The Press. — London, England, 1855-07-14 00:00:00

660 SIEGE CHRONICLE. Further correspondence from the camp has been received and published by our daily contemporaries. The latest dates are of the 30th ult. The following are extracts from letters printed by the Daily News: — JUNE 24.—1 have already mentioned the fact of General Eyre having penetrated into some houses in the suburbs, in the neighbourhood of the cemeteries, ou the day of our unsuccessful attempt at storming, and also that he suc ceeded in effecting his withdrawal during the fray of the following night. As these cemeteries afforded advanta geous covering•ground for riflemen who could play with effect upon the enemy's gunners in the Redan, a party was lett to occupy them; but it was soon evident that our op ponents were not consenting parties to the arrangement, for without delay they turned what pieces could be brought to bear against the position, and peppered its occupants with grape and canister in a way that left little option about retiring. Findiug, therefore, that the place would cost more lives than it was worth, we abandoned it yester day morning, and the enemy now appear to be preparing it for effective occupation themselves. It cannot, how ever, be made seriously annoying to us, and no one, there fore, regrets its abandonment. On the other hand, our own engineers are making a new battery. During our late attack on the Redan we suffered sadly from a small six-gun battery on the immediate right of that work, to wards the Malakoff, as it kept up an uninterrupted storm of grape upon our men, without being at all effectively commanded by any of our own guns. We have, therefore, begun the erection of a six (or eight) gun battery slightly ahead of our old advance opposite the Redan, which will be able to give back a direct fire to this small work at an effective range of seven hundred yards, and also to bear upon the left flank of the Malakoff, at the distance of some fifty yards more. As this new work is being vigorously pushed on, its guns will probably be ready to open in eight or ten days, when the sap which the French are busily carrying towards the Malakoff will also be com pleted. Till these two works are finished, I am not likely to have anything further of a decisive nature to communi eats. But there is reason to fear that whatever additions we may in the meanwhile make to our points of assault, the besieged are quite as vigorously strengthening their lines of defence. The night before last, lam informed, • party of our engineers succeeded in approaching the mouth of the harbour sufficiently near, in the Banshee, to enable them to discover a star battery in the course of erection, in the immediate rear of the Malakoff—an addition to the strength of that position which I need hardly say would greatly enhance the difficulty of its capture. There is reason to believe that similar strengthening additions are also in progress behind the Redan ; but these are less im portant, as it is not likely that that work will again be made a principal point of attack, its abandonment follow as a matter of course on the seizure of the Malakoff. Against the latter the next combined efforts of the allies will be directed ; and they will merit defeat if, after the experience of the last attempt, less uncertain measures of attack be not adopted. General Pennefather left by the Colombo to-day for England. His constitution is said to have suffered con siderably from the effects of the campaign. His loss will be felt very much in the brigade. which he has commanded with the utmost satisfaction on all sides since the first landing of the army in the Crimea. General Esteourt died early this morning, to the great regret of a numerous circle of friends, of cholera. lie was attacked with the disease on the tind instant, but had been ill for some days previously. His successor has not been named. Juiva 25.—About nine last night the camp was visited by a tremendous storm of lightning. The flashes were so vivid and continuous that for minutes together the camp was exposed to view as clearly as in full moonlight. Scarcely a drop of rain was perceived in front, but near lialliklava it fell in torrents, and caused considerable damage to the railway and several stores. The railway chiefly marred near Kadikoi, and several days must elapse before the injury can be repaired. The bombardment, and what followed it, appear to have given both besiegers and besieged their temporary quietus; for since the outgoing of the last mail the guns of both parties have beeu virtually silent, an odd shot or shell thrown at wide intervals from the ilsmelon into its vis-a-min the Malakoff, or from one of our own batteries into the Realm, uud replied to quite as energetically by the enemy, having, in fact, made up the sum of our fight. ing operations since I last wrote. In such a state of in action there is little to communicate in the way of news, since a slack fire from the batteries by day, and a dearth of nightly episodes in the trenches, generally go together; end, the bright moonlight being unfavorable to sorties, the garrison seems to be content with laying on its arms, so flir as fighting goes, as long as we do the same. JUNIC 26.—A bright, warm morning. The wind subsided towards evening, and the night was quiet. There was scarcely any firing on either side, and the working parties pursued their labour without interruption. The correspondent of the Morning Post writes, on the 20th : A few fatal cases of cholera still happen among the troops—twelve to fourteen daily. The heavy shower did wonderful good in cooling the 4rround. The springs and wells on the heights, near the divisions, are assuming an alarming appearance, aild should the dry weather continue, will in a few days be dry, or at least insufficient for the conbumption. Lieut. Elphinstone, Royal Engineers, has the superintendence ; he suggests to dig wells near each regiment where water is likely to be procured, and also to force water by pumps from the Tscherrtr. a through pipes, and that the horses should all water at the Tschernaya. Something must soon be done. An establishment of guides has been raised at head quarters, under the direvtion of Df r, Calvert, the interFe; THE PRESS. tar of Russian, consisting of one head man at 2s. 6d. a day and eight privates at Is. 6d. a day, all with free rations and a horse for each man. The Commissary-General has been relieved of another responsibility—that of taking charge and issuing Quartermaster-General's stores. This has been transferred to the Ordnance Department, but is at present under Captain Gordon, superintendent for the col lection of warm clothing and stores. JUNE 27.