The Press. — London, England, 1855-09-15 00:00:00

SEPT. 15, 1855. THE WAR. FALL OF SEBAStOPOL. THE accomplishment of the event which has for eleven months formed the great object of the labour and courage exercised by the allied armies in the Crimea, and of eager anticipation in England and France, took place this day week. The details of the event are as yet but imperfectly communicated by the laconic advices received per telegraph. We learn however that the grand attack on Sebastopol was made on Saturday last, the evermore memorable Bth of September, at noon, by storming the Malakoff, and the Little and Great Redans. In all our gallant allies, and our own brave troops, effected a lodgment, but such was the force of the enemy's concentrated artillery fire, and such the strength of his reserve infantry, that only the Malakoff could be held. Here —within the enceint—the French firmly fixed them selves, and defied all attempts to dislodge them. While the troops on the right were engaged at the Malakoff, General de Salles made a diversion on the other side of the town, from the left attack, against the Central Bastion, but did not effect a permanent lodgment. The Malakoff has proved an all-sufficient entrance. It is not known that, beyond establishing themselves in this work, the besiegers prosecuted the attack : the enemy gave them no time. The Mala koff was taken on Saturday afternoon, and on Sa turday night the Russians, in the exacerbation of despair, began to sink their ships, blow up their ma gazines, and burn their city. By Sunday morning Sebastopol was evacuated, and the communication between the north forts and the town broken off. The progress of the assault was communicated by General Simpson by a series of despatches to the War-office, of which the following extracts were published by Lord Panmure : Crimea, Sept. 5. Our batteries opened fire at daylight this morning. Sept. 6, 5 p.m. The bombardment goes on steadily and favorably, with few casualties on our side . A Russian frigate, supposed to have been set on fire by our rockets, was burnt last night in the Great Harbour. Sept. 8. Another Russian frigate was destroyed by fire, yesterday afternoon, in the Great Harbour of Sebastopol. A large fire is burning this morning about the middle of the town of Sebastopol. Last night, about five minutes past one o'clock, a great explosion took place, supposed to have been one of the enemy's magazines on the north side. Sept. 8, 11.3.5 p.m. The allied forces attacked the defences of Sebastopol this day at twelve o'clock. The assault on the Malakoff has been successful, and the work is in possession of the French. The attack of the English against the Redan did not succeed. Sept. 12, 10.40 cm. a• The enemy have destroyed the remainder of their fleet. Nothing now remains in the harbour. It was, however, upon the French that the chief glory of the achievement devolved, their gallant capture of the Malakoff having led to the rapid eva cuation of the whole of the south portion of Sebas topol. In General Felissier's despatches accordingly the events are more fully narrated. These advices arrived in the following series : Varna, Sept. 9, 13.35 We commenced the assault on the Malakoff at noon yesterday. Its entrenchments and the Redan of Careening Bay were carried by our brave soldiers by storm, with ad mirable intrepidity, to the shouts of " Vive l'Empereur !" We immediately occupied ourselves in lodging ourselves there. We succeeded in doing so at Malakoff. The Redan of Careening Bay was not tenable, owing to the heavy fire of artillery which was poured upon the first occupants of that work. However, our footing in the Malakoff will soon enable ns to reduce that as well as the Redan itself, of which our brave allies carried the salient with their ha bitual courage ; but, like ourselves before the Redan of Careening Bay, they were forced to retire before the enemy's artillery and his powerful reserves. When our eagles were seen floating on the Malakoff, General lle Salley made two attacks on the Central Bastion. They were not successful. The troops retired into the trenches. Our loss is severe; we cannot yet state its amount, but ft is entirely compensated by our success, for the taking of the Malakoff is a result the consequence of which will be immense. Sept. 9, 3 a.m. Karabelnia, and the southern part of Sebastopol, exist no longer. The enemy, seeing our solid occupation of the Malakoff, has decided on evacuating the place after having mined or blown up nearly all the defences. I passed the night in the midst of our troops, and I can assure you that everything was blown in Karabelnia ; and from what I have seen it must be the same on the left attack. This immense success reflects the highest honour on our troops. I will sena you our losses tomorrow ; after such obstinate struggles they must be serious. THE PRESS. To-morrow I shall be able to state further the results of this great day, of which Generals Bospiet and 11I'Malion have, in a great measure, won the chief honours. All is peaceable on the Tschernaya. Sept. 0, 8 p.m. To-day I have ascertained that the enemy has sunk