The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-12-04 00:00:00

THE CONTEMPLATED RUSSIAN ATTACK.

Writing from the camp on the Tchernaya, on the 13th
November, the Times' correspondent, remarks :

The nightmare of a Russian attack is still hanging over us ;
but although, if anything of the kind was really contem-
plated by the Russians, this part of our line would probably
be chosen by them in preference, the idea of an attack haunts
the imagination less here than, perhaps, in any other part of
the allied camp. The little which can be seen of the Russian
position just near the edge of the plateau shows rather an
intention of the Russians to follow our example, and make
themselves comfortable, than to attack us. You can see them
continually burning the brushwood, and several white lines
which can be observed some days, after in the wake of their
fires proves that they are just as busy with their roads of
communication as we are ourselves and the series of mole-
hill-like huts which are crowning die edges of the cliffs show
that they are more advanced with their hutting—at any rate
on the more exposed part of the plateau—than we are. But,
certainly, if one has made up one's mind that there should he
a Russian grand attack on our lines, followed, if successful, by
the evacuation of the Crimea, all these signs may be construed
into so many proofs of the contrary of what they must
appear at first sight, supported as they are, moreover, by the
relative positions of the allies and the Russians. The question is
simple enough—What ought to be the object of operations for a
general of the allied armies, superior, as they have proved
themselves without one single exception, to the Russians in the
open field ? Naturally, to force them to accept a battle. To
suppose, therefore, a Russian attack, is to suppose that the
Russians are fools enough to play our game. If their lines of
communication were seriously threatened, it would be another
thing ; but this is not the case. The departure of Sir Colin
Campbell is very much regretted. Although he worked his
men harder than, perhaps, any other general, leaving them
scarcely a moment's rest, and drilling and parading them the
whole day, he was very popular among them. Hence the idea
of forming corps d'arme'e in the British army, which is
talked of, finds nowhere more ardent supporters than in the
Highland Division, which naturally attributes the command
of one of these corps d'arme's to Sir Colin. The day before
yesterday the Sardinians had a grand review in the plain.
Their little army was never so complete as it is now.
They did not come out all at once ; and, before all had
arrived, sickness began to decimate their number. Now, with
the reinforcements which they have received, they equal, if
they do not surpass, the number which had originally come
out. The beautiful weather had attracted a large number of
spectators from the English army, who, in their scarlet coats,
formed an agreeable contrast with the sober blue of the Sar-
dinian staff-officers. I hear these latter were flattered by the
interest thus shown for their army ; but, besides this, the
sight alone was sufficient to compensate for the ride. The
Piedmontese have every Sunday, when the weather permits, a
church parade for their whole army, and a review afterwards.
I had not attended it for some time, and was consequently
struck by the difference in their number. While formerly
the whole looked like the parade of a strong division, now it
quite deserves the name of an army, and as fine an army as
any one could wish to see.