The Press. — London, England, 1855-09-29 00:00:00

%%4 littack was the tower or mamelon of Malakoff, and that this opinion having been adopted by General Canrobert, those attacks of the right were undertaken, which were ex ecut NI by the second corps. From the side of the town we had been content to extend towards the left the ap proaches executed by the first corps. Taking things at the point where they stood when the assault was resolved on, there was no doubt that the possession of the Malakoff fort would lead to a decisive result ; and, on the other hand, it was to be presumed that if a failure took place on this point, success obtained elsewhere could not lead to great rerults. However, it was not proper to attack a place so extended upon one single point. It was necessary to obtain that division of the enemy's forces which resulted from the great development of the enceint that he had to defend, and especially to make him uneasy about the town to which the bridge led wherebyhe might make his retreat. It was to satisfy these various considerations, it was to insure success, while economising as much as possible the blood of our soldiers in the terrible struggle then pre paring, that the general-in-chief decided that the assault should first be made on the front of the Malakoff; that if this attack, which would be made under his personal in• spection, should succeed, then at his signal the English should attack the Redan and the first portion of the town, so as to prevent the enemy's concentrating all his efforts against the troops that should have already taken possession of the Malakoff Fort. The front of the Malakoff was to be attacked by three. columns : the one on the left, commanded by General De M'Mation, moving in a straight line on the Malakoff Fort. by the front that faced us, and in turning it slightly on the right hand, had for its task the taking and keeping of it, cost what it might; the right column, Dulac's division, was to march against the Redan of the Careening Bay, to occupy it, and detach a brigade on its left, in order to turn the second inclosure ; lastly, the central column, being the division of La Motterouge, issuing from the sixth parallel, having a longer extent of ground to pass over, and arriving a little later, was to carry the curtain, to proceed then against the second inclosure, and send one of its brigades to the assistance of the first column, if this latter should have not yet gained possession of the Malakoff Fort. Such was the importance of these positions that we could not doubt that the enemy, if he lost them, would make great efforts to retake them. In consequence, the troops of the Imperial Guard were given as a reserve to the second corps. The chief of the Engineer Battalion flagon, having under his orders several brigades of Rappers, marching with the first column, had to throw bridges across the ditches, see after the mines, open everywhere a passage to the columns, and as soon as these should be masters of the fort, to close it at the gorge ; and, in order to oppose any rallying attack in return, to open in the rear large passages for the arrival of the troops and the artillery. The chief of the Engineer Battalion Renoux, attached to the right column, and Captain Schoennagel, attached to the central column, having also brigades of suppers under their orders, had to fulfil an analagous mission. All the arrangements concerning the duty of the en gineers in the attacks to be made on the Malakoff had been made by the General of Brigade Frossard, com manding the engineers of the second ccrps. In attacking the town, in order to avoid the obstacles accumulated by the enemy at the salient of the flag staff Bastion, it had been decided that the principal assault should be given at the Central Bastion, between its salient and the lunette on the left ; that the assaulting column, as soon as it should be established within the Central Bastion, should detach a part of its forces to wards the gorge of the Flagstaff Battery, whose right face should then be assailed by a Sardinian brigade, which had come to take part in the operations of the first corps. General Deleeuw, commanding the engineers of the first corps, had made arrangements for attacking the town similar to those which I have just explained 'with reference to the attacks of the Karabelnia faubourg. On the Nth of September, at eight o'clock in the morning, we threw on the Central Bastion two mines of projection, each charged with one hundred kilogrammes of powder. The explosion took place near the middle of the bastion, and appeared to cause great disorder. At the same hour we exploded, in front of our approaches to the •Malakoff Fort, three mining chambers, charged in all with 1,500 kilogrammes of powder, in order to destroy the lower galleries of the Russian miners, and to give security to our soldiers, who had to crowd within the trenches under which deserters announced that the soil was mined. At noon precisely our soldiers rushed from the ad vanced places d'ar'nel in front of the Malakoff. They crossed the ditches with surprising agility, and, jumping on the parapets, attacked the enemy to the cry of " Vive l'Empereur !" At the Malakoff Fort, the interior slope baying a great height, those who arrived first halted an in stant to form. Then they mounted on the parapet and jumped into the work. The combat, which had commenced with discharges of firearms, was carried on with the bayonet, with stones, and with butt-ends of muskets. The rammers became weapons in the hands of the Russian gunners, but every where the Russians were killed, taken prisoners, or made to fly; and in less than a quarter of ao hour after the attack 'had taken place the French flag waved on the conquered ;,:doubt. The Careenage Redan had