The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-09-25 00:00:00

THE WAR IN THE CRIMEA

THE accounts relative to the effect of the successful occu-
pation of the town and southern fortifications of Sebastopol
still occasion much speculation, all sorts of rumours and con-
jectures being still rife as to the ultimate value of this im-
portant victory on the future prospects of the war. Although
the evacuation of the town by the Russian troops appears
to have been at last executed in a hasty manner, there is good
ground for believing that they saw that event as one of in-
evitable necessity for a long period prior to its being carried
out, and that they had deliberately prepared for that neces-
sity. Still it seems to have come on them by surprise, in the
end. The bombardment by which the final struggle was
inaugurated appears to have been of a most staggering vio-
lence. This bombardment is said to have been one of the
most destructive and terrific on record. It is thus described
by the special correspondent of the Times, writing under
date of the sth instant :
At dawn on the morning of the sth of September, the
French opened fire. The air was pure and light, and a gentle
breeze from the south-east, which continued all day, drifted
over the steppe, and blew gently into Sebastopol. The sun
shone serenely through the vapours of early morning, and
wreaths of snowy clouds on the long lines of white houses in-
side those rugged defences of earth and gabionade which
have so long kept our armies gazing in vain on this " august
city." The ships lay floating on the waters of the roads,
which were smooth as a mirror, and, like it, reflected
them, and outside our own fleet and that of the French
equally inactive, and not quite so useful to us, were
reposing from Kazatch to Constantine as idly as though
they were " painted" upon a " painted ocean." In the
rubbish of the suburb, next to the Flagstaff Works,
there are several batteries in excellent order, which are not
injured by the allied batteries, and which have not yet fired
much, if at all. They are mostly fleches, and seem intended
as out-lying works of the second line of defences. Near the
top of the hill, inside the crenellated wall, a portion of the in-
terior line of these defences is to be seen. A battery called
the " Crow's Nest," from its elevated position, is placed near
this line, and has an extensive command over the right of the
French left attack, and over our sailors' batteries in the left
of our left attack, to which it is rather troublesome. This
contains a couple of large mortars in addition to some long-
range guns, and can bear on any troops between the outer de-
fences and the foot of the hill on which the town rises, and the
ravine between our left and the French left attack. A very
strong series of earthworks crowns:the ridge of the same hill,
and the defences broken by the creek are continued towards
the right by the various batteries (Barrack, Road, Garden,
Black, Batty, &c.), which are connected with the Great Redan,
and thence are carried to the Malakhoff and its outlying
works. The suburb behind these defences next the creek, and
in front of our left attack, is in complete ruins, but our line of
batteries is almost too far to do injury to the public buildings
behind the suburb, although our old first parallel has been dis-
armed as being too far, and the guns moved into the second
parallel, and various batteries in front of it. Behind the Redan
are visible the long line of the dockyard and arsenal buildings,
and the barracks, which have been rendered uninhabitable on the
nearside by our fire—the great shears, the floating bridge across
the roads to the north side, the two lines of men-of war—the
Twelve Apostles and five two-deckers, frigates, and steamers.
Then, on the right, lie • Malakhoff, Mamelon, White Works,
and Mount Sapoune peering beyond over them and
the north side—the citadel, the Russian camp, Inkermann,
its batteries, and the plateau of the Belbek forming the back-
ground, which is defined still further by a strip of blue sea.
The men in our trenches can be seen sitting down behind the
traverses, or strolling about in the rear of the parapets. Small
trains of animals and files of men are passing over the ground
between the trenches and the camp, and the only smoke that
catches the eye arises from the kettles of the soldiery, or from
a rifle in the advanced works. On the left, however, it can
be seen that the French trenches are crowded with men, and
that their batteries are all manned, though the men keep
well out of view, and the mantlets and screens are yet down
before the muzzles of some of their guns. The men be-
