff. The Russians, however, look as if they intended to work steadily at their earthworks, and some llne day, no, doubt, they will open with a roar of cannon in their old style, all along the waterside from Fort Constantine to Inkermann.—/b. THE SIEGE BATTERIES AND TRAIN. Our batteries are being rapidly dismantled, and the trenches now present a most dreary aspect : The dismantling of the batteries is nearly completed, nearly all the guns having been brought np and deposited temporarily at the station of the railway adjoining head quarters for conveyance to Ilalaklava. The French have done similarly, so that a walk through the line of siege works—lately so rife with destructive activity—is now the dreariest thing imaginable ; trench guards, artillerists, and guns have all disappeared, and you now tread your rough and lonely way amid the debris of fallen gabions, battered fascines, empty ammunition•boxes, and disabled cannon. — Daily News Cor. Sept. 21st. The rutnour that the men of the siege train were to be turned over to the Land Transport Corps as drivers had created great dissatisfaction among both men and officers. After their arduous and hazardous labours for nearly twelve months they naturally look forward for some little rest:— The first report, that they were to be sent to the Medi terranean till spring, was hailed with great;satisfaction by all ranks ; but this second rumour, coming hard on the heels of the other, has given rise to most reasonable and very general grumbles from commanding officer to private; for though the officers would of course be exempted from any share in this unmilitary employment, they feel the degra dation and injustice which will be involved if it be entailed on their men.—lb. SIGNS OF BREAKING WEATHER. The weather was evidently verging on changes. The Times correspondent, writing on the 19th, re marks : It began to rain to-day soon after twelve o'clock, and the camp speedily looked as gloomy, black, and wretched as was its wont during the winter. The wind always ac companies these heavy falls of rain in the Crimea, with rare exceptions, and so it blew to-day furiously. The ground was rapidly turned into the well-known Sebastopol paste, famous for its adhesive properties, never to be shaken or rubbed off by any amount of scrubbing ; wash ing is the only operation to which it succumbs. Every one who is obliged to walk forth is hobbling about on two lumps of earth, with large lateral extensions, which form under his feet, fasten to his shoes, and increase at every step. Now, it is quite impossible for field-pieces to be moved under these circumstances, nor, indeed, would it be at all easy to handle cavalry, nor could infantry make any great progress in marching. Even after all their repair, the state of the roads from the camp to Balaklava was far from sound:— A light cart drawn by a stout horse, which had only to carry two empty portmanteaus and a cask of bottled beer, could not get up from Balaklava to-day. This fact shows the necessity of making new roads and the imperfections of those which already exist, or are believed to exist, till a heavy shower destroys all traces of them, and metamor. phoses them into a sort of sewer-course in the Thames at low water. The French military road made for us by Vinois' Brigade from Kadikni, past the cavalry camp up to the Col, is in tolerably good order, and has been repaired by the Croats, Eupatorians, dtc., bat it still requires to be enlarged and much improved before it can meet the exigen• cies of our winter traffic. A large number of soldiers, not less, I should think, than 1,500 in all, have been detached to make new roads and repair old ones in conjunctibti with the Army Works Corps.—lb. PREPARATIONS FOR THE EVACUATION OF SEBASTOPOL BY THE ALLIES. On the important question whether the allies con template holding Sebastopol or quitting it as soon as their operations against the Russian army are brought to a close we do not find any decisive intelli gence in the letters from the Crimea. The Times correspondent, under date of leptember 18th, says that preparations were made for destroying the dockyards : Our sappers and miners are at work sinking great mines to blow in and destroy the unrivalled docks, which have cost Russia so much anxiety, money, and bloodshed, and, if it were not that they were intended to be, and have been, accessory to violence and slaughter, one would regret such splendid memorials of human skill should be shattered to atoms; but the fleet of Sinope sailed thence, and were repaired there on its return, and they were built, not to foster peace and commerce, but to smite and destroy them. These preparations are made under the e)es of the enemy, who have made no attempt to disturb the working parties by firing from the north side, although their guns have the range of the place at tolerable eleva tions. The Daily News correspondent, under same date, speaks of such preparations as reported : Report affirms that our engineers are alteady preparing to blow up the whole of the beautiful dry docks and other buildings belonging to the Arsenal, now in our occupation; but beyond this rumour I know nothing of the intention or the probability of ita execution. THE PRESS. If Seba.stopol is to be held as a "material guaran tee," it is very unlikely that these fine works would he destroyed, and, on the whole, it seems probable that the writers above were misinformed, or that the preparations spoken of were made by the allied coin manders in ignorance of the decision which might be taken by their Governments at home. ANNIVERSARY OF THE ALMA. This anniversary was kept up in the camp with great spirit. The French celebrated the day by a grand religious ceremony in the morning, and fetes at night. The officers of our Guards had a grand dinner, and throughout the army the day was honoured with enthusiasm This great anniversary was celebrated enthusiastically throughout the army. There were many "Alma dinners' among the regiments, both ogficers and men, and music and song kept the camp awake till long after midnight.. Many a memory of the dead was revived, many an old wound reopened, at these festive meetings. The French also had their banquets and festivities. They had a grand ceremony early in the morning—a Missa Solermis for the repose of the dead. Indeed, they have had some splendid spectacles lately, but one never hears of them in this vast camp till his attention is aroused by the echoes of the 101 guns with which they are brought to a close.