also been carried after n very hot struggle. The centre column had advanced as far as the second enceint. Everywhere we had taken possession of the works attacked. The general-itechief gave the con certed signal for the attack of the Great Redau, and soon after for the attack of the town. The English had 2(t) metres of ground to go over under a terrible fire of grape. This space was presently covered with dead, but these losses could not stop the march of the attacking column, *Ma advanced to the capital of the wort. It descended THE PRESS. into the ditch, which was about five metres in depth, and, notwithstanding all the efforts of the Russians, it escaladed the scarp and took from them the salient of the Redan ; but after the first struggle, which cost the Russians dear, the English soldiers found before them a vast open space crossed in all directions by the balls of the enemy, who themselves were sheltered behind distant traverses. Those who came up were scarcely sufficient to replace those who were placed hors de combat. It was not until they had sus tained, during nearly two hours, this unequal combat, that the English resolved to evacuate the Redan. The attack upon the Central Bastion presented the same result. In front of the Malakoff the Russians made great efforts to reconquer the works. Repeated attacks were made, but in vain. The dead bodies of the enemy were piled up in front of the gorge, but the first division remained immoveable, and in the evening we were masters of this citadel, without which the Russians could not continue their defence for Lore than a few days. Thus terminated this memorable siege, in which the means of defence and of attack attained colossal dimen sions. The Russians had 800 cannon in battery, the be sieging army about 700. In finishing this report I ought to tell you, Monsieur le Marechal, that the greatest harmony has never ceased to prevail between the artillery and the engineers. Whenever one of these two services could come to the assistance of the other, he did it with eagerness, and this community of views and action has given us the means of overcoming many difficulties. I have also had to congratulate myself in every instance on my relations with General Harry Jones, commanding the engineers of the English army. Our object was the same, and we have never differed iu opinion on the means to be employed for attaining it. Already,'at the siege of liomarsund, I had the opportnnily of appreciating the loyalty and the noble character of this general officer. have been happy at finding myself again in relations with him at the siege of Sebastopol. Accept, Monsieur le Marechal, the homage of my most respectful devotion. The General of Division, A.D.C. of the Emperor, Commanding the Engineers of the Army iu the East, NrEL. MARSHAL PELISSIER'S GENERAL ORDER. The following is the text of Marshal Pelissier's general order announcing the capture of Sebastopol to the army : Soldiers !—Sebastopol has fallen ! The taking of the Malakoff decided its fate. With his own hand the enemy has blown up his formidable defences, set fire to the town, the storehouses, and military establishments, and sunk the rest of his vessels in the port. The boulevard of Russian power in the Black Sea exists no longer. You owe these results, not alone to your brilliant courage, but to your indomitable energy and perseverance during a long siege of eleven months' duration. Never before did land or marine artillery, engineers, or infantry, have to overcome such obstacles as in this siege ; and never did the three services display more valour, more science, or more resolution. The taking of Sebastopol will be your eternal honour. This immense success, while it augments the importance of our position in the Crimea, makes the maintenance of it less onerous. It will now be permissible to send home to their hearths and families such of you as having served their full time have yet re mained with us from necessity. I thank those soldiers in the Emperor's name for the devotedness of which they have never ceased to give proofs, and I will take care that they shall very soon return to their native land. Soldiers ! the Bth of September, the day on which the English, Pied moutese, and French flags were unfurled together, will ever be a memorable day. You have invested your eagles with a new and imperishable glory. Soldiers! you have well deserved of France and the Emperor. The General-in-Chief, A. PELISSIER. Head-quarters, Malakoff Redoubt, Sept. 9, 1855. GENERAL BOSQUET'S ORDER OF THE DAY. General Bosquet issued the annexed order of the day to his troops, on the morning of the assault on the Bth : Soldiers of the 2nd Corps and of the Reserve ! On the 7th of June you had the honour of striking boldly the first blows right at the heart of the Russian arwy. On the 16th of August you inflicted at the Tschernaya the most shame ful humiliaticn on their relieving army. To-day it is the coup de grdce, the mortal blow, which you are alnut to strike with your firm hand, already felt by the enemy ; and you will without any doubt seize on the Malakoff, whilst our comrades of the English army and the first corps will begin the assault of the Great Redan and the Central Bas tion. It is in a general assault, army against army, that an immense and memorable victory has to be gained to crwin the young eagles of France ! Forward then, my men ! Malakoff and Sebastopol must be ours ! and •` Five l'Empereur !" ADMIRAL LYONS' DESPATCH. The despatch of Admiral Lyons explains why the navy was inactive during the assault on the Bth, and emphatically proclaims the unanimity which has pre vailed between the English and French naval com• manders : Royal Albert, off Sebastopol, Sept."lo. Of the operations on shore, which have produced the