neath the parapets swarm like bees. A few gray-coated Rus-
sians are in view repairing the works of the Flagstaff Battery,
or engaged in throwing up a new work, which promises to be
of considerable strength, in front of the second line of their
defences. Suddenly, along the earthen curtain, between Nos.
7 and 8 Bastions three jets of flame spring up into the air and
hurl up as many pillars of earth and dust, which are warmed
into ruddy hues by the horizontal rays of the sun. The French
have exploded three fougasses to blow in the counterscarp, and
to serve as a signal to their men. Instantly from the sea to the
Dockyard-creek there seems to run a stream of fire, and fleecy,
curling, rich white smoke, as though the earth had suddenly
been rent in the throes of an earthquake and was vomiting
forth the material of her volcanoes. The crash of such a tremen-
dous fire must have been appalling, but the wind and the
peculiar condition of the atmosphere did not permit the sound
to produce any great effect on our camp; in the city, for the
same reason, the noise must have been terrific and horrible.
The iron storm tore over the Russian lines, tossing up, as if
in sport, jets of earth and dust, rending asunder gabions, and
" squelching" the parapets, or bounding over among the houses
and ruins in their rear. The terrible file of iron, about four
miles in front, rushed across the plain, carrying death and ruin
with it, swept with its heavy and irresistible wings the Russian
flanks, and searched their centre to the core. A volley so
startling, simultaneous, and tremendously powerful, was
probably never yet uttered since the cannon found its voice.
The Russians seemed for a while utterly paralyzed. Their
batteries were not manned with strength enough to enable
them to reply to such an overlapping and crushing fire ; but
the French, leaping to their guns with astounding energy,
rapidity, and strength, kept on filling the very air with the
hurtling storm, and sent it in unbroken fury against their
enemies. More than 200 pieces of artillery of large calibre,
admirably served and well directed, played incessantly on the
hostile lines. In a few moments a great veil of smoke—" a
war-cloud rolling dun"—spread from the guns over on the left
of Sebastopol ; but the roar of the shot did not cease,
and the cannonade now pealed forth in great irregular
bursts, now died away into hoarse murmurs, again swelled
up into tumult, or rattled from end to end of the line
like the file-fire of infantry. Stone walls went down before
the guns at once, but the earthworks yawned to receive
shot and shell alike. However, so swift and incessant was
the passage of these missiles through the embrasures and
along the tops of the parapets, that the enemy had to lie close,
and could scarcely show themselves in the front line of de-
fences. For a few minutes, then, the French had it all their
own way, and appeared to be on the point of sweeping away
the place without resistance ; hut, after they had fired a few
rounds from each of their numerous guns, the Russian
artillerymen got to work, and began to return our allies' fire.
They made good practice, but fired slowly and with precision,
as if they could not afford to throw away an ounce of powder.
The French were stimulated rather than impeded by such a
reply to their astonishing volleys, and their shot flew with
increased rapidity along the line of the defences, and bounded
in among the houses of the town. But what were we doing
all this time? What was our admirable Naval Brigade and
our gallant siege-train doing ? They were just working their
guns as usual, and had received no orders to open general
firc, Qiir u=aiieries, tnerefore, rendered little assistance to
the French, but they maintained their usual destructive and
solid "hammering" on the face of the Redan and of the
Malakhoff, and aided our invaluable allies by keeping up a
regular shell practice on the batteries from the Creek to the
Redan. Now two or three mortars from Gordon's, then two
or three mortars from Chapman's hurled 10 and 13-inch shell
behind the enemy's works, and connected the discharges by
rounds from long 32's or 08's. It is not known why this
want of unanimity existed, and why we did not open fire at
the same time with the French. General Pelissier was over
at our head-quarters, and had an interview with General
Simpson yesterday, and it is not unlikely that the French
commander, with his characteristic impetuosity, resolved on
opening fire, finding that we were not quite prepared to do
so with effect, and relying on his own numerous and heavy
ordnance and abundance of ammunition.