—The state of health of Field-Marshal Lord Raglan is becoming the source of much anxiety. It has been generally known in camp for some days past that the commander-in-chief was incapacitated from performing his arduous duties by an attack of illness, but it was re ported that none of the symptoms were of a serious cha racter. The death of Major-General Estconrt is said to have affected him very deeply, and to have added to the previously-existing physical depression. The chief of the staff, Lieutenant-General Simpson, being next in seniority, is performing the duties of the command•in-chief during the illness of Lord Raglan. Our allies have greatly added to the extent of the trenches on the right of the Mamelon. There is now a perfect labyrinth of covered ways and approaches on this side. They have carried them forward considerably in advance of the old Russian approach which was made to connect the Kamptschatka Redoubt on the one side with the Selinghinsk Redoubt on the other side of the Careen ing Bay ravine. This approach was carried nearly in a straight line down the Mamelon-hill, across the compara tively flat ground between it and the Careening Bay ravine, across the ravine itself, and up the steep ascent to the re doubt on Mount Sapone. The French have established another parallel beyond this, so far as regards the ground on the west side of the ravine, and have thus gained a considerable advance on that side towards the Careening port and the great roadstead. In the most forward part of this advanced parallel, a powerful battery, spoken of as the Marine Battery, has been constructed. The guns of this work control, in a great degree, the position formerly occu pied by the vessels near Careening Ilay, and would, in all probability, prevent a recurrence of the fire which the ships were previously able to direct against onr allies in their movements on the right flank of the Mamelon Vert, and whieb told with fatal effect as their columns advanced on that side in the attack against the Malakoff works. Our allies are also very actively employed in the works on the east side of the Careening ravine. Large working parties are nightly engaged in changing the aspect of the batteries, and adding to the armament of the redoubt near est to the ravine, which, when in the possession of the enemp, was called the Selinghinsk Redoubt. In the day time the troops contrive to strengthen the parapets thrown np at night. It is said that two monster twenty-one-inch mortars have arrived for our allies, each requiring a fabulous amount of powder to project a shell so enor mously heavy that it has to be lifted into the gun by a me chanical contrivance, and that these mortars are to be brought up to Mount Sapone, to be used against the large ships in the roadstead. The Russian line-of-battle ships and other vessels are still moored in that part of the roadstead which is inclosed between a line drawn nearly northwards from the west side of the south harbour, and another imaginary line commencing half way between Fort Paul and Careening Bay, and finishing on the opposite side, in Hollandia Bay. The limit on the west side of the south harbour is not an imaginary one, however; it is formed by the line of sunken vessels, or whatever may be the nature of the ob struction, stretching from before Fort Nicholas towards Sievernais. Any attacking ships would have to force through this obstruction to get into Artillery Bay. The fire in the batteries has been slack all day. The popping of musketry, which ceased for a short time after the Mamelon Redoubt was captured, is now again heard, especially at night, in the advanced trenches. JUNE 28.—Tbe reply made to inquiries is, that Lord Raglan has passed a quiet night, and is better this morning. He remains, however, in a very weak state. There was very heavy rain during the night, and the morning continues overcast and clouded. Showers fall frequently. No further attempt has been made at sapping up to wards the Redan. The flanking fire of the enemy's works, and the stony nature of the remaining part of the Redan hill, prevent such an operation, which must of necessity be very slow and laborious, from being undertaken at present. News has been received in the camp that Omer Pacha has returned with his troops from the reconnaissance to ward Mackenzie's Farm, as well as the Sardinians, and that the enemy was found to be strongly intrenched ; and his position defended on all sides by powerful batteries. The part of the 10th Hussars which accompanied the ez peditiun has also rejoined their headquarters. Captain Charles Bowles, who commanded a troop, fell a victim to cholera during this brief absence of the regiment. Notwithstanding the favorable replies respecting the state of Lord Raglan's health this morning, in the course of the afternoon it was whispered in camp that the Field- Marshal was in a very precarious state. At a still later hour of the evening it was said that all hope of recovery was aban doned, and between nine and ten o'clock at night the in• telligence of his lamented decease was quickly dispersed among the various camps. It appears that towards noon a very unfavorable change took place, the debility increased in a marked manner, and there was a fainting fit in the afternoon, and from this time his lordship gradually sank until he expired about nine o'clock. He retained his faculties and self-possession nntil a short period prior to his decease. As may be imagined, this important