The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-08-07 00:00:00

THE WAR.

THE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL.

THE intelligence transmitted by various means
from the army in front of Sebastopol continues to be
of the same inconclusive character with 'that which
has been lately chronicled. Indefatigable industry,
rewarded by-slow progress towards the desired con-
summation, is the characteristic of the work ; and
that is from time to time varied by sharp trial of the
vigilance and bravery of the besieging forces. Bold
sorties on the part of the garrison have been made
on different occasions, and with great determination
on the part of the enemy, both against -the French
and English works of approach ; but these have
ended in defeat of the Russians and a further demon-
stration of the excellent disposition, skilful handling,
and personal bravery of the Allied troops. On the
nights between the 14th and 15th, and between the
16th and 17th of July, two desperate sorties were
made by the Russians with a view -to drive . the
French from their most advanced works in their
approach to the Malakhoff; but in both instances
the assault was vigorously repelled, the English
artillery rendering most efficient aid in support of
their Allies. The works of the besiegers now all but
touch the main defences, and everything gives token
that an important action against the place is immi-
nent. An expedition is also said to been active pre-
paration ; its actual destination is not annonnced, and,
in the absence of positive information, rumour, as is
usual in such cases, is busy in supplying conjectural
intelligence as to its destination and object. Some
will have it as intended for a hostile demonstration
against Odessa, while others maintain that it is in-
tended to operate at Perekop, for the purpose of cutting
off communication between Taurida and-the Crimea.
In the meantime reports as to the present condition
of Sebastopol represent that city as in a miserable
plight. The inhabitants are driven from their houses
by the shot and shell poured upon them from the
English and French batteries. The public and civic
officers are .all, it is understood, removed into Fort
Nicholas, as has also been the greater portion of the
merchandise belonging to the commercial inhabitants,
and "in short," as is said in a letter from a Russian
merchant still resident in Sebastopol, " the whole
town has moved into Fort Nicholas."

In reference to the sorties, the correspondent of the
.Desily News, writing from the camp on-lif 16th of
July, says :
The enemy made a sortie against the advancing sap of our
allies on the Malakhoff Hill on the night of the 14th and 15th
instant. The attack was preceded by the usual characteristic
yell of the Russians, but this cry was only raised at the mo-
ment of coming upon the troops covering the working parties.
The night was dark, and a high wind was blowing; a sharp
fire of musketry was seen to last for about half-an-hour, and
then subsided; about an hour afterwards, another fusillade was
noticed in the same direction, but speedily terminated. The ex-
planation given by the French is, that the enemy came suddenly
and in great force upon the working parties before the latter
bad time to make necessary arrangements to meet the attack.
Hence some confusion ensued at first, and the French, not with-
out a severe struggle, however, had to retire to the nextcovered
way. At the time of the sortie our allies were connecting some
small ambuscades which they had thrown up in aline in front
of their advanced trench. These being joined together, and a
communication established with the trench behind, the third
branch of the zigzag advancing up the Malakhoff Hill would be
completed. The object of the Russsans was to arrest the pro-
gress of this work, and to destroy what had been already done.
As soon, therefore, as the French had retired, the enemy com-
menced levelling the parapets, and filling up the trench. In
the mean time the French, being joined by their reserves,
formed again for the attack, and at a given signal rushed sud-
denly upon the Russians. The latter were taken unawares. A
consideral number had laid aside their arms and accoutre-
ments, andwerebusilyengagedin shovelling down the parapets.
After firing one volley, the French charged with the bayonet,
and a precipitate retreat of the Russians followed. A large I
quantity of arms and appointments were left in the hands of
the French. The commencement of -the attack occurred
between one and two o'clock, a.m. The enemy did not attempt
to renew it. In the course of the night the French not only
repaired the mischief done by the enemy, but extended the
trench considerably. The Russian loss is stated to be very
severe, compared with that of the French, numbers having
fallen in the second charge. One officer and several men were
taken prisoners. The French loss is reported as one officer
and thirty men.
JULY 17.—About 11 o'clock last night, while the batteries
were in a state of temporary repose, the stillness was suddenly
broken by loud shouting and bugle sounds in the direction
of the Malakhoff. It was just the night for making a sortie,
and the Russians had evidently taken advantage of it to make
one on a large scale. The attack lasted about twenty minutes,
though dropping shots of musketry, and an occasional discharge
of projectiles from the batteries, continued for nearly an hour.
Writing from the same place on the 20th, he says :
The new approaches continue to make satisfactory progress,
although on our side the advance made is not so obvious to
observation as that made by our Allies. Their works seem,
indeed, when observed from certain points of view, to be
almost in contact with the .b.ttie of tb. Mal4,'"r`h"l "'-
actual distance between them is probably not more than eighty
or one hundred yards. • They have carried their trenches
forward with remarkable determination and perseverance,
notwithstanding the heavy direct fire of shell, grape, and
musketry from the Korniloff bastion above, and an equally
severe flanking fire from the batteries on either side. The
French works carried forward on the right, towards the line
of Russian batteries extending from the Malakhoff-hill to the
west side of Careening harbour, though occupying a vast
extent of ground, appear in a very secure and complete state.
The enemy has not made any sortie of a serious nature since
the night between the 16th and 17th instant. They probably
suffered very severely on tblit occasion, for they are reported
to have advanced in very considerable force, and the discharge
of shells and other projectiles in the direction along which
they must have retired, was terrific. Their reserves also could
hardly have escaped from the incessant shower which was
kept up during the attack itself. Although the contest was
hotly maintained for some time, either from the advantage of
position or some such cause, our Allies do not appear to have
suffered so much as might have been expected on the occasion.
Our casualities, both among men and officers, during the past
week, have been less numerous than usual. Among the latter,
however, the death of Captain Rowland Fraser, of the 42d
Highlanders, has to be recorded. He was unfortunately killed
by a fragment of shell on the night of the 16th instant, while
on duty in the right attack. The shell struck him in the
body, and his death followed almost immediately afterwards.