SEPT. 7.—The cannonade was resumed at daybreak, the
Inkermann batteries firing briskly. A council of generals was
held to-day at head-quarters, the sick were cleared out of the
field hospitals, and it gradually oozed out that the assault
would take place to-morrow at twelve o'clock. The firing was
tremendous all day, but clouds of dust which a high wind
from the north drifted into our faces rendered a view of the
place impossible. About three o'clock a two-decker was set
on fire, and burnt all night. A steamer towed other vessels
near her away to the dockyard harbour, but the lines of men-
of-war are still intack. Flames broke ont behind the Redan
in the afternoon. The bombardment was renewed at dusk.
A Sardinian corps was marched up to reinforce the French.
There was a heavy explosion in the town at 11 o'clock p.m.
The men all take 48 hours' provisions, cooked, into the trenches
with them. Nothing is known of the plan of attack.
SEPT. 8, 11 A.m.—All comers from Balaklava and the rear
of the camp, are stopped by a line of sentries. Another line
of sentries in front prevents any one going as far as Cathcart's
Hill or the picket houses, except staff' officers or men on duty.
The fire is exceedingly heavy. The assault takes place at noon.
The 4th Division is now under arms.

On the same subject the special correspondent of the Daily
News, writing from the camp before Sebastopol, on the Bth

of September, says :

After long weeks of comparative idleness, the allied batteries
have again opened upon the besieged town, and for the greater
part of three days have kept up an almost continuous bom-
bardment along nearly the whole of the attacking line. This
time, at all events, the intention of the generals commanding
was kept sufficiently secret. About four o'clock on the morn-
ing of the sth, however, our allies opened the ball from the
guns of their left attack, and maintained a most vigorous fire
on the enemy's works in that direction till about an hour and
a half after noon, when our own batteries and those on the
French right opened on the Redan, the Malakhoff, and its ad-
jacent supports in Careening Bay. From that hour until
shortly before five o'clock, a feu d'enfer was kept up along
the whole line, to which only the Russian batteries op-
posed to the French left replied with anything like sustained
vigour. The gunners in the Redan and Round Tower
contented themselves with throwing occasional shells into
our advanced works and the Mamelon, and a few hollow
shot which came bounding up to the close neighbour-
hood of the tents along the front. About a quarter
before five o'clock the fire on both sides slackened, and an
hour later it almost ceased, when a calm—in striking
contrast to the stormy thunder which had filled the air
and clouded the sky during the day—succeeded, and remained
almost undisturbed till the light of dawn again came to guide
the aim of the combatants. About eight o'clock a new inci-
dent occurred to give picturesqueness and interest to the scene.
A large two-decker, lying moored off the dockyard shears,
suddenly burst into flames ; and in considerably less than half
an hour her whole hull and rigging were one mass of waving
fire. None but a most graphic pen could describe the gran-
deur of the conflagration, as it brightened and extended in re-
lief against the pitchy darkness of the night, throwing up
clouds of smoke, which hung in lurid masses over and around
the burning ship, till the whole harbour, from Fort Paul to the
north shore, was covered with the fleecy volumes which there
was not a breath of wind to stir. About two hours after the
first outbreak of the fire there were two trifling explosions, as
if caused by the ignition of spirits or the firing of a couple of
powder casks; but beyond these, and the discharge of a single
cannon, there was no report. Shortly before midnight
to
nnig,hantbdutrnhaet
decks fell in, after which the sidete
wrecktim bra continued
for some couple of hours, when the
daylight no trace of her remained visible above the water.
With the grey light of early morning on Thursday the bom-
bardment recommenced, and continued throughout the day,
with some periods of intermittent slackness. As on the
previous day, its strength was confined to the French and
our own left—the batteries on the right doing little more

than to keep up a dropping fire on the Malakhoff and Little
Redan, the former of which did not answer with a single gun.
Soon after sunset, however, nearly every mortar along the
whole line of attack was brought into play, and till nearly 9
the tliunder of their discharges rolled through the air in
almost unbroken peals ; the sky was literally alive with shells,
vomited forth from their fiery beds at every angle from fifteen
degrees up to seventy-five, whilst showers of the still grander
and more terrific rockets darted across the darkness like
avenging comets. As illustrating the briskness of the fire
about this time, I may mention that within four minutes I
counted as many as thirty-one shells falling inside the Malak-
hoff alone, whilst an almost equally warm practice was being
kept up on its formidable neighbour the Redan. About half-
past nine o'clock another fire broke out behind the Round
Tower, which, though inferior in extent and brilliance to that
of the previous night, threw up volumes of smoke and flame
that cast a flood of lurid light over a great part of the harbour,
the arsenal, and the Redan, and our own and the French ad-
vanced trenches. After burning for about an hour, however,
it rapidly died out, having been, in all probability, one of the
buildings on the slope of the hill leading down from the rear
of the Malakhoff to the harbour. During the hour for which
this had lasted one of the three-deckers, which had been drawn
up during the previous night with their broadsides to the
Round Tower, threw several shells into the trenches near the
Mamelon, nelon, as well as into our own advanced mortar batteries
on its flank, but as the French replied with some discharges of
rockets, this fire from the shipping was not long continued.
• ___

THE MORNING OF THE ASSAULT.
The same writer continues his narrative on the morning of
the assault :

