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

898 sand strong. The French, notwithstanding their enormves losses by sickness, in the capture of the Mamelon, in the assault of the frith of June, and, above all, in the trenches, where they have on an average one hundred and fifty hors de combat on " quiet nights," and perhaps twice as many when the enemy are busy, could with ease present fifty-five thousand bayonets to the enemy without distressing them selves, or calling on the camp guards, &c., to leave their posts. Our cavalry is just nine thousand sabres strong, and our field artillery overpowering. In a word, while the siege works are advancing steadily, with very few checks, the allies can present on any side a front which is quite strong enough to hold its own against any numbers the Russians can bring against us. There is no ground, no room for them to deploy their men if they had them, and they have already found that attacks by masses of columns success sively surging against us only aggravate the slaughter and confusion of their repulse. From the French sap in the front of the Mamelon one can now lay his hand on the abattis of the Malakoff! It is a hazardous experiment sometimes. Major Graham lost his arm in trying it en amateur the other day, for he was hit as he was returning up the trench; indeed, it is a subject of remark that amateurs and officers just come into the trenches are more frequently hit than is consistent with the rules of propor tion. Mr. Gambier, a midshipman of the Curapoa, went as an amateur into the advanced parallel of the left attack, and took a shot at a Russian rifleman ; he was rewarded by a volley from several of the enemy, and in another in stant was going up on a stretcher with a ball through both his thighs. The Russians, of course, must lose in the same way, but I doubt if they have many amateurs. They have quite enough of legitimate fighting, and their losses are said to be prodigious beyond belief. They must soon attack or give up the south side. The Redan looks greatly cut up ; it has no longer the nice, cabinetmakers' work on its face which it boasted formerly. The diary of events is not important. SEPT. 4.—The Himalaya, with 150 of the 10th Hussars and a troop of the Chasseurs d'Afrique, is to be sent to Yenikale, which is said to be menaced by a large force of the enemy. It is more probable that they have been sent to sweep the country for fodder and food, and to protect the outlying flocks and herds which lie out in the plain between Kertch and Yenikale against the attacks of the Cossacks. There has been a severe affair in front, At a quarter past nine a heavy fire of musketry to the left of the Malakoff indicated an attack of the enemy on the French works in front of the Mamelon. The night was dark, bat clear, and for half an hour the whole of our lines were a blaze of quick, intermittent light. The musketry rattled incessantly. Chapman and Gordon's Batteries opened with all their voices, and the Redan, Malakoff, Garden, and Barrack Batteries replied with roars of ordnance. After twenty minutes of this infernal conflict the musketry fire flickered and died out, and then commenced for a quarter of an hour a universal whirling of shells from both sides, so that the very stars were eclipsed and their dominion usurped by the wandering flight of these iron orbs. While it lasted there was seldom a hotter fire. The Russians in this sortie attacked our advanced sap on the right attack once more, and were repulsed with great loss; but Captain Pechell, of the 77th, a brave and beloved young officer, was killed in setting a brilliant example to his men. The gallant 77th behaved extremely well on this occasion. The Russians tore down some French gabions, and were driven out after a desperate struggle, in which and during their retreat they lost at least 600 men. The French lost upwards of 300 men hors de combat. Our shell practice was beyond all praise, and the Redan suffered greatly in the contest. Two deserters—daring fellows in their fear—actually swam out last night to one of the British ships on guard off Sebastopol and gave information of great importance. They declare that most of the heavy guns have been re• moved from Fort Constantine and Fort Nicholas to the defensive works, and that the powder is removed from the works of the harbour and placed in Fort Nicholas. The Sardinians have begun the railway earthworks from the Woronzoff road to Kadikoi. THE TURKS IN THE CRIMEA. The correspondent of the Daily News gives the following account of the state and spirit of the Turkish army serving in the Crimea. His letter is dated on the 3rd instant : As far as the English, French, and Sardinians are con cerned, however they may grumble, they will fight against all odds, fight to the last drop of their blood, if not for love of the'common cause, if not for the four points, the prin ciple of limitation, or the principle of counterpoise, at least for their own honour. Unfortunately—and here in my opinion lies the important difference between the Turkish troops and those of all other nations, and which people generally overlook in talking about them—honour, which in the mind of an European soldier overrules and over leaps all other considerations, is utterly unknown in the Ottoman army. There is no word in Turkish which ex presses the idea, and if there was it would need the educa tion of a whole life, such an education as no Turk gets, to enable him to understand it. Turkish armies in old times were kept up partly by fear and partly by fanaticism. Fanati cism has died out, and heads are no longer struck oft for the smallest peccadilloes ; nothing remains to substitute, and consequently when a Turkish officer begins to grumble, you have just reason for fearing that in the hour of your need he will play you a dirty trick. The Sardinians have not much more than half the force of the Turks, and at the same time the position they have to defend is not