successful result of the singular and memorable siege of Sebastopol, her Majesty's Government will be informed by General Simpson ; but it is my duty to report to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty what has taken place afloat and on the seaboard under my own observa tion. It bad been arranged by Generals Simpson and Pelissier, Admiral 13ruat and myself, that precisely at noon on the SATURDAY, Bth inst. the allied fleets should open fire upon the Qaar antine Batteries that enfiladed the approach of the assault ing columns ; bat unfortunately the weather, which had been fine for some days, changed on the morning of the attack, end a north-west gale and a heavy sea rendered it impossible for any vessels to aet upon batteries situated on the lee shore of this exposed roadstead. It will, however, appear by the inclosed reports from Captain Wilcox, of the Odin, and Captain Biel of the Royal Marine Artillery (whom, as well as the junior officers mentioned by them, I beg leave particularly to recommend to the favorable con• sideration of their lordships), that the mortar-vessels at tached to the fleets kept up a very effective fire from their position in the Bay of Strelitzka. As the day closed, things in the harbour seemed to be in the same state as they were in the morning, but during the night several heavy explosions were heard, and at dawn we observed that the fortifications on the south side were in flames, and that the six remaining ships of the line had been sunk at their moorings, leaving afloat no more of the late Russian Black Sea fleet than two dismasted corvettes and nine steamers, most of which are very small. Soon afterwards the enemy were seen retreating across the newly-constructed bridge, until the smith side of the harbour, on which the naval and military arsenals, the public buildings, and the town of Sebastopol are situated, appeared to be completely evacuated, and then the southern portion of the bridge was hauled over to the north shore. It is now my pleasing duty to render justice to the admi rable conduct of all whom I have had the honour and happiness to command during the last nine mouths of this arduous struggle, and whose duties 1 shared in before, for although, with the exception of the naval brigade in the camp, whose gallant bearing from the beginning under the command of Sir Stephen Lushington, has been beyond all praise, and never more so than during the last two bombardments under the command of the Hon. Captain Keppel, it has not fallen to the lot of the navy on this occasion to perform distinguished deeds of arms such as those of their gallant brethren in the army ; still, whilst straining every nerve, night and day, under very trying circumstances, to supply the means for carrying un the siege, in the glory of which they could not Owe, the generous cheer of encouragement, unalloyed by envy, has always been heartily given in the day of triumph ; nor have sympathy and assistance ever bean wanting in the hour of distress and suffering; the same sentiments have pervaded all ranks—captains, officers, seamen, and marines all agreeing with each other in following, as I believe I have said once before, the excellent example set them by my able second in command and coadjutor Rear-Admiral Houston Stewart. Perhaps in closing this letter I may be permitted to indulge in the expression of the gratification I feel in reflecting that under all the circumstances to which it relates, my gallant colleague, Vice-Admiral Bruat, and have gone heart and hand together, and that the most per fect understanding and hearty co-operation iu the great cause of humanity in which we are all engaged, have invariably prevailed throughout both fleets.—l am, &c., (Signed) EDMUND LYONS, Rear-Admiral andUommander-in•Chief. THE BALTIC FLEET. (From our Own Correspondent.) NARGEN, Sept. 18. A HOMEWARD move is being made by the block-ships, transports, and gun boats. The weather is becoming daily more unsettled; and, alas, I fear that our cam paign in these seas is at an end. Whether we, or rather our commanders, are deserving of the severe criticisms we read in the English papers, I will not venture to argue ; I can only say in extenuation of them that they were not backed by foresight at home, or could they perhaps be expected to meet with a result such as occurred at Sweaborg. All is quiet up here, and we have no news from the Gulf of Bothnia, Nile and a small squadron have been destroying merchant vessels in the neighbourhood of Biorko. Troops that were in the neighbourhood retired on the approach of the ships. Russian fleet in Cron stadt had not again shown their noses. Cornwallis has sailed to-day for England. ALDERSHOTT CAMP is to be the scene of one of the grandest military balls of the present year. It is, we hear, fixed for Tuesday week, at the Royal Camp Club-house. Every officer that can be spared from duty will attend, and invitations are already despatched to the ladies of those counties which are represented by the respective militia regiments at the camp. Preparations are being made for upwards of one thousand visitors. THE VISIT OF H.R.H. THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE to Liverpool is fixed for the oth proximo. Owing to the successes of the allied armies in the Crimea, the day of his Royal Highness's visit will be kept as a holiday in all the public departments under the council, ond the Town-hall and public buildings will be illuminated. Public amusements will be provided at the corporate expense, and bonfires lighted in the suburbs. In the evening the mayor will give a grand banquet to the Duke, after which a ball will be held in the Town-hall. GENERALS DE AP/AARON, NIEL, AND BOSQUET huge been raised to the dignity of Grand Crosses in the Legion of Honour,