9. a.m.—As was to be expected, the assault is to be made
in the course of this afternoon. Since early dawn this
morning, a terrific fire along the whole line, left and right,
has been kept up on the enemy's works from every gun and
mortar that could be brought to bear on any part of them. In
addition to the Russian batteries on the proper right of the
town, the Redan and its mischievous six-gun neighbour have
replied vigorously, as have also a couple of batteries from the
north side. Only one gun has played from the Malakhoff,
and for its rare shots fully fifty for one have been returned.
All through the night the allies kept up a murderous cannon-
ade, and at this moment, while I write, the combined dis-
charges resemble one long unbroken peal of thunder. This is
to be continued till the signal for the assault is given, when
the enemy will have barely time to greet the advancing
columns with one discharge of grape. This time the arrange-
ment is, that our attack on the Redan shall not be made till
the Malakhoff is actually occupied by the French—then, and
not till then, our stormers shall dash on to the Redan, the
French supporting them by a simultaneous rush upon the
small flanking battery which worked us so much mischief on
the 18th of June. Our assaulting force is to be composed of
the whole of the Second Division, and the second brigade of
the Light Division, with the first brigade as a reserve. As a
punishment for its recent conduct in the trenches, the 97th
has been told oft' to lead. General Markham, of the Second
Division, commands the whole. Such, briefly, is to be the
order of this final attack, and the strength of our own force
is to be employed in it. With the lesson of the fatal 18th
fresh in all minds, we have little of the unduly sanguine con-
fidence of success which then animated everybody ; but with
our advances pushed so much nearer the points to be
attacked, and with arrangements free from the complications
which bore such disastrous fruit then, the general disap-
pointment will still be great if before sunset to-day the Tri-
color and Union Jack do not float in triumph over the
Malakhoff and Redan. This accomplished, the south side of
Sebastopol is our own.

THE CAPTURE OF
SEBASTOPOL,

OFFICIAL DESPATCH FROM GEN. SIMPSON.
A London Gazette Extraordinary, published on Satur-
day, gives the following despatch containing General Simp-
son's account of the taking of Sebastopol :
WAR DEPARTMENT, Sept. 22nd.
Major the Hon. Leicester Curzon arrived this morning with
a despatch from General Simpson to Lord Panmure, of which
the following is a copy :