above half as extensive, but it is more open—it admits of their being attacked by large masses. The Turks have certainly a long line, but in reality it is only pregnable on two points, each of which could be defended by a handful of men, and which I believe the soldiers would defend if the officers would only stay in bed, or run away before the action began. But the latter, however, begun to puke and THE PRESS. -whine. and compare the extent..a - their line with that of the Sardinians, and declare they have simply been put here to be well beaten, in order that the English and French may have the glory of coming in at the last moment and saving them. I heard these sentiments uttered no later than yesterday evening by their best officer, who has, as usual, been most foully ill-treated by the chief, who is one of the few in all this host who, thanks to European origin and education, fight for neither king nor kaiser, protocol nor convention, but for their own good name, and he but feebly represents Turkish opinion. As if to supply the only thing that is wanting to turn bad morale into certain defeat, Omer Pacha, while leaving Osman Pacha in the chief command of the 15,000 Turkish troops, has given an independent command and separate instructions ( talimat) to each of the two brigadiers, Ali Pacha and Ismail Pacha, so that we have now in the Crimea six generals•in•chief. It is to Osman Pacha Generals Simpson and Pelissier look for the safety of the right of the position; but, as he justly remarks, he cannot be answerable for it were he ever so well disposed, seeing that the two generals who bold the key of it have orders from the Seidar-ekrem to retire when ever they like. What can have induced Omer Pacha to do this lamat a loss to imagine. 1 would not repeat, could I bring myself to believe it, the solution to the problem circulated in the camp—that be simply wished to render any triumph of the Turkish army in his absence impos sible. He has not yet arrived, though daily expected. His going to Asia has been, it appears, decided at last. He will take with him a considerable portion of the force at present in the Crimea, and a large number of the English medical staff attached to his army, who, it is to be hoped, will have more practice there than here. COMMERCIAL DISTRESS IN ODESSA. A letter from Odessa, of the 20th, in the Constitu tionnel, says : The winding up of the affairs of houses of commerce, warehouses, and shops goes on without interuption. Doors are closed in quick succession, and the inhabitants emi grate. Merchandise becomes exhausted by degrees and begins to fail every day for the wants of that part of the richer population which is forced to remain here, and who have been accustomed to a luxury equal to that of the capital. In a word, the greatest ruin and desolation exists. The authorities, however, pretend to perceive nothing of this, and endeavour to assume an air of comfort and security which must be very far from their real feelings. The last affair on the Tschernaya caused the greatest consternation here, and the bombardment of Sweaborg produced a complete panic. Odessa may well fear the same fate, for no one has been the dupe of the fable circulated here, that we have re• pulsed a landing of the enemy. It is not our earthworks and our few batteries in wretched masonry, and armed wi th twen ty two or twenty-five guns, that could prevent the allies from taking our town, which is open on every point. General Enders and Governor Strogonoff, although putting on the ap pearance of feeling perfectly secure, have warned us to hold ourselves in readiness to evacuate the town at the first notice. It is impossible, however, to suppose that they can expect that a population of from fifteen thousand to twenty thou sand souls, and composed for the most part of the hetero geneous and foreign elements of Holy Russia, can encamp in the real desert which surrounds Odessa. Will you be lieve that there are still here some very respectable Eng lish merchants who have been refused permission to leave, on the pretext that they pay to the Crown the duty for exercising the profession of a merchant, and that that con stitutes an engagement from which they cannot be released. Since the last disaster in the Crimea, by which, in the opinion of well-informed persons, we had ten thousand men put hors de combat, and eight generals killed or since dead of their wounds, workmen have been busily employed in erecting batteries on several points of the shore round our roadstead. 1, however, think that this is more a pre tended than a real defence, for we have not guns enough to arm all these works, or artillerymen enough to serve them. At Nicolaieff things are going on more seriously; from thirty thousand to thirty-five thousand men, most being part of the reserve, labour actively in throwing up fortifications and intrenchments, and, as the allied fleets do not disturb them, everything goes on well. It is really colossal, and also very imprudent, the agglomeration which has taken place at Nicolaieff of warlike stores of all kinds and provisions ; a flotilla of boats established at Wozne sensk brings all the provisions which are brought to that place from the interior of the country, and another flotilla on the Dnieper brings to the same point the military stores drawn from the fortresses of Bobrouisk and Kieff. It is only, therefore, from Kherson that the carriages, collected by the aid of requisitions in the Governments of Kherson, Charkow, and in the Taurida, convey the provisions into the Crimea. When we see all this, and think of Kertch, we feel what a dangerous game we play. THE CAMP KITCHEN. The full success of his new camp and bivouac kitchens, after prolonged trial on the scene of action, is announced by M. Soyer in a letter of the 4th inst. from the Crimea. The chef writes : No doubt your readers will feel interested in hearing of the success with which I met at the opening of my field and bivouac