event has absorbed all other thoughts ; it has act yet left room for the discussion even of its probable influence on the great enterprise in which the army is engaged, over which the late commander of the trees presided. The unsuccessful attack of the 18th of June, which there is little donbt was one of the remote, if not one of the plSief t causes, which lad to tl:e fatal illness of boll itag SATURDAY, lan, was referred to in the general orders of this day's date in the following terms : GENERAL ORDER. Head-quarters before Sebastopol, June 2s. The Field-Marshal has the satisfaction of publishing to the army the following extract of a telegraphic despatch from. Lord Panmure, dated the 2tnd of June: " I have her Majesty's commands to express her grief that so much bravery should not have been rewarded with merited suc cess; and to assure her brave troops that her Majesty's con fidence hi them is entire." Rare 29.—The great event of last evening was announced at an early hour this morning to the army generally, in the following terms MORNING GIONRUAL ORDIR. Head-quarters before Sebastopol, 29th June. It becomes my painful duty to announce to the army the decease of its beloved commander, Field• Marshal Lord Raglan, 0.C.8., which melancholy event took plaee last night about nine o'clock. lu the absence of Lieut.• General Sir George Brown, the com mand of the forces devolves on me, being the next senior dikes present, until further orders firm England. Generals of division anti heads of departments will be pleased to conduct the respective duties as heretofore. (Signed) JAMEFI BtErsoN, Lieutenant• Genera/. Sir George Brown leaves the Crimea for a time on ac count of ill•health ; but it is reported that he will not pro bably prolong his absence longer than is necessary for a voyage to Malta. Although still weak, it is hoped that the benefit of the sea•air will shortly recruit his strength, and it is not probable that one so interested In the success of the campaign as the lieutenant•general would omit to seize the first oportunity of restored health to return to the seene of operations. Major• General Codrington is also on board ship, but is reported to have improved so much 111 health that he will not require to leave. The number of general officers doing duty in the field at present is limited indeed. The light division and second division are with- out any general officer, and the first, third, and fourth divisions can only muster five general officers of all ranks among them. The 13th, Prince Albert's Regiment of Light Infantry, arrived to-day from Gibraltar. JUNE 30.—The death of Lord Raglan has thrown other occurrences in the shade. It made, perhaps, the deeper impression from following so shortly after the death of the Adjutant-General, Major-General Estcourt, and from being associated with the fact of the illness of the second in command, Sir George Brown, and the absence of so many of the general officers from the same cause. It has often been a matter of surprise that Lord Raglan preserved his health so well as be did. For a long time he passed so many hours of each day at the desk, scarcely ever taking exercise in the open air, and denying himself the ordinary proportionate amount of sleep, that it was feared his con stitution would break under the effcrt. Ile remained in good health, however, while that of so many thus around him failed. For several months past he has taken almost daily exercise on horseback, and the opportunities have been frequent of observing how favorable an aspect the commander-in•chief still wore. The opinion holds ground very generally that the ill-success of the combined attack against the enemy's works on the 18th of June was one of the causes which led to the illness under which be sank. The character of Lord Raglan as a commander and strategist cannot be duly estimated yet. Even his amount of responsibility in the recent unfavorable assault is esti mated very differently in various quarters; and in this, as in so many other occurrences in the coarse of the :am paign, how notch of the event has been owing to divided authority " is now known little more than by rumour and surmise. History alone can unravel the true nature and relations of these matters. As to the qualities of Lord Raglan in private and social life, one expression of feeling alone exists : he was amiable and kindhearted almost to a fault, and his bearing and manners afforded a perfect specimen of the English gentleman. The enemy kept up a very active fire in the supposed direction of our working parties last night. A limited number of shells were thrown from our batteries, chiefly against the Malakoff and Redan. There had been rumours of an attack on our lines being contemplated by the enemy, but no demonstration nor advance took place. The anticipation of nn attack was most probably due to a stls pieion that intelligence of the decease of Lord Raglan, and the absence of many of our generals, would be carried to the enemy's camp, and that he might hope to gain an ad vantage by a surprise under these circumstances. THE BALTIC FLEET. From Dantzic we learn, under date of the 12th, that Admiral Baynes's squadron had left Nargen to join Admiral Dundas off Cronstadt. The fleet was healthy, but there was no news. Admiral Seymour, who was much injured by the accidental explosion of one of the "infernal ma chines," is progressing favorably; Captain Louis, JIM., has been removed to the hospital-ship; and Flag-Lieutenant Pearce is so far recovered as to be able to resume his duties. Fifteen more machines have been found, making in all a total of sixty-one discovered during the lest fortnight. Two deserters, who came on board the Exmouth, stated that 200 of these exploders had been laid down by the Russians on the south side of Cronstadt, and that they were so arranged that ten should explode at the same moment. A despatch from St. Petersburg of the 6th inst., states that the British ships bombarded Krasnaja Gorka on the forenoon of the 3i'd inst., for five hours. They destroyed the telegraph-station and barracks,