The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-10-16 00:00:00

OPERATIONS OF THE FLEET.

In reference to the services of the fleet, The Times' corre-
spondent, writing from the camp before Sebastopol, on the 25th

ult., says :

All our gallant sailors, from the admirals downwards, feel
acutely the difficulties and ingloriousness of the position in
which they have been placed. They had hoped, indeed, to co-
operate with the land forces in the fortunate attack on Sebas-
topol on the Bth of September ; but the violent wind and high
sea which sprang up early on the morning of that day forbade
them to raise an anchor ; nor could such a large fleet have
been set in motion in the bad weather that prevailed, and di-
rected against the narrow entrance of Sebastopol, without the
certainty of collision and the risk of fatal confusion. Orders
were given the night before to have steam up early and to give
the crews dinner at eleven o'clock, and it was fondly hoped the
men would have been engaged soon after noon. They were
destined, however, to be again spectators, auditores tanium,
of the struggle. In the recent short cruise to and from
Eupatoria the fleet could not discern any traces of the Russians
north of the Alma. They could not make out a convoy, or
even a single tent, all along the coast and the adjacent coun-
try, which can be swept by the telescope for several miles in-
land. It would seem, indeed, as if the Russians did not use
the Perekop road to any great extent, or that their convoys
made a detour towards the east, in order to avoid any flying
column from Eupatoria. Possibly they send most of their
supplies down by the Tchongar road, and there is every rea-
son to believe that the Russians have established another route
between Perekop and Tchongar, for the purpose of advance
or retreat. I have heard that some time back Capt. Sherard
Osborne with one man in a punt passed up the Straits of Ge-
nitchi, and pushed along through the rushes in the pestilential
salt marshes up to Tchongar Bridge, which he observed mi-
nutely, and that he saw enough to satisfy him that an immense
proportion of the Russian supplies were carried into the Crimea
by that route. Perekop is quite safe from the seaside. The
Spitfire was not able to get very near to the land, but, to make
assurance doubly sure, the enemy take the road south between
the Staroe and Crasnoe lakes, instead of going between
the sea coast and Staroe. The route becomes, however, matter
of indifference, if we are not to make any offensive movement ;
and, although some people hug the hope that the Czar will not
be able to feed his army during the winter, the quantity of
stores piled up on the north side is, to my mind, a guarantee
for their disappointment.

POSITION OF THE ALLIED ARMIES.
The correspondent of the same journal, in his letter from
the camp of the Allies on the Tchernaya, dated 29th ult.,
observes :—The taking of the Malakhofl was a surprise for the
Russians which forced them to evacuate the town rather more
precipitately than they expected. The fall of Sebastopol seems
to have been a surprise for the allies, which found them un-
prepared to take immediate advantage of it. Twelve months
of siege operations, carried on on a space scarcely exceeding
ten square miles , and in a country where they must entirely
rely on sea transport for all the necessaries of life, has had a
prejudicial effect on their movement, while the sad experiences
of last year have made them very cautious how to advance in
an inhospitable Taurida, and how to go to any distance from the
place where their supplies have been so laboriously collected.
Besides this, now, in the face of active field operations, the
paralysing influence of a divided commandership makes itself
doubly felt. The position of the allied armies has since the
fall of Sebastopol materially very little altered. They form
now on this side one long line, which runs nearly straight
from west to east, beginning at the harbour of Sebastopol, and
following the course of the Tchernaya to Alsu, then going
over to the plateau to the south of Ozembash, and crowning
the heights which enclose the valley of Baidar to the north,
up to the point where the road leads from Bazu over Siurnikaia
mountain to the upper Belbeck. The French, who occupy
this position to our extreme right, are thus in possesion of the
heights which lead out of the valley of Baidar to the rear of
the Russians. They hold the two only roads, one to the right,
which goes to Markoul and Koluluz, and the other to the left,
which runs by Ozembash into the Tchouliou valley, and from
there to the defiles of Aitodar and Mangup Kale. The Rus-
.sians are still down at Markul, which is situate in the gorge
formed by one of the feeders of the Belbek. They are, however,
evidently only a strong grande garde, a few battalions, and
the usual accompaniment of Cossacks. Towards Ozembash
the Russian outposts hold the plateau on the right bank of the
little stream of Upu, overlooking the head of the Tchouliou val-
ley. The outposts on both sides are so close to each other that
shots are continually exchanged between them. The features of
the country are particularly fit for such encounters, the heights
being covered with brushwood, and the little ravines on all
sides facilitating the approach of both parties. Both the roads
which lead up from the Valley of Baidar to the north are only
country roads, and, of course, nearly impassable in winter or
after rain. Having taken up this offensive position, the
French, with their usual foresight, have begun to make them
both practicable for the march of an army. All these positions
have been occupied by the French without anything worth the
name of a fight. They were only occupied by Cossack videttes,
Iwho, as usual, at the approach of a force, retired. We have
evidently not come to the line which the Russians intend to
I defend,