BEFORE SEBASTOPOL, Sept. oth.
I had the honour to apprize your Lordship, in my despatch
of the 4th instant, that the engineers and artillery officers of
the Allied armies had laid before General Pelissier and myself
a report, recommending that the assault should be given on
the Bth instant, after a heavy fire had been kept up for three
days. This arrangement was agreed to, and I have to con-
gratulate your Lordship on the glorious result of the attack
of yesterday, which has ended in the possession of the town,
dockyards, and public buildings, and the destruction of the
last ships of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea. Three
steamers alone remain, and the capture or sinking of these
must speedily follow. It was arranged that at twelve o'clock
in the day the French columns of assault were to leave their
trenches, and take possession of the Malakhoff and adjacent
works. After their success had been assured, and they were
fairly established, the Redan was to be assaulted by the Eng-
lish. The Bastion Central, and Quarantine Forts on the left,
were simultaneously to be attacked by the French.
At the hour appointed our Allies quitted their trenches,
entered and carried the apparently impregnable defences of
the Malakhoff, with that impetuous valour which character-
izes the trench attack, and, having once obtained possession,
they were never dislodged. The tricolour planted on the
parapet was the signal for our troops to advance. The
arrangements for the attack I entrusted to Lieut.-General
Sir Wm. Codrington, who carried out the details in concert
with Lieut.-General Markham. I determined that the 2d and
Light Divisions should have the honour of the assault, from
the circumstance of their having defended the batteries and
approaches against the Redan for so many months, and from
the intimate knowledge they possessed of the ground.
The fire of our artillery having made as much of a breach
as possible in the salient of the Redan, I decided that the
columns of assault should be directed against that part, as
being less exposed to the heavy fire by which this work is
protected.
It was arranged between Sir William Codrington and
Lieutenant-General Markham that the assaulting column of
1,000 men should be formed by equal numbers of these two
divisions ; the Light Division to lead, and that of the Second
to follow. They left the trenches at the preconcerted signal,
and moved across the ground, preceded by a covering party of
260 men, and a ladder party of 320. On arriving at the crest
of the ditch, the ladders were placed, and the men imme-
diately stormed the parapet of the Redan, and penetrated into
the salient angle. A most determined and bloody combat was
here maintained for nearly an hour, and although supported
to the utmost, and though the greatest bravery was displayed,
it was found impossible to maintain the position.
Your lordship will perceive by the long and sad list of the
casualties, with what gallantry and self-devotion the officers
so nobly placed themselves at the head of their men during
this sanguinary conflict.
I feel myself unable to express, in adequate terms, the
I sense I entertain of the conduct and gallantry exhibited by
the troops, though their devotion was not rewarded by the suc-
cess which they so well merited. To no one are my thanks
more justly due than to Colonel Wyndham, who gallantly
headed his column of attack, and was fortunate in entering
and remaining with the troops during the contest. The
trenches were, subsequently to this attack, so crowded with
troops, that I was unable to organize a second assault, which
I intended to make with the Highlanders under Lieut.-Gen.
Sir Colin Campbell, who had hitherto formed the reserve, to
be supported by the third division, under Major-General Sir
William Eyre. I therefore sent for these officers, and arranged
with them to renew the attack the following morning. The
Highland Brigade occupied the advanced trenches during the
night. About eleven o'clock the enemy commenced exploding
their magazines; and Sir Colin Campbell, having ordered a
small party to advance cautiously to examine the Redans,
found the works abandoned. He did not, however, deem it
necessary to occupy it until daylight. The evacuation of the
town by the enemy was made manifest during the night, and great
fires appeared in every part, accompanied by large explosions,
under the cover of which the enemy succeeded in withdrawing
their troops to the north side by means of the raft bridge re-
cently constructed, and which they afterwards disconnected
and conveyed to the other side. Their men-of-war were all
sunk during the night. The boisterous weather rendered it
altogether impossible for the admirals to fulfil their intentions
of bringing the broadsides of the Allied fleets to bear upon
the Quarantine Batteries. An excellent effect was produced
by the animated and well-directed fire of their mortar vessels,
those of her Majesty being under the direction of Captain
Wilcox, of the Odin, and Captain Digby, of the Royal Marine
Artillery.
It now becomes my pleasing duty, my lord, to place on
record the high sense I entertain of the conduct of this army,
since I have bad the honour to command it. The hardships
and privations endured by many of the regiments, during a
long winter campaign, are too well known for me to comment
upon. They were borne, both by officers and men, with a
patience and unmurmuring endurance worthy of the highest
praise, and which gained them the deserved applause and
sympathy of their country.
The naval brigade, under the command of Captain the Hon.
Henry Keppel, aided by Captain Moorsom, anti many gallant
officers and seamen who have served the guns from the com-
mencement of the siege, merits my warmest thanks.
The prompt, hearty, and efficacious co-operation of her
Majesty's navy, commanded by Rear-Admiral Sir Edmund
Lyons, and ably seconded by Sir Houston Stewart, has contri-
buted most materially to the success of our undertaking; and
here, perhaps, I may be permitted to say that, if it had pleased
God if the successful result of this memorable siege should have
been reported by my ever-to-be-lamented predecessor in this
command, I am sure it would have been one of his most pleas-
ing duties to express the deep sense which I know he enter-
tained of the invaluable assistance and counsel he received on
all occasions from Sir Edmund Lyons. When, at times, affairs
looked gloomy and success doubtful, he was at hand to cheer
and encourage; and every assistance that could tend to ad-
vance the operations was given with the hearty goodwill which
characterises the British sailor.
Nothing has contributed more to the present undertaking
than the cordial co-operation which has so happily existed
from the first between the two services.
I cannot sufficiently express my approbation of the conduct
of the Royal Engineers under Lieut.-General Sir Harry
Jones, who has conducted the siege operations from the
beginning of this year. For some time back he has been
suffering on a bed of sickness, but the eventful hour 'of the
assault would not permit him to be absent. He was con-
veyed on a litter into the trenches, to witness the com-
pletion of his arduous undertaking.
My warmest thanks are due to the officers and soldiers of
the Royal Artillery, under the command of Major-General
Sir R. Dacres, who, during the arduous operations of this
protracted siege, have so mainly contributed to its ultimate
success.
I must further beg to record my thanks for the cordial co-
operation and assistance I have received in carrying out the
details of the serviee from the chief of the staff—the adjutant
and quartermaster generals, and general staff, as well as
generals commanding divisions and brigades of this army.
I must reserve to myself, for the subject of a further dis-
patch, bringing before your lordship the particular mention of
officers of the various branches of this army, whom I shall beg
to recommend to your favourable notice.
I entrust this despatch to the care of Brevet-Major the Hon.
Leicester Curzon, who has been assistant military secretary to
my noble predecessor and myself since the commencement of
this war, and who will be able to give your lordship more mi-
nute details than the limits of a dispatch will allow.—l
have, &c., JAMES SIMPSON.
The Lord Panmure, &v.