The Press. — London, England, 1855-09-22 00:00:00

SEPT. 22, 1855. torn. At most the Redan tires three guns, and the ad joining batteries are equally parsimonious. The parapets are all pitted with shot and shell, and the sides of the em brasures are greatly injured, so that the gabions are stick ing out, and are tumbled down in all directions. There is no more of that fine polishing and of that cabinetmaker's work which the Russians bestowed on their batteries; our constant fire by night, our riflemen, and incessant shelling have prevented their assiduous anxiety as to external ap pearance being gratified. After two hours and a half of furious fire, the artillerymen of our allies suddenly ceased, in order to let their guns cool and to rest themselves. The Russians crept out to repair damages to their works, and shook sandbags full of earth from the parquette over the outside of their parapets. Tneir gunners also took advan tage of this sudden cessation to open on our sailors' batteries in the left attack, and caused us some little an noyance from the " crow's nest." At ten o'clock, however, having previously exploded some fongasses, as before, the French reopened a tire, if possible, more rapid and tremendous than their first, and continued to keep it up with the utmost vigour till twelve o'clock at noon, by which time the Revision had only a- few guns in the Flagstaff-road and Garden Batteries in a position to reply. We could see them in great agitation sending men and carts to and fro across the bridge, and at nine o'clock a powerful column of infantry crossed over to resist our assault, while a movement towards Inkermann was made by the army of the 13elbeck. Soon after our fire began, as early as six o'clock, the working parties which go over to the north side every morning seemed to be recalled, and were marched bask again across the bridge to the south, no doubt to be in teadiness for our expected assault. From twelve till five o'clock p.m. the firing was slack ; the French then resumed their cannonade with the same astounding vigour as at dawn and at ten o'clock, and never ceased their volleys of shot and shell against the place till balf-past seven, when darkness set in, and all the mortars and heavy guns, English as well as French, opened with shell against the whole line of defences. A description of this scene is now impossible. There was not one instant in which the shells did not whistle through the air—not a moment in which the sky was not seamed by their fiery curves or illuminated by their explosion. Our practice was beyond all praise. Every shell burst as it ought, and the lines of the Russian earthworks of the P.edan, Male- It.df, and of all their batteries, were rendered plainly visible by the constant light of the bursting shells. The Rus sians scarcely attempted a reply. At five o'clock it was observed that a frigate in the second line near the north side was smoking, and as it grew darker flames were seen to issue from her side. Men and officers rushed to the front in the greatest delight and excitement, and as night came on the whole vessel broke out into one grand blaze from stem to stern. The delight of the criwd on Cath cart's-hill was intense. " Well, this is indeed a sight !—to see one of these confounded ships touched at last !" These and many different and stronger expressions were audible on all sides, but there were some who thought the Russians had set the ship on fire, or that incendiaries and malcontents were at work; and one gentleman even went so far as to say he " thought it was merely a signal—may be to recal their cavalry from Eupatoria." It is not known precisely how the thing was done. Some say it was done by the French—others, by ourselves; and bombs, red-hot shot, and rockets have been variously named as the agency by which the fire was accomplished. In spite of the efforts of the Russians, the flames spread, and soon issued from the ports and quarter-gallery. At eight o'clock the light was so great that the houses of the city and the forts on the other aide could be discerned without diffi culty. The masts stood long, and towered aloft like great pillars of fire; hut one after the other they yielded ; the decks fell in about ten o'clock, and at midnight the frigate as burnt to the water's edge. SEPT. o.—Last night a steady fire was kept up all along the front, to prevent the Russians repairing damages. At 10 p.m. orders were sent to our batteries to open as soon 113 there was a good light the following morning, but they were limited to fifty rounds each. At b. 30 the whole of the batteries from Quarantine to lnkermann opened with a grand crash. The Russians were silent as before. The cannonade was maintained as it was yesterday. There were three breaks or lulls in the tempest; from half-past eight till ten, from twelve till five, arid from half-past six till seven, the fire was comparatively slack. Captain Shone, R.A., was killed yesterday iu the batteries by a round shot. He was a brave and much-esteemed officer. I regret to have to record also the death of Captain Buckley, Scots Fusilier Guards, who was shot through the heart as he was posting his sentries. This gallant young officer was shot through the neck at the Alma, but did not go home. He was a most promising young officer. The firing continued as before, and the enemy seemed greatly distressed. They are strengthening their position on the Belbeck, and evince a disposition to rely on the north side. However, they have large masses of men in the town. The bom bardment was renewed and lasted all night. SEPT. 7.—The cannonade was resumed at daybreak, the Inkermann batteries firing briskly. A council of generals was held to-day at head-quarters, the sick were cleared out of the field hospitals, and it gradually oozed out that the assault would take place to-morrow at twelve o'clock. The tiring was tremendous all day, but clouds of dust which a high wind from the north drifted into our faces rendered a view of the place impossible. About three o'clock a two-decker was set on fire and &unit all night. A steamer towed other vessels near her away to the dockyard harbour, but the lines of men•of-war are still intact. Flames broke out behind the Redan in the afternoon. The bombardment was renewed at dusk. A Sardinian corps was marched up to reinforce the French. There was a heavy explosion in the town at eleven o'clock p.m. The men all take forty-eight hours' provisions, cooked, into the trenches with them. Nothing is known of the plan of attack. SEPT. H, 11 a.m.