The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-03-04 00:00:00

DESTRUCTION OF FORT ALEXANDER,

concerning which the correspondent of the Times, writing
from the camp before Sebastopol, on the 11th of February,
says:—

The sole incident that has occurred here since my letter of
the 9th is the destruction of Fort Alexander, which was blown
up, in three explosions, at one this afternoon. The destruction
was very complete, but the place does not look such a perfect
level as the site of Fort Nicholas, and the sea face has been
intentionally left standing. The explosions were the loudest
we have heard this year, especially the first of the three. The
day was dry, but not bright, and the absence of sun detracted
from the striking nature of the spectacle, which was, however,
sufficiently imposing, but not equal to that of fort Nicholas's
downfall. Notwithstanding the distance, the explosions
sounded very loud up in the camp, and persons who were well
in the rear of Cathcart's Hill assure me that they felt the
ground tremble, and that the huts they were in seemed to
rock. The Russians, who had been firing a little from the
Inkerman batterries just before the fort blew up, were per-
fectly silent for some time after the explosion, apparently
thinking it more dignified calmly to contemplate the destruc-
tion of their fortresses than to exhibit impotent wrath, and
unprofitably to expend their ammunition. At a later period
of the day they fired more than usual from the north side.
In the Karabelnaia our engineers continue to amuse them-
selves, and small explosions are not unfrequent. This after-
noon the White Buildings, as they are generally called,
adjoining the dockyard, were partly on fire.
SPECULATIONS AS TO PEACE OR WAR
Occupy much attention in the Camp, and concerning these
the same authority, writing under the same date, remarks:—
The question of peace or war is still the one engrossing topic
which occupies all minds, and comes uppermost in most con-
versations. Every post is looked for with the most intense
anxiety, and thousands of times daily is the question asked,
" When shall we know positively whether this year will wit-
ness a bloody campaign or a peaceful return home ?" The
camp is divided into the peace party and the war party, each
predicting in accordance with its wishes. The ambitious, the
needy, those who think that another six months of war will
give them the promotion they may await for years if peace be
made, those whose sole patrimony is their sword, and those
born soldiers who love war for war's sake, are full of fight,
and adduce the most cogent arguments in favour of a continu-
ation of hostilities. It is curious to hear the diametrically
opposite opinions that are uttered :—" Peace is certain, we
shall all be home in a few weeks, is the assurance you receive
from officers who did not enter the army to fight, and whom
honour alone, and no taste for the work, has brought and kept
so long out here. " The Russians are only trying to gain time,"
says the next man you meet, a thorough soldier, to whom hard-
Ship and danger are as nothing, and who covets promotion and
the higher pay it will bring, for he has a wife and children at
home, and little but his pay to maintain them with ; " the
report of peace is all humbug. See yonder, they are erecting
platforms in Balaklava harbour, to ship the troops to Asia."
Each man sees through his own glasses. The platforms would
serve equally well to ship troops to England. Among the
mercantile community in the Crimea, the vendors of wines and
spirits, sauces, pickles, preserves, biscuits, tea, coffee, hams,
crockery, butter, cheese, and a multitude of other groceries
and Italian warehouseries, great alarm has been spread
by the announcement of a probable peace. Forgetting
their enormous past profits, they think only of their ap-
proaching loss. As far as concerns the English dealers
and sutlers at Kadikoi and Donnybrook, and a few isolated
shops scattered through the camp, their case does not
call for, nor is it likely to excite, much commiseration. With
very rare exceptions they have sold bad things at exorbitant
prices. At Kamiesch the French reckon on getting rid of their
good qualities of wine to the Russians, but there is an immense
quantity of tin ordinaire (most of it extremely ordinaire and
rather logwoody) concerning the disposal of which they are
very uneasy, since they know the Russians to be too good judges
to buy it, and they fear they will be obliged to incur the expense.
of shipping it to Constantinople, where they hope to find cus-
tomers for it among the principal hotel-keepers, who will
bottle it, put seals on the corks and labels on the glass, and
retail it at 6f. or Bf. the bottle, as the choicest produce of Bur-
gundy and Bordeaux vineyards, sacking, with that peculiar
calmness and complacency which are characteristic of your
thorough-bred Constantinople innkeeper, some 500 per cent.
profit, and grumbling the while at the hardness of the times.
The half-yearly inspections continue. To-day the 48th and
68th were inspected and reviewed on Cathcart's-hill. They
turned out extremely well, went through some evolutions in
a highly creditable manner, and gave perfect satisfaction to
General Garrett.