his steam•vessels. The work of destruction continues under the fire of our mortars. As mines are successively sprung at different points, it is my duty to defer entering the place, which has the appearance of a great furnace. Prince Gortsebakoff, being closely pressed by our fire, has demanded an armistice to carry off his wounded. The bridge near Fort St. Paul has been destroyed by the enemy. .1 am engaged in ascertaining the amount of our loss, and I shall forward the result as soon as I know it exactly. Everything is going on well. We are watching the movements of the enemy on the Tschernaya. Sept. 10, 11 at night. To-day I have gone over the town of Sebastopol and its lines of defence. The imagination would strive in vain to realise the full extent of our victory : nothing short of actual inspection on the spot could supply an idea of the extent and multiplicity of the works and material means of defence, which very far surpass all that is recorded in the history of war. The capture of the Malakoff, which compelled the enemy to fly before our eagles, three times victorious, has placed in the hands of the allies immense establishments and material, the importance of which it is impossible yet to estimate precisely. To-morrow (Tuesday) the troops will enter the Kant belnia suburb and the town. tinder their protection an Anglo-French commission will take an account of the material abandoned to us by the enemy. Our soldiers are elate with joy. General de la Marmora also reported to Turin that the Russians have withdrawn from the town, after having set it on fire, blown up all the public buildings and works of defence, and sunk their last ship. The Sardinians have lost forty men in the trenches. Admiral Bruat transmitted a despatch recapitu lating the great event, and announcing the share taken in the attack by the naval force. He states:— Crimea, Sept. 9, 10.15 a.m. The assault upon the Malakoff Tower was made yester day at noon, and later on the Great Medan and on the Central Bastion. A gale from the north kept the ships at anchor. The moitar•boats, to be enabled to fire, were obliged to enter Streletzlta Bay. They fired 000 shells against the Quarantine Bastion and Fort Alexander. The six English mortar-boats, also at anchor in Stre lettka Bay, fired about the same number of shells. Last night violent explosions and vast conflagrations made us suppose that the Russians were evacuating the town. To-day we ascertained that the Russian vessels had been sunk. The bridge was covered with troops retreating to the north aide. After eight o'clock the bridge was destroyed. Only a few steamers remain in the port, anchored near Fort Catherine. I approached this morning tha Quarantine batteries on board the Brandon, and ascertained myself that they are now evacuated. They have just blown up. Our soldiers have left their trenches, and are spreading themselves in groups over the fortifications of the town, which seem to be totally deserted. The only Russian despatches which have been allowed publicity relating to this event are the fol lowing from Prince Gortschakoff:— Sept 9th, Noon.—The enemy receives constantly rein forcements of fresh troops. The bombardment is fiercely violent. Ten at Night.—The garrison of Sebastopol, after sus taining an infernal fire (fru d'emfer), repulsed six assaults, but could not drive the enemy from the Korniloff Bastion (the Malakoff Tower). Our brave troops, who resisted to the last extremity, are now crossing over to the northern part of Sebastopol. The enemy found nothing in the southern part but blood stained ruins. On the 9th of September the passage of the garrison from the southern to the northern part was accomplished with extraordinary success, our loss on that occasion being but 160 men. We left, I regret to say, nearly 1500 men grievously wounded on the southern side. The price paid by the allies for their triumph has been heavy. On the English side the number of killed and wounded is stated to be no less than 2,0(X), including 120 officers, whose names have been transmitted by telegraph, and appear in another column. The French loss is reported at 4,500 wounded and 1,500 dead. Of the Russian losses nothing is known, but it is certain they must have been immense: 050 Russian soldiers and 27 off►cers were taken prisoners in the Malakoff on Saturday. The Paris correspondent of the Times says : The number of generals now said to be killed during the assault on Sebastopol are five, besides ten superior officers. It is also affirmed that General *Mahon and Troche have died of their wounds, and that General Bosquet was killed. The names of General Da Lae and St. Paul are also mentioned among the casualties. Not less than 1,200 guns of large calibre have been found by the allies at Sebastopol. During the assault the Russian artilleryman were killed at their guns, but it is affirmed that with that exception a panic took complete possession of the army at the appearance of the allies in the Malakoff Tower. Their hasty retreat was occasioned by their fear that we should fire ou the bridge and take them pri soners. A Paris correspondent of the Independance Beige writes : Prince Gortachakoff, in his bulletins, as you will have noticed, speaks of six successive assaults. It is said that of these, three were made on the Malakoff walls. 