—Times Cor. Sept. '2l. HONOURS OF THE ALLIED COMMANDERS. Marshal Pelissier is stated to be very proud of the G.C.B. conferred upon him by her Majesty, and it is asserted that the Marshal has on several occasions signed himself "Pelissier, G.C.8." A camp anec dote is that when he saw the tricolour planted on the Redan he exclaimed—" voila mon baton." General Simpson has also received from the Em peror of the french the rare distinction of the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour. RUSSIAN IDEAS AS TO PEACE. The feeling of the Russian army on the subject of peace was strongly expressed on occasion of the flag of truce for the removal of the Russian wounded : A Russian naval officer, who was superintending the re moval of the wounded from the Kirahelnia to the north side on the 10th instant, was addressed by an English officer, after a slight conversation between them in the French language, with the remark—" Well, I hope now we may look forward to a cessation of hostilities between us." "What! with that behind us (said the Russian, pointing to the burning city) ; no, depend upon it, peace is further off than ever." This may be taken as a sample of the feeling of the Russian officers on this subject, for it was evidently said in earnest.—Daily News Cor., 17th Sept. The Russian officer is stated by a correspondent of the Morning Post to have been the gallant captain of the Vladimir. THE COUNTERSCARP OF THE REDAN. Among the heroes of the Bth must be ranked young Lieutenant Massy of the 19th. He is only sixteen years of age, and he led the Grenadiers of his regiment into action. At the assault on the Bth nothing could exceed his dashing bravery. In a letter from the Crimea, the following account is given of his spirited courage and bravely-borne sufferings : He went on in front of his men, got across the bridge, and climbed to the parapet on the opposite side. Here his progress was impeded by the men of different regi ments, who were crowded together, vainly endeavouring to effect an entrance into the work. The men tell thickly around him, but he escaped. He was one of the very last who retired. On his return, as he was mounting the counteraearp, and just at the edge of the natural glacis of the hill, some soldier caught hold of his leg to assist him self in mounting up. At that moment a rifle ball struck young Massy in the left thigh. The bone was broken near the hip joint, and he was unable to extricate himself from his dangerous position. He crawled on a few yards and there remained. Now came a fearful trial. The Russians were showing themselves thickly on the parapets of the Haan, firing at our men who were retiring, and, in turn, our troops were firing up at the Redan from the first parallel of the works of the right attack. The shot flew like hail around him. Then came the round-shot and shell directed against the enemy in the Redan, but many of which struck short and cut up the ground where the wounded were lying between the abattis and the ditch. Every bhot which struck the parapet of the Redan sent back a shower of dust and stones over the nearest wounded. Some of our men, lying thus dreadfully ex posed, even asked the Russians to take them into the work, by appealing to them, "Johnny, Johnny.' In several instances the Russians slipped out, in spite of the fire, and carried some of the wounded in, and placed them tinder shelter. Young Massy, however, kept himself quiet, and continued near to the spot where he had fallen. He felt as if his life must be lost, and yet at the same time hope was kept up by an opposite feeling that he might be spared to escape. At last, when the fire had in a great degree subsided, and the afternoon was advancing, a Russian soldier in his charac teristic long grey coat came to him. He opened his coatee to find if he had any valuables there, then sought for a watch or other things, but handled him so gently that Massy felt no fear respecting the man taking his life. At last he left him, taking his sword and havrestick. This was the only Russian who came to him ; others were around collecting the Minie rifles and anything else they • thought worth taking away. Mossy saw no barbarity or 945 ill-treatment now; previously, while the fighting was going on, many of the wounded were bayoneted by the enemy. Some time elapsed, the firing had ceased all around, even ing was advancing, when suddenly without any warning the ground shook and there was a terrific noise from an explosion. It was one of the magazines in the Redan which the Russians had fired. Down came a shower of dust and gravel, and, as ill-fortune would have it, there fell also a large stone and struck poor Massy on the right thigh, the one which was not previously wounded. It inflicted a very severe br►ise. Soon afterwards he per ceived in the dusk some twelve or fifteen men coming cautiously up towards the Redan. They were not very far distant when he first perceived them, but what amazed