TUESDAY, FEB. 12.—1 have nothing to add to the above,
except information of the opening of the New Theatre Royal,
Fourth Division, which took place last night, when John
Dobbs and Going to the Derby were performed to an admir-
ing audience of about 300 soldiers and non-commissioned
officers. There has been rain in the night, but it is now fine,
and remarkably mild. It is nine a.m., and the thermometer
stands at 40 degs. out of doors.

In addition to the mere speculations relative to the future
course of events, as these appear to verge towards peace or
war, other matters afford more tangible grounds than unaided
conjecture. Conspicuous among these is the
RUMOURED RETREAT OF A PORTION OF
THE RUSSIAN ARMY.

On this subject the correspondent of the Daily News writes
as follows :

It is said that intelligence has been received, through the
secret service, of a very large portion of the Russian force
having quitted the north side, and proceeded towards Sim-
pheropol, probably with a view of proceeding towards Perecop.
As many as 25,000 men are stated to have left the north and
Mackenzie Heights together during the last ten days or a
fortnight. There is scarcely any change worth noticing in
the British camps. Some companies of artillery, which have
been for some time employed in fatigue duties at the Ordnance
Wharf, and in unloading ships, were moved up to the front
the day before yesterday. They are now engaged in removing
guns from some of the Russian fortifications. There is a talk
of one division of the troops in front moving down shortly to
Balaclava for the purpose of putting on board ship shot, shell,
and other artillery and quartermaster-general's stores, prepara-
tory to evacuating the heights above Sebastopol. It is not
known what division of the army will be selected for this duty.
The French fortifications around Kamiesch and Kazatch are
still advancing; they are on so extensive and substantial a
scale, and provided with so powerful an armament, that they
excite the wonder of all who visit them. Our wharves at
Kazatch are also making progress, but the depot of stores
deposited there has already accumulated to an inconvenient
extent. The detachment which was furnished from the 7th
Fusiliers is scarcely strong enough to ensure the necessary
protection. A difficulty exists respecting the transport of
these stores, as the French object to one using their macada-
mised road from Kamiesch, and the open plain is quite im-
passable for vehicles. The French traffic alone causes constant
repair of their road to be necessary; the most substantial
roads in our own camps can only be kept in order during wet
weather by the most unremitting attention, so peculiarly soft
and friable is the limestone found in this part of the Crimea.
While conjectures as to the future occupy attention in the
manner and to the extent referred to, the amusements of both
officers and men appear not only not to be forgotten, but to be
attended to with considerable assiduity. The Daily News'
correspondent gives the subjoined account of
A MATCH IN RIFLE SHOOTING.

A match in rifle shooting, which excited considerable inte-
rest in the army, came off yesterday afternoon at the practice
ground in the Karabelnaia ravine—Lieut.-colonel Blane, mili-
tary secretary, and Captain A. Ponsonby, aid-de-camp to Gene-
ral Codrington, had challenged the whole army. The firing
was to be at 200 yards' distance; the Minie rifle, with fixed
bayonets, as employed on actual service, was to be the weapon
used, and the palm of victory was to be decided in the usual
manner by the target. Lieut.-colonel Kennedy, of the adju-
tant-general's department, who was formerly chief instructor
in the musketry school at Hythe, and now superintends the
small arms department in the army in the East, selected the
men who were to compete with the officers already named.
One man was to be chosen to represent each division of the
army. To select this candidate for the principal match, the
best shot was ascertained in each regiment, and these picked
soldiers were then pitted against each other ; the best proved
shot among these remained the representative of the division.
Four divisions were, however, only represented in the contest,
the Guards, second, fourth, and light ; it being understood that
the men selected from these were so superior to all others as
to distance them beyond a chance of success. The match
came off at 3 p.m. A trial shot was first made by each candi-
date, which did not count towards the decision of the contest.
Four rounds were then fired, each firing one shot in succession.
The result gave the victory to the soldiers—a sergeant of the
20th Regiment being first on the list. Next to him a corporal
a the 77th Regiment gained the greatest number of points.
The Guards' candidate followed, and then Colonel Blane.
Captain Ponsonby, who is reputed a good shot, was singularly
unfortunate on this occasion. General Codrington, and a very
numerous assemblage of staff and regimental officers, as well
as a large body of soldiers, were present to witness the match.
Some file firing and other practice followed. The Sebastopol
clasps, to be added to the Crimean medals, have arrived, and
are shortly to be distributed to the army.