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

946 but stretched dead on the ground. When I satisfied my self that there were none in the Redan but wounded and dying men, I gave the word to my party to retire, who obeyed like soldiers. We then let ourselves down the fifteen feet of a bank that we came up before, and were soon in the ditch and on to the plain, when I gave over the party to the other officer who accompanied me, and made my way back to Sir Colin, whom I found in the ad vanced trench, and to whom I reported what had taken place. He shook me by the hand, and thanked me for the service performed. I then went to the rear and reported my safe arrival to Colonel Hay, who, with the other officers and men, were proud of the news that the Redan was at their command. SURGEONS' WORK AT THE REDAN. An acting assistant-surgeon of the 55th has sent home, in a letter to his father, a vivid account of the duty he had to perform during the assault on the Redan. It may be taken as an example of the trying work which his class had to perform, and of the noble manner—we have no doubt—in which they executed it : SATURDAY, SErr. B.—C awoke me about daylight; tremendously cold morning; had a cup of tea; went round hospital, and then marched off with regiment to parade ground, where we waited a long time, having started too soon. At parade, General Codrington gave a short address, informing us that we were to act as supports to the storm ing party—an important duty which would, he doubted not, be well performed—that we were to occupy the fourth parallel, moving gradually into the fifth, then to enter the Redan, and insure the possession of it to the stormers. So off we marched down the middle ravine. My staff con sisted of Carmodie and two bandsmen, as orderlies, car rying my havresack, rum-barrel, dtc. I marched beside Burke, our adjutant, at the head of the grenadier company. As we went along I gathered that the French were to attack the Malakoff at twelve o'clock, and that their standard, planted on the tower, and the English flag on the Mamelon, were to be our signal of attack upon the Redan. On we went through the ravine to the oft-trod trenches, keeping up a smart fire, to which the Russians replied but seldom. On the left the bombardment was kept up heavily. We jogged along till we got to the fourth parallel, then gradually moved down the approach of the fifth ; now sitting on the breastwork, speaking over the coming event of the day, then moving on a little. Being with the gre nadier or flank company, I was next to the light company of the 30th, and went along talking with its officers— among others Colonel Patullo, who not long after was brought to me mortally wounded, and Sanders, who was also severely wounded. Gradually we reached the end of the approach, where it joins the fifth parallel, and at that corner most of us of the bsth and 30th were talking together with General Warren, all keeping a sharp looa-out at the Malakoff as far as possible amid the rifle-bullets that were flying about from the Redan. We were now on the tiptoe of expectation, for our guns had commenced such a fire as I never before heard—volleys of eight and ten at a time, which, being fired from behind, passed but a few feet over our heads, tearing up the earthworks of the Redan in grand style; the French, too, opened 'a tremendous fire from the Mamelon. At twelve o'clock exactly " There go the French ! " was heard ; in a moment we were all up on the breastwork, thinking nothing of the round-shot and grape that came bounding and whizzingabout us, throwing up earth and stones, smashing gahions and knocking down men. It was a splendid sight to see the French rushing up the steep aide of the Malakoff; we saw it but a few minutes, as all was soon obscured in smoke, but high above we could distinguish the French standard waving over the Malakoff Tower, and it was pleasanter still to see the Russians rushing helter-skelter out from the works down to the Redan. It was sharp work, for at twenty minutes past twelve our signal was up—a white flag—on the Mamelon. Colonel Cuddy saw it first, and rushed off to the head of his men; so we all shook hands and moved down the trench as fast as we could, for our attacking party had passed out of the sap and we saw them rushing on the Redan. Many a fine fellow was cut short in his career across the open by the grape shot, which came in fearful volleys. I kept up with my regiment as well as I could, for the wounded falling around me kept me back. I bound them up and then made a run after the regiment till arrested by others, and so on till 1 got to the end of the sap which led to the open. To go further was useless, already there was such a crowd of wounded around, so I took up my position there—no enviable one, for grape and shot came bounding among us wounding those beside me ; two riflemen fell dead almost on the top of me ; I had plenty to do, and time passed without my knowing how it flew—l was so busy. Cure, our major, was one of the first officers who came to me, a grape-shot breaking his arm ; then Richards, one of our captains, struck on the ancle by grape. He wanted to go back, but I would not let him, nor could he if I had, for he fainted when I had him laid on the breastwork. Officers and men came crowding on, mowed down by the grape from the flanking fire which rushed over and among us, throwing up dust and stones, which dealt us no gentle raps. I was struck twice, once on the back, by, I think, a grape-shot, but I had no time to look, and once on the foot by a rifle-ball, both "smatters," but that was all. I was too busy to observe anything that was going on, so, except the first rush, I saw nothing, I may say, of the attack. While I was hard at work among the wounded, the soldiers arouni cried out, " Doctor, you must get out of the way, they are retreating!" so I looked up and saw our men rushing helter-skelter into and over the open to the trenches in the rear of us. I did not exactly know what to do, so I drew my sword (which, by the way, got very bloody that day, but not with Russian blood), and went on with my dressing till I had finished all about me, and then thought of moving off. I could not leave poor Richards, as we all expected the Russians to be in among us every minute, so there was nothing for it but to put him on my back and carry him, which I did THE PRESS. till I got a stretcher by some means or other, and raised some men of the reserve to carry him home. Then I went down to the trenches again, dressing any wounded I found on the way. While doing so Sanders called out to me from the trenches, into which he had staggered, with the knee-joint of one leg smashed and a bullet through the other. He bore it all splendidly. I dressed his wounds, got a scaling-laider, and sent him " home " too. The Russians did not come out, and when I left the city began to blaze. _ _ _ SErr. 9.