—All comers from Balaklava and the rear of the camp are stopped. by a hue of aeetriea. Mother THE PRESS. line of sentries in front prevents anyone going as far as Cathcart's•hill or the picket houses, except staff officers or men on duty. The tire is exceedingly heavy. The assault takes place at noon. The fourth division is now under arms. The Daily News correspondent writes on the Bth : The anxiously-looked-for moment of the assault is fast drawing nigh. A general feeling of confidence in the re sult prevails. The troops, both oar own and those of our allies, have been ardently desiring that the great struggle might come speedily. The wearying operations in the trenches, the nightly loss, the coming winter, have been so many incentives fanning the flame of this earnest wish, and, in addition to these motives, there has not been want ing a confidence in our own superiority from the effects of the tire from our batteries, and a belief in the correspond ing proportionate dejection of the enemy. It cannot be doubted that French and English would rather have met their foe in the open field; but now that the works, espe cially the French, have been carried so close to the enemy's line, the besiegers will be able to meet the be sieged on a much more equal footing than on ar.y former occasion. Before this reaches England the result will be fully known by telegraph, and all are trusting that it will be one of general rejoicing and satisfaction in the native land. A few days, and we may be in instead of outside Sebastopol. In another letter of the same date published by the News the writer gives the following account of the explosion of a vast Russian magazine, and of the losses inflicted on the enemy:— A shell from one of our own mortar batteries accomplished a memorable result, by blowing up a Russian magazine in a small six gun work on the proper right of the Malakoff. This occurred between nine and ten p.m. of the 7th, and, from she terrific force of the explosion, the quantity of powder ignited must have been great. At a distance of more than a mile and a half from the spot the earth shook again, whilst the noise resembled a heavy thunder-peal. The full extent of the damage done cannot of course he known till deserters reveal it; but that it quite balances the loss sustained by the French, through the late accident in the Mamelon, there can he little room to doubt. Throughout the night the fire continued to be delivered with unabated energy—the enemy, as before, giving sesrcely a shot or shell in return. This silence on their part, however, is far from proving that their batteries are therefore effectually shut up—the delusion into which we fell and suffered from so calamitously on the 18th of June. We have reason rather to suppose that their guns have been withdrawn into shelter, ready, if necessary, as before, to vomit forth grape and canister when weleast expect either. But that they have suffered most heavily during the past three days, in men and materiel, is certain, whilst our own loss !has been much less than during any previous born. hardment. During the whole of Thursday afternoon an almost unbroken string of stretcher-bearers, carrying away the dead and wounded, could be seen from our advanced trenches winding out of the Redan ; and several times as they crossed a point within the town where four streets meet, and which our guns in the Quarry Battery command, two of these last gave them discharges which added con siderably to the casualties of the day. The humanity of firing on men so employed may be questioned ; but it should be remembered that in war the first principle of ac- tion should be that which will inflict the greatest loss on the enemy at the smallest cost to ourselves ; and to carry out this, refined considerations of humanity must often or always be set aside. Thus the last three days have been full of action and in cident. Even while I write, everyone is on the qui vive of expectation as to the next move on the part of the gene rals ; camp rumour declares that the assault, which, in the usual course of things, should follow all this bombarding, will be made to-day. Ssivr. 7, 9 p.m.—The arrangements for attacking the Redan, after the French attack of the Malakoff, have been onnounced officially. The Light and Second Division are to share this important duty. The Second Brigade, Light Division, and an equal number of the Second Division form the first body of attack. The covering party is to consist of one hundred men of the second battalion of the Rifle Brigade. The First and Highland Divisions are to be formed in the Karabelnia, a ravine, as a reserve. The men are to take two days' rations with them into the trenches. The first body of attack and the covering party are to assemble at the usual rendezvous for the trenches at 7 a.m. ; the second storming party, the supports, and re serve will parade in the same place at intervals of half an hour each. By the previous mail some detail of anterior pro ceedings were communicated. The Times correspon dent wrote on the 3rd inst. : It is believed that the Russians are about to abide the chances of war once more. In one grand attack along the whole of our line they are prepared to assault the allies with 90,001 men at three or four points, from Haider to the gorge of Inkermann, and at the same time to make a general sortie in great force from Sebastopol on the left, centre, and on the right of our works. Prince Gortscha koff, General Liprandi, General Paniutin, and General Osten-Sacken are mentioned as the directors of the attack ing columns on certain points, which have been indicated to us by information derived from the enemy's camp. Nothing would give such universal satisfaction to the whole army as another attempt of the enemy on our posi tion. If the Russians descend into the plasn we are sure of success, and the prospect of a sanguinary engagement would give positive pleasure to officers and men, alike weary of the undistinguished, if not inglorious, service of the trenches. With nearly 8,000 English cavalry, and up wards of 5,000 French sabres, we ought to make signal examples of our defeated foes in their retreat, and our fifty field pun, all in high odleiency and ostler, would surely 897 annihilate any artillery which the Russians could place in position to check our pursuit or cover the flight of their infantry. As to their cavalry, they