The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-07-10 00:00:00

LETTERS FROM THE CRIMEA

The following is the copy of a letter from a Corporal of the
57th Foot, to his parents in Liverpool :

Camp near Sebastopol, 11 at night,
17th June, 1855.
Mr DEAR PAums,--Terhaps this is the last time that I
may ever be permitted to write to you. I have just made any
final preparations ; the assault on Sebastopol takes place at
midnight, and, as I told you before, we have the post of
honour—our regiment leads the storming party, we fall in at
a quarter past 12, I must therefore hurry. Should I fall, I
have told two or three persons to let you know my fate—you
must not in that case -sorrow too much—remember that I
have fallen in the path of duty, in resisting the ambition
of a tyrant, who, if permitted to follow out his plans, might
eventually carry the horrors of war into our own loved country.
That we will be successful, I do not entertain the least shadow
of a doubt ; but we may ,be so, and yet I may be among the
slain, for that our own loss will be great I also believe.
However, I commit myself to the care of *Him who holds
worlds in the palm of His hand, humbly trusting that He
having hitherto preserved me throughout the horrors and
dangers that I have passed through, will, if not for my sake, yet
for the sake of those whom I know dailyolfer up fervent prayers
to the Throne of Grace for my safety. He I say will I trust
preserve me through the dangers which to-morrow's dawn
shall unfold upon me ; and, should it be His merciful will that
I should fall, I humbly trust that, sinner as I have been, He
will pardon me for the sake of Him who died that sinners
might live—unto His gracious protection I therefore commit
myself, praying that, if it is His will to take me, you may
receive the affliction with humility, saying—Father, thy will
be done. My last thought shall be about you ; I trust that
they may not interfere with my thoughts on eternity. Give
my love to all. God bless you, and may He in His infinite
providence make the trials and afflictions which you now
bear upon my account the means of conveying His grace to
your souls, is the prayer of—my dear Father and Mother,
your affectionate Son, J. M.
-P.S.—The Colour-Serjeant of my company will write to you
should he survive, and anything happen to me.

The following is from a correspondent of the Daily News,
dated CAMP BEFORE SEBASTOPOL, JI7NE 26.
No move of importance has occurred in the siege operations
the last few days. The French are sapping up towards the
Malakhoff,and already the trenches make a considerable show.
An extensive place d'armes has been formed in front of
the Mamelon. The armament of the White Redoubt
(Seleughinsk Redoubt), above Careening Bay, is being strength-
ened and works added. The small 5-gun work, deserted by
the Russians, at the extremity of the spur, is still unoccupied,
except by a few French riflemen ; it is not in a position to be
rendered available against the enemy's works on the west side
of the Careening ravine. The Russians are adding to their
number of guns on the verge of the cliffs on the north side of
the roadstead opposite to Mount Sapone.
On our side we are extending the sap towards the Redan,
and as yet have not met with any interruption from the enemy.
A trench has also been made to connect the extremities of the
right and middle boyau proceeding with the old advanced
work, and this has again been joined to the parallel extended
from the Quarry Battery. A new battery of considerable
strength is in course of construction; it is expected that it will
be chiefly brought to bear against the Russian shipping.
When Colonel Yea fell in the attack on the Redan, he had
with him a plan of the works in the right attack ; this, how-
ever, could give the enemy little information beyond what he
already possesses. All the trenches and batteries on French-
man's-hill, from the sloping nature of the ground, are fully ex-
posed to his view. It is alone possible to keep secret the exact
- position and nature of the armament of the newbatteries; but it
would appear, from the counterworks erected, that the enemy
has means of obtaining speedy information even on these sub-
jects. The night before last, lam informed, a party of our engi-
neers succeeded in approaching the mouth of the harbour suffi-
ciently near, in the Banshee, to enable them to discover a
star battery in the course of erection in the immediate rear of
the Malakhoff—an addition to the strength of that position
which I need hardly say would greatly enhance the difficulty
of its capture. There is reason to believe that similar strength-
ening additions are also in progress behindthe Redan; but there
are less important, as it is not likely that that work will again
be made a principal point of attack, its abandonment follow-
ing, as a matter of course, on the seizure of the Malakhoff.
The French have been throwing shells at the large Russian
ships in the Great Harbour from some batteries on the left.
Several shells fell very near ; in one instance a shell fell into
the water between two of the ships—a three-decker and two-
decker, but without doing any arm. The ships still remain
broadside on the direction of the Malakhoff-hill. On several
nights lately, boats from the fleet have stolen in towards the
mouth of the Great Harbour, and discharged shells androckets
into the town. They have been within range of the guns
of the forts, but the darkness has prevented the enemy
from determining their position, notwithstanding the
momentary flashes of their fire. Active search has
been made during the last few days for Russian
spies [supposed to be in the camp. Several innocent
persons have been taken up on suspicion. Among others,
Captain Freeman Armstrong, of the 18th Royal Irish regiment,
was yesterday arrested as a spy, He had come over on horse-
back from the Third Division, and in consequence of some
striking peculiarities in his dress and appearance, and certain
questions about the works on Frenchman's-hill which he put
to the guard at the picket-house, he was thought to be a
Russian agent in an assumed dress. Notice was given to the
rrovost-Sergeant, who rou.,,a captain Armstrong to lnker-
mann, and there arrested him. It was in vain he made
assertions of his being an officer of the 18th Regiment, he
was compelled to come to the proper authorities. As
he moved along, a crowd of soldiers gathered, both
French and English ; there was no doubt that he was a spy,
and loud was the explosion of indignation which followed.
Captain Armstrong became excited, and it was perhaps for-
tunate that his sword, which was curved, and not at all of the
ordinary English shape, was taken from him. He was not
identified until he reached the Adjutant-General's office of the
Light Division. A short time since a Russian agent passed
in a direction towards the Mamelon, dressed in the uniform of
a French captain of the line. Something led to suspicion re-
specting his real character, and he was interrogated. As he
did not know the name of the colonel of the regiment, nor
which division the regiment belonged to, he was removed for
closer examination elsewhere, and the fact of his being in dis-
guise was speedily proved. Several of the Greek canteen men
in camp have been taken up on suspicion of being spies.