him was, that they were not this was, or what the suspected that the Men were not observed from 1 Redan, and he lost sight they came back again„ to one of our Highland not remain longer, for magazine of the Redan within the work, the pro . bability theft would have been edge of the ditch, was fragments which were time received no hurt. tention of one of the was carried in a loose his wound was examin, was sent up on a stretcher favorably, but his wound THE REDAN ON THE NIGHT OF THE BTH OF SEPTEMBER. A letter from an officer of the Highland Brigade is published in the North British Daily Mail, giving an account of his discovery on the night of the Nth that the Medan was evacuated by the Rnssians. After noticing the events of the day, he proceeds : I may mention that the French took the Malakoff about one o'clock, and when the Russian troops escaped from the Malakoff they retired into the Redan, overpowering our people, who had to leave the place, the Russians killing every one they could, and causing the others to leave, being unable to hold it. Things remained in this position till about eleven o'clock at night, when they began blowing up some magazines and forts behind the Redan, in the suburbs of the town. I stood looking while they sent two or three batteries in the air, until I felt cold and very uncomfortable. By way of giving myself a heat and some amusement, I walked along the advanced trench until I came to a new work lately erected. Being curious to know what was doing in our front, I marched up this trench for the first time. I had not gone over twenty yards when I stumbled in the dark over three or four dead men, through whom I made my way as 1 best oould, till I was called to by a man of the 19th, who asked me who I was. When I made answer, he requested me to have him removed, as he said he had only a broken arm. I answered that I would do what 1 oould for him. We had not done talking when I was called to by about ten or twelve men at once to get them assistance, as they could not get any one to pay any attention to their requests. When I passed along the trench to the far end, I heard a poor fellow say, " Here's& kilty officer, he will get us taken out of this." Listening to such remarks as " 'fake us out of this for the love of Clod, as there is nothing the matter with us but broken legs and broken arms, and we will pray far you while we live," I passed on, promising to attend to them as soon as I returned. I then left the trench, and went on to the plain open field between the Widen and our trenches, where our poor soldiers were lying as thick as you see the men on board ship, when they used to lie on the deck. 1 examined the way to the Redan until 1 was satisfied that 1 could make my way into it. I then faced about, and directed my steps to the general in command of the trenches, to whom I reported the state of the wounded. He ordered the two regiments in front to have them removed ; and I was turning to leave the general of the trenches (Cameron), when I met Sir Colin Campbell, the General of the Highland Division, to whom 1 made known the miseries of the wounded men of the divisiot.s that attacked ; 1 also made mention of what 1 thought of the renowned Redan, and my inspection of the wig up to it, asking permission to go up and examine it properly. The leave was granted, with au order to take ten men with me, if I could get ten to volunteer for the service. I proceeded to where the light company of the 93rd were, when I made offer of such a proposal as volunteers for the Redan for the purpose of going into it to inspect it, and 1 am proud to say I had my party made up in about a minute, with as many more if I would take them. I dressed them to my own taste, so as to get close up to the barrier and ditch before we could be noticed. This done, we marched off, many doubting if ever any of us would return, as a whole division and a brigade were repulsed in the same place during the day. When we passed along the advanced trench on to the open, we lay down for a little to see if all was quiet. We then moved on in company with a party of the 72nd, for whom I had to go back a second time before I could find them to go on. When all got to the open, we started to our feet, and soon made our way into the ditch; but, to our horror, when we came to the bottom we found our own poor fellows in heaps above one another. We sprang across to the other side of the ditch over wounded, dying, and dead, scrambling - I went in at an pounder gun gun, traverses, from our shot, tenor confu here the breast t fired at. He could not divine why Russians were about; and at last n must be Russians themselves who n our trenches. They went into the tht of them, but alter a short time and he discovered them to belong nd regiments. Fortunately they did r shortly after their return another lan was blown up. Had they been probability is that the greater part of destroyed. Massy, as he lay at the again covered by the dirt and loose e thrown up into the air, but this . Subsequently he attracted the at. Highlanders, and after p short time grest-coat to the trenches. There [fled by an assistant•aurgeon, and he tretcher to camp. He is going on nd is of a very dangerous character. 3 1.4) LUe MUM Ditac va auv •••••••• • - dead, scrambling up the parapet like as many cats. it in at an opening where there was a sixtreight• der gun pointing out. I ran to examine about the traverses, pits dug by them for concealing their mew our shot, shell, ikc., and this done I examined the in- • of the Redan, where there was nothing but horrid tairm—Russians and British mixed all together, with and there a British soldier grasping the Russian by resat of the coat, with the hold still A rm in his hand, • / I