"Under the same date, the correspondent of the
Times says, in reference to the spirits of the troops,
their condition, and that of the weather :

To-day there has been a veritable July sun ; not a breath
of air has been stirring. Over the Black Sea hangs the mist
which always appears when the sun pours down his rays with
more than usual power. Firing slack this morning; but
towards afternoon it has increased considerably, and at the
present moment there is a sharp cannonade kept up from
the Malakhoff, and now and then a volley of musketry an-
nounces that the skirmishers are at work. We have con-
structed another batteryof two Lancaster guns to the left, and in
advance of the 21-gun battery. Somewhat more to the left a
battery of six guns had been raised to fire on the shipping, but
it having been found that the position was too low for the
purpose, mortars have been substituted, and the battery will, no
doubt, open in a few days. The Lancasters have not yet been
mounted, but will probably be in position to-morrow. The
health of the men is still excellent, and their spirits do not in
the least suffer by the length and wearisomeness of the siege.
The summer is cool ; and as the Russians of late make very
few sorties, the nights are passed without much hardship in
the trenches. When formed in marching order to descend
the oft-trodden ravines which lead to the batteries, there is
neither despondency nor unwillingness ; the laugh and the
joke accompany their steps ; their air is brisk and alert : how
different from their appearance in the gloomy season of last
December ! The noise of skittles is to be heard on every
side, and the regimental bands, with sadly diminished num-
bers indeed, but still effective for amusement, give the various
popular airs to which we are accustomed at home. Cathcart's-
hill is every evening the lounge of hundreds of idlers, who,
stretched at length on the dried grass, or sitting on the piles
of stones which enclose many an honoured grave, look down
on the beleagured city, and watch the flashes which burst
from Mamelon, Malakhoff, or Redan with a lazy indifference.
Writing on the 21st, the same correspondent
says :--

Amid the returning heat which has followed the stormy
weather of last week, the operations of the siege are being
pressed forward by the French on our rig with inde-
fatigable industry. There is nothing in what goes forward
which can strike a stranger; stagnation seems to reign in
camp and trenches; even the heavy fire of a few days since
has for the most part died away ; yet every day an advance
is made, and every day sees the allies nearer the crest of the
Malakhoff, which it will now require all the courage and
tenacity of the Russians to hold. The Malakhoff and Mame-
ion stand on an elevated plateau, while the ridge that joins
them is itself higher than the land around. It i§ along this
ridge that the French sap extends in a zigzag to within
170 yards of the hill which the Russians hold. As the incline
is somewhat steep, the French working parties are already
out of the reach of the Russian guns, which cannot be suffi-
ciently depressed to be used against them. They, therefore,
can work on without danger, except from the riflemen, who
hold every spot of vantage, and use their best endeavours to
pick off every enemy who shows a part of his cap within their
range; but, as these can be replied to by French marks-
men while the guns of the Mamelon are hourly thunder-
ing against the Russian stronghold, the advantage is clearly
on the side of the French. The latter have also thrown a
small battery of field-pieces at the end of their sap, which
have hitherto prevented the egress and formation of Russian
troops for a sortie against them. These guns entirely command
the points on which the Russians are in the habit of leaving
their works, and they consequently have been reduced to reply
to all the advances of their enemy merely by fires of musketry
from the embrasures. The day before yesterday, however, a
few Russians straggled out, here and there, making their way
by dodging behind clumps of earth and bushes, until they had
reached about eighty yards from the parapet, when they threw
themselves on their faces, and began digging up earth for
cover. The French seemingly did not observe the movement,
and our People.not catching sight of the venturesome Mus-
covites until they were actually fixed in the position which
they wished to attain, fancied them to be French. By this
means the Russians have established rifle pits in front of the
French sap, where they will do the usual amount of damage, speedily driveaniont. On the 19th, the French,
unless they. be
signs of activity g the Russians on their left,
observing
opened a furious fire from all towards that part
of the town. The fire, wh why
as in any of the
bombardments, continued for about halfeav an hour, and, having
apparently effected its object, ceased. On the side of the Ma.
lakhoff the French have discovered the. way by which the
Russsian reserves are moved into the works. It appears that
two deep trenches lead to the Malakhoff, one on the side
of the Redan, and the other on the side of the Little