A Tuum—The correspondent of the Daily News before
Sebastopol describes one of those occurrences uow so frequent,
a truce for burying the dead and searching out the wounded.
He says :—" During this proceeding a number of Russian
officers mingled amongst our party, and, as several of them
spoke English fluently, a good deal was said. Their ' pump-
ing' inclination, however, was so marked as in most cases to
defeat itself, though one of our officers was guilty of the indis-
cretiOn of informing a very suave interrogator that their grape
did sad injury to our men in possession of the lately-taken
Quarries—a remark which procured his instant order to the
rear by General Airey. It was by one of these polite foes that
the inquiry was made of an Englishman at my side whether
our Generals had really been drunk or not during the recent
assault.' The Russians having helped us to gather in the
dead, the whole sad duty was soon performed, and the truce
brought to an end."
The Standard of Friday says :—We learn that the Ordnance
are just now preparing artillery, more especially mortars, upon
a prodigious scale, some to carry shells as large as the huge
stone balls used by the Turks at the siege of Rhodes. We
mention the fact, because no enemy can take advantage of the
information, as the missiles of which we speak mustdefy resis-
tance. As we are informed, the mortier monstre, which by
two discharges, or three at most, reduced the previously im-
pregnable citadel of Antwerp, was a babe to those of which we
speak—their range is calculated at five miles. We presume
that Cronstadt is to have the benefit of their first experiments.
This is going to work in the right way. Such engines of
destruction; planted upon strong rafts, would exactly fulfil our
plan given for the attack of sea-shore fortresses.

AN-ARMY SURGEON writes on the 11th from before Sebas-
topol : —" On the 7th, a little hop-o'-my-thumb of a soldier made
prisoner a Russian officer, whom he conducted with much pride
to the first parallel, the officer overtopping the little man's
musket and bayonet. I asked the Russian if he spoke French;
he shook his head and said "no speak ; ' but he exclaimed,
' doctor, doctor.' I made signs that I was one, and he then
took off his coat, when I found he had a bullet wound at the
back of his neck. He now tried to make himself understood
by talking Latin. Pointing to the wound in his neck, he
asked, Mortale est?' When I told him it was not mortal,
he pressed me by the hand, and said, Pater, mater, et soror
sent mihi.' He said he was a lieutenant of the 7th Dnieper
Regiment. When he saw me open my case for a bandage to
dress his wound, he thrust his hand into one of his own coat-
pockets, and produced his own for that purpose. All the
Russian soldiers, very wisely, carry these things about the in

TxtE North Briton, a cheap Edinburgh paper, announces,
as a great inducement to purchasers, that its readers will
receive, from a certain dealer, "one quarter of a pound of tea
for 91d."

AN ADVENTUROUS LADY, mentioned as having, in an hour
of no ordinary peril, paid a visit to the Mamelon Tower, was,
it is said, the wife of Lord George Paget, the commanding
officer of the 4th Light Dragoons.

CHARLES BEVAN, late secretary to the Deposit and General
Life Assurance Company, was sentenced at the Central
Criminal Court, on Thursday, to eighteen months' hard labour,
for stealing a cheque of the company.
A Buz has passed the House of Lords, and is now in the
House of Commons, to amend the Charitable Trusts Act of
1853. Among other provisions it extends the powers of the
commissioners and inspectors to inquire into charities.
WEST INDIA PINEAPPLES.—The first cargo of the season,
consisting of 25,000, has arrived after a 30 days' passage per
Nancy Dawson, The growth of the crop has been somewhat
retarded owing to want of rain.

EXTRAORDINARY, IF TRIIE.—The Bedford Times relates
a circumstance of an extraordinary character which occurred
a short time since in one of the flourishing towns of the
midland counties. A clergyman died, and his wife and
daughters on the third day after his decease, recollecting
-that no likeness remained of the once cherished son and
brother, it was agreed, ere the grave closed o'er him, that
the body should be unshrouded and a portrait taken. A
young lady of some professional celebrity was engaged for the
task. She, with the assistance of the attendant, took off the
shroud and placed the body in the requisite posture ; but
other duties requiring the artist's attention, the sketch was
deferred till noon. About twelve o'clock, at the foot of the
bed, the lady commenced and went through an hour's work
on this image of death. At this stage of the proceedings,
by some unaccountable motion, the head of the deathlike
figure fell on one side. Nothing daunted, the artist carefully
took the head to replace it, when, lo ! the eyes opened, and
staring her full in the face, " the dead" inquired—" Who are
you P" The young " professional," without trepidation,
took the bandage from the head and rubbed his neck. lie
immediately saw the shroud and laughed immoderately. The
artist quietly called the family—their joy may be imagined
but cannot be described. That evening, he who had laid
three days in his shroud, bemoaned by mother and sisters
with agonising tears, gladdened their hearts by taking his
accustomed place at their tea table, and at this moment is
making an excursion in North Wales.