kitchen, which cannot fail to prove beneficial to the future comfort and welfare of the army in the Crimea. It is very gratifying to me to have gained so much approbation in so short a time, from eo many eminent and distin guished personages, numbering above one thousand ; amongst whom were Generals Simpson and Pelissier, his grace the Duke of Newcastle, and all the leading Crimean authorities. Everything prepared for the monster martial banquet was made out of the soldiers' usual rations, which I must say are amply supplied by the Government, and only require attention in the preparation. Seven of my camp stoves were placed in the open air, on the esplanade in front of the Guards and Highlanders, containing the various specimens of food, recipes for which were distri buted throughout the camp. The stoves are now in daily SATURDAY, use by the Guards and Coldstreams, where men from other regiments are sent to learn the simple art of camp cookery. By the time the other cooking apparatus arrives the whole of the army will be able to cook under my new system, which is now recognised by all those who have witnessed it to be expeditious, clean, and economical, most especially in the consumption of fuel. I inclose you copies of the opinions expressed upon the subject by . Generals Simpson and Pelissier, and I assure you it is with unfeigned pleasure I acknowledge that the Government has in every instance afforded me the utmost facility in carrying out my views. I would mention one misfortune on the occasion of the opening my bivouac kitchen, or two days prior, viz., that Colonel Seymour (to whom I was referred by the Commander•in-Chief for necessary assistance) was in the trenches and seriously wounded, but is now out of danger. In my next I will forward you a statistical return of the saving that can be effected by the use of these camp stoves as compared with the old system. I am happy to add, that all the hospitals in the Bosphorus are in a most satisfactory condition in the culinary departments. THE BALTIC FLEET. (From our Own Correspondent.) NARGEN, Sept. 11. Muca vexation has been caused among officers of all grades in the Baltic fleet by the invidious and unfair remarks made in the Times regarding our highly respected admiral and his colleague, Admiral Penaud. Whatever may be the blame (and it must be ad witted that some cause exists) that can be attached to the Government for dilatory conduct in the man ner in which this campaign has been conducted— whatever may be said of the absurdity of losing the two best months of the season for operations, from. the want of the forces to be employed being ready in the Gulf of Finland—whatever may be said of the want of foresight displayed by the authorities at. home in not being prepared to follow up a result so fortunate as that of the bombardment of Sweaborg— nobody can call in question the fact that the project was well conceived, well calculated, and well executed, and that it is an undeniable fact that the attacking party, the party attacked, the authorities in St. Petersburg, and the authorities in France and Eng land, were perfecty astonished at the immense effect of our fire and at the enormous damage done to a place hitherto considered impregnable from the extra ordinary strength of its fortresses and the great range of the guns mounted en barbette on the top of the batteries. From our fire being excessively rapid, the place the sooner felt its effects. On our part, our mortars were (as it was proved perhaps for the first time) unable to stand so heavy a test of their strength, and consequently split at the vents. I am inclined to think that such a mishap was not to have been anticipated. It occurred, in all probability, partly from want of sufficient experiments having been made. But in this no blame can be attached to our commanders. What earthly use would hare accrued to us from attempting an attack on Cronstadt with three or four mortars and twenty gun-boats Nothing but to have shown the enemy their weak points, and to have enabled them to make every description of diabolical preparations for our grand coup next year. And, regarding Helsingfors, we , hear from unquestionable, nay the very best, authority that the inhabitants were frightened out of their lives, that they had got up a huge petition, signed by nearly all the population, headed by the Civil governor, in which they appealed, in the most humi liating (to themselves) terms, to our humanity to spare their town, and that after we had left even the: bigoted Greek Church priests returned thanks before the altars in their churches to the commanders of the allied forces for their forbearance in not attacking private property. Moreover, that the impression made on the Fins (who only serve Russia because they fear her despotic rule) by our philanthropy is. more deep by half than could have been made by half a dozen victoria., over Russian troops. All the reports of the great )oss sustained by the enemy during the bombardment are more that cor roborated. Numbers of deserters come away in , small boats, whose accounts agree in the main. It has been decided by the Governments of the allies that nothing more can be attempted here this. year; so we have nothing to look forward to but • dull monotony, unless we can get an occasional slap. at the enemy in the neighbourhood of Wiborg or Gulf of Bothnia. The French mortar and gun boats and transports go home immediately, and colliers and store-ships are all on the move. The admiral, it is supposed, will soon pay a visit to the King of Sweden, in which case his ship will probably go to Ebsnallen. The Edinburgh has just returned from having been at. anchor near to Sweaborg. She received certain in formation that it was meant to attack her, during one of the dark nights, with steamers and gun-boats. As she was anchored in a creek, where she could not turn round, and was surrounded with rocks and shoals, it was thought better to recal her. It cer- NM 141