1 have been assured that, at the third assault, all distinction of grade was lost. Generals, officers of every rank, and soldiers, were all mingled and confounded together, each obeying the promptings of his own daring courage. This explains the large number, estimated at thirteen, of general officers wounded by the enemy. General liosquet has had a slight graze of the shoulder, and General 3PMahon has been equally fortunate in the slightness of his wound. General Bourbaki, who had recently returned to the Crimea, is among the wounded generals. It is now said that Generals de Sancti, Rivet, Coustra, and de Marollen, have been wounded most seriously. A rumour was current in Paris on Tuesday that General Pelissier had telegraphed for instructions in case the Russians offered to capitulate, as he thought they would do. The answer was, that Prince (forts chakolf must surrender at discretion, and evacuate the whole of the Crimea, inflicting no damage on the fortifications and buildings still remaining in Sebas topol. The Russian journal, the Nord, puts a bold face on the matter, and claims for the evacuation of Sebastopol the credit of a bold and happy strategic movement. It says The resolution of Prince Gortschakoff exhibits the energy of a great commander. It saves Rtli!ta from an inextricable position into which a false interpretation of the point of honour would have thrust her. The Russian army concentrated north of Sebastopol will hencefbrth have that unity of movement and action which until now it has wanted. The Sebastopol of the south is replaced by the Sebastopol of the north—a formidable position, brist ling with innumerable guns—which a compact army, henceforward, will defend. Impartial history will speak of the defence of Sebastopol, as well as of the attack upon it, by assigning to besiegers and besieged their due share of self sacrifice and obstinate courage. It will also do justice to the resolution of Prince Gortschakoff, who, by making a momentary sacrifice and avoiding a useless effusion of blood, has preserved for Russia on army trained to war by &struggle of a year's duration, which fur intensity has no parallel in military annals, and placed that army in a position which enables him to command the situation. The following despatch has been received at the War-office : Before Sebastopol, Sept. 1. The siege operations during the past week have pro gressed slowly, the brightness of the nights rendering the work to be performed a task of great difficulty. The head of the sap is now about 150 yards from the salient of the Redan, and the enemy interrupt the work by every means in their power. On the night of the 2Rth a thirteen-inch shell fell into a magazine on the left face of the Mamelon, which exploded, causing some few casualties, but in no way internipting the continuance of the file. On the night of the 30th ultimo the Russian pickets made a rush at our advanced trench, upset a few gabions, and unfortunately killed Lieutenant Preston, of the 97th Regiment. In this affair Captain Pechell, of the 77th Regiment, who commanded the advanced party, and Lieutenant-Colonel liunbury, of the 23rd Regiment, who commanded the supports, behaved with great gallantry. Great activity prevails on the part of the garrison in making use of the new raft-bridge across the harbour, and stores of all kinds are daily transported to the north side. Large working parties are employed in throwing up works on the north side, but as yet theyare in too unfinished a state to judge of their exszt nature. From the information we continue to receive, it appears that the enemy is concentrating his force between the Mackenzie Heights and Fort Constantine; and, although several minor changes of position have been made, no movement of importance has occurred to indicate a posi tive intention to attack. All our accounts confirm the reports of the great losses of the enemy daily in Sebastopol, and that some discontent prevails in their ranks. Judea &wane, General Commanding. SIEGE CHRONICLE. Letters from the camp have arrived to the Ist inst., and although the stirring news received by tele- graph has somewhat diminished the interest at. taching to the detail of previous operations, we subjoin some extracts relating to the more important preparations for the assault which has terminated so gloriously. The correspondent of the Daily News writes on the 28th : If any faith is to be placed in the, statements of spies, the enemy, nothing daunted by their experience on the Tschernayn, are about to act on the offensive again, and anticipate the allied attack by a grand coup upon our own and the French trenches. That the report is not without support in probability may be inferred from the attention which it has received at head quarters, where every pre- paration has been made to give the assailants a warm re ception when they make the attempt. It is unnecessary and inexpedient to detail the portiosion of oar own prow