—Up at daylight and down with the regiment. I went out with the adjutant to look for Colonel Cuddy's body, which waa found with the arm upraised, as if waving his sword to go into the Itedan. Had a look round there. Stationed in 21• gun battery all day. SErr.lo.—Set to work in hospital at eight o'clock ; got done about five ; had dinner; went round and saw a few wounded officers I knew, and back to hospital again ; my back is by this time pretty sore with stooping; 1 have just been warned to go with the regiment on a bathing and washing expedition to the Tachernays, for fear of accident; start at seven o'clock. GENERAL DE LA MARMORA'S DESPATCH. The Sardinian Minister of War has received a despatch from General de la Marmora, Commander in-Chief of the Sardinian forces, describing the grand attacks on the Bth of September. The Sardinian troops were not called into action on that day, though had the assault on the Central Bastion been persisted in, a brigade of the Sardinians would have participated in the attack. General de la Marmora has only the duty of noticing the confidence with which "the royal troops awaited the order of attack." He expressly ascribes the repulse of the English at the Great Redan to the "difficulty of supporting them by more imposing forces ": Kadixoi, Sept. 11. By a telegraphic despatch of the 9th, I informed your excellency of the striking success obtained on the previous day by the allies against Sebastopol. I now transmit to you the details which I have been able to collect, and Ile facts which came under my own observation. After a for midable bombardment, commenced in the morning of the bth, by all the batteries of attack, and directed sirnulta neously against the Central Bastion, the Flagstaff Battery, the Malakoff Tower, and the Grand Redan, interrupted at intervals, and then resumed with fresh energy, at the rate of a hundred guns a minute, it was decided that the co lumns of attack should be directed in succession against the intrenchments of the enemy. (The despatch here goes into a description of the works and the mode of attack agreed upon, the whole of which have been given at great length iu the report of Marshal l'elissier, and then proceeds.) At noon, the first division, under General M`Mahon, and the corps of General Boequet, which had been suitably arranged in the extreme trenches, opposite Malakoff, left them en masse, and rushed on the enemy's intrenchments, provided with scaling-ladders, bridges, and everything necessary to cross the trenches. The head of the column in an instant had crossed the first ditch, got beyond the first line and the inclosure of the inner redoubt, and then rushed from the top of the parapets into the middle of the work, commencing a hand-to-hand struggle with the defenders, almost before the latter were aware of having been attacked. In less than twenty minutes the whole of the redoubt was carried, notwithstanding the high traverses, which rendered the defence of it easy ; and the flag of the 20th Regiment of the Line already floated in the centre. All the troops of the first division followed into the redoubt after the head of the column, crossing the ditch under a fire of grape from the batteries which the Russians had erected to flank Malakoff. The casemated tower alone held out, defended by about a hundred Rus sians, wto had shut themselves up in it, and annoyed with their fire the French who were masters of the redoubt. The division of General De La Motterouge simultaneously attacked the curtain between Malakoff and the Little Redan, took it, and maintained themselves inside the place, while the division of General Dulac, advancing in front against the Little Redan, was exposed to a terrible fire, and could not advance beyond the ditch, In the Little Redan were collected a large body of Russian troops, supported by nu merous reserves massed in the rear. While things were thus going on on the right, the French occupied and kept the Malakoff Redoubt, notwithstanding the vigorous efforts made by large Russian masses, who, during several hours, returned in vain to the charge to retake it. They were at the same time maintaining a sanguinary struggle at the Little Redan, and the English troops attacked the Great Redan. The English riflemen first quitted their trenches a few minutes after twelve o'clock, threw themselves across the ditch, and boldly gained the parapet, followed by the 23rd and 97th of the light division and by other regiments. These troops having penetrated into the work began a struggle hand to hand. They gained possession of the work and held it for some time, in spite of the desperate efforts of the enemy to drive them back. Ity reason, however, of the difficulty of supporting them by more imposing forces, the courage of these brave soldiers could not stand against so many attacks from overwhelm ing numbers. The English, after remaining masters of the Great Redan for more than an hour, were compelled to abandon it, after suflering a heavy loss both in officers and soldiers. Malakoff being taken, )rders were given about one o'clock to the let corps of General de Salles to com mence the attack on the left. The troops of this corps destined for the assault had been ready in position in the extreme trenches ; the Division Levaillsnt opposite the Central Bastion ; the Brigade Cialdini opposite the Flag staff Battery; and the Division d'Autemarre in reserve. The wind from the north raised such a cloud of dust, and the smoke was so dense, that for a long