are, as far as we can as certain, inferior in number to our own, and we are certain that in dash and pluck they cannot match the men who charged at Balaklava. In fine, then, there is reason to hope if the enemy strike a great blow that they will meet with a great disaster, and that we may by one well fought field terminate the daily conflict which 1-ads to such ter rible loss of life, and grasp victory again, rich for once with grand results, and yielding its fruits worthy of our daring, our judgment, and our military genius. The attack was expected this morning; it may be to. morrow ; it it should be deferred for a few day. more the Russians may have to fight with all their masses for the possession of the Malakoff, for the French are assuredly determined not to delay the assault, if it were only to put an end to the losses which they have sustained. General I'elissier said the other day, "Je perils une belle brigade cheque dixaine des jours.' It is no compensation that tte enemy lose thrice as many. They swarm like fl ies, and their generals are only puzzled how to use them, or they could have twice as many. The expectation of attack is so strong that all officers are ordered to stay in their re spective camps. Last night orders were sent round to each division that all the troops should be in readiness to turn out at once at a moment's notice. On the rear the French, Sardinians, and Turks were under anus long ere daybreak, and tumid in only when assured by the light that the enemy were not approaching. The enemy have concentrated considerable masses in and about Uper, Ozeubasch, and Souliou, and Prince Oortschakoff in person visited the army destined to operate against the Turks, French, and Sardinians ou the rear, and was prodigal of promises and encouragement. The intelligence received by the English, French, and Turkish generals coincides on these points, and is believed to be entirely trustworthy. Nothing but derpair could induce the Russians to attempt such an enterprise. As to their sortie, although it may be made with large bodies of men, it cannot promise better chance of success, as our reserves will be kept in readiness to act at once, and the force in the trenches will be hence forth greatly augmented. It has been our practice, up to a period now gone by, to send only fourteen hundred men into the trenches of the left attack, of which one-half was of the reserve, and, as the latter were allowed to go back to camp in the day, it frequently happened that only seven hundred men were left to guard the whole of our extensive works in Chapman's attack. In future our force will be increased, and the reserves will be maintained in all their integrity, so as to be ready to give efficient support to the trench guard should the enemy make any serious demon stration against our hues. And here I may be permitted to offer one word on behalf of those officers and men who have not had an opportunity of sharing the honours con ferred on those who have been so fortunate as to he engaged in general actions during this war. I em certain. that there is a very general feeling in the army that there should Le some distinctive decoration for " service in the trenches." Men have been decorated for Alma, Inkermann, and Balaklava, who were no more in danger or under fire than if they hod remained in their club card-room, but no man goes into the trenches who is not exposed to heavy tire and to continued danger. The Adjutant-General's returns will show that in a fortnight we lose nearly as many officers and men as are put hors de cembet in a regulwr battle, although it will he observed that the proportion of officers to men killed and wounded is far smaller than it is on occasions of drawn battle. A man who has served thirty nights in the trenches will have undergone more fire than if he had been in the hottest fight of the campaign. Why not let him have a decoration, were it only a hit of iron with the words "'Trenches before Sebastopol " en graved upon it? The arduous nature of our trench Kele vice is best indicated by our returns, and by the fact test many young officers who come out from England are able to discharge their ditties after a few weeks experience. Although there are many complaints of the rawness of the recruits sent out to us, they are as nothing compared to the outcry against the crudity of the lads who are despatched as " officers " to the Crimea, and who perforce must be sent in responsible positions into the trenches. A reference to the daily general orders will satisfy any one of the truthfulness of outcry. The number of officers who sicken and are Orden d home, or to Scutari, or to go on board ship, is increasing, and it is not found that the recently arrived regiment. furnish the smallest number of those worn out by ennui and reduced to illness from health by a few days' service. The old officers, of course, grumble loudly and deeply at such estate of things,,and the grim old officers who have clung on to their regiments since the beginning of the campaign are indignant at the puling boys who, are sent out, for no fault of their own, to be utterly helpless and in efficient, and to sicken and leave the duties of the regiment to devolve on their overworked seniors. Why should not vacancies in regiments out here be filled up from regiments stationed elsewhere ? Such a course was pursued in the Chinese war, in our Indian wars, and I believe in the long war, and it secured to us the services of experienced officers. There are many ensigns of four, five, and six years' stand ing in the latter regiments, while it would be difficult to find many lieutenants with so much service in any regi ment which has been out here since the beginning of this War. The condition of the army, notwithstanding the exis tence of a considerable amount of sickness, of some dis content, and of an element of weakness in the youthful recruits, is, on the whole, so far as one can judge, satis factory. It is not, however, as strong as people at home would imagine. With all our reinforcements in fresh regi• melds and drafts it does not reach the strength Mr. Sidney Herbert and his friends over and over again declared it to be when it was struggling for life in the snow rind mud last winter. The Sardinians, now acclimatised, flushed with triumph, and anxious for another opportunity to try their steel, form a fine corps of about tight thousand men, effective, and the Turks can turn out about, thirteen thou