time the trans mission of signals was impossible. It was only at two o'clock that the capture of Malakoff was cor:firmed, and that it was known that the signal of attack against the SATURDAY, Central Bastion had been given. General de Salles immediately ordered forward the Division Levaillant. The first brigade, under General Trochu i was directed against the salient of the work, and the brigade of Genera Couston against the lunette to the tight. In an instant the heads of these two columns bad crossed the ditch and climbed the slopes of the parapet, exposed for seine minutes to a shower of hand-grenades, which the Russians threw from the top of the parapet, and to the fire of mus ketry from the passages leading to the ditch. General de Salles was accompanied by Major Govone, Captain Prole, and Lieutenants Galli and lialbo ; the three first were slightly wounded. To the cry of " Viva l'Empereur!" raised by General de Salles and repeated by the troops. the heads of the columns threw themselves resolutely into the interior of the work, driving back the Russians as the point of the bayonet. The rest of the two columns, the 42nd and 46th Regiments, and the 9th battalion of Chasseurs followed and kept up a sanguinary struggle with the enemy. These troops maintained their ground for a quarter of an hour in the inside of the Central Bas tion, and then meeting with fresh obstacles and fresh columns threatening them on their flank, a movement of hesitation manifested itself. The firmness of Generals de Salles, Rivet, Lebceuf, and Dulesme, and the other officers in immediate command of the troops, restored confidence. The troops again rushed forward. They re. entered the work in spite of a tremendous fire of grape, which ploughed up the ground in every direction. A Rus- sian battery of fifteen guns was spiked by the French artillerymen inside the Central Bastion, and if the ground had offered more facilities for the movement of the re serves and reinforcements, these troops would, perhaps. have been able to maintain themselves in the conquered bastion. Being, however, much inferior in number to the enemy, and decimated by the terrible fire of grape which the Russians kept pouring against the front and the flank of the columns, these troops were compelled after three hours to return to their trenches. They had, in this short space of time, lost General Rivet, the chief of the staff of the Ist corps General Breton, both killed, and Generals. Trochu and Couston, wounded on the enemy's parapet at the head of their troops, and a great number of superior and other officers. The French batteries then reupenei their fire against the Russian works, but about half past four the fire had ceased on all the left attack. The Late hour would not allow the assault to be renewed with fresh troops. The order for the attack of the Flagstaff Bastion which bad been confided to a brigade of our troops tinder General Cialdini, was then withdrawn, as it had become impossible. I avail myself of this opportunity to point out to your excellency the confidence with which the royal troops awaited the order of attack. The taking of the Malakoff, which was the essential object of the general in chief, was obtained, and produced the most complete result. The Russians employed the whole night in pre paring the destruction of the town and their retreat by the bridge which they had lately erected. (The report con cludes with an account of the firing of the town and the blowing up of the forts, full details of which have already appeared in the despatches of Marshal I'elissier, and fol lowed by a list of five Sardinian officers wounded in the trenches on the Bth, and four soldiers killed and thirty-one wounded. ALPHONSE DE LA MAD.MORA. RUSSIAN MANIFESTOES. Two remarkable documents from the Russian Government have been published this week; the one a rescript of the Emperor to Count Zakrew►ky, Military Governor of Moscow, the other, an cadre du jour of General Piince Gortschakott to the Russian army in the field : MANIFESTO OF THE EMPEROR. Moscow, Sept. 20th.. Count Arsine Andrelevitch,—Since my accession to.the throne of my ancestors it has been my lively desire to visit my ancient capital, that loyal and beloved residence, where I was born and where I received baptism under the pxotec tion of the relics of the blessed Alexis, the thauxuaturgus of Moscow. Having to day satisfied that desire, I have witnessed. with the greatest satisfaction the cordial and sincere em presaement which the inhabitants of Moscow have shown. ini their reception of myself and all my family, a traditional welcome which Russia has always given to her Sovereigns. I charge you to express my sincere gratitude to all elitsses• of the population of Moscow, and to assure them of my good will. My happiness would have been complete if recent events had not dimmed the satisfaction of these% sweet moments. My order of the day to the Russian armies has already made public that after an unexampled siege of eleven months the garrison of Sebastopol, after having given unheard of proofs of courage and selftlenial, and having: successfully repulsed six desperate assaults, has crossed over to the north side of the town, only leaving " blood stained ruins "to the enemy. The garrison of Sebastopol , has done all that man could do. I accept past and present events as the impenetrable decrees of Providence, which has given a year of sad trials to Russia. But Russia has supported still greater trials, and the Lord, in His great mercy, her his tacit support. Let us, therefore, now also place . our trust in Him. lies always given. He will defend orthodox Russia, who has taken up arms for a just cause—for the cause of Christianity. It is a. great satisfaction to me to sec the unceasing proofs which all men are giving in their readiness to sacrifice their pro perty, their families, and even the last drop of their bloody for the maintenance of the integrity of the empire and for the national honour. It is in the manifestation of these sentiments of the nation and in these acts that I derive strength and con solation, and, uniting myself inseparably with my heart to my heroic and faithful people, 1 repeat, putting my trust•