a OFFICIAL DESPATCHES.

WAR DEPARTMENT, OCt. 8.

Lord Panmure has this day received a despatch and its en-
closures, of which the following are copies, addressed to his
Lordship by General Simpson :
SZBASTOPOL, Sept. 25.

My Loral,—l have the honour to transmit the report of the
principal medical officer for this week, as well as for the week
ending the 18th of September, which, by mistake, I omitted
to send before.
Your Lordship will read with satisfaction that the health of
the army is all that can be desired ; and the marked improve-
ment since the arduous night duties have ceased is very
apparent.
The troops continue to be employed in the construction of
the roads, and in making preparations for the winter, which
are greatly facilitated by the fineness of the weather.
The enemy have commenced firing into the town, and the
troops stationed there for the purpose of peforming fatigue
duties have been in consequence withdrawn. Large quantities
of timber and building material are daily taken from the
houses by our troops.—l have, &c.,
JAMES SIMPSON, General Commanding.
The Lord Panmure, &c.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Oct. 11.

Lord Panmure has this day received a despatch and its
enclosures, of which the following are copies, addressed to his
Lordship by General Simpson :

SEBASTOPOL, Sept. 29.

MY Loan,—Since my last despatch the troops have been
employed, to the number of 9,500 men, daily, in making the
road from Balaklava to the camp ; and as, after a few hours of
rain, the whole distance is converted into a mass of deep mud,
the work that has to be performed, from this reason as well
as the great distance that the stones have to be transported,
renders it one of great labour and difficulty.
Large fatigue parties are daily employed in the town, dis-
mantling and conveying timber and other materials from the
ruins of the buildings, and I hope by this means to get a con-
siderable portion of the troops under cover previous to the
commencement of the bad weather.
The enemy have been firing from the batteries on the north
side at the working parties in the town, and, although causing
some little annoyance, they have not prevented the work being
carried on, and I am happy to add that one man killed and
one wounded are the only casualties occasioned by their fire.
I regret to have to report to your lordship that, owing to
the explosion of a Russian magazine on the 27th instant, one
officer and 19 men were wounded. I ordered an investigation
to be made, and, from the report I have received, the origin
was from the explosion of a hidden fougasse, a number of
Which have been dug up in various parts of the town and
I batteries. .

The invention of this machine is peculiarly Russian.
I have received a letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Ready,
71st Regiment, commanding her Majesty's troops at Yenikale,
reporting the proceedings of a trifling affair, in which a
detachment of the 10th Hussars, in company with the Chas-
seurs d'Afrique, were engaged on the 21st instant, with the
Cossacks. _ _

Colonel D'Osmont, commanding the French troops at
Kertch, received information that the Cossacks were collect-
ing and driving away all, the arabas from the neighbourhood,
and, as he determined td endeavour to prevent this, he invited
the assistance of the English cavalry to co-operate with the
Chasseurs d'Afrique. For this service Lieutenant-Colonel
Ready ordered two troops, commanded by Captains the Hon.
F. Fitz Clarence and Clarke, of the 10th Hussars.
The Cossacks were supposed to have assembled their arabas
at two villages, named Koss-Serai Min and Seit Ali, equidis-
tant from Kertch about fifteen miles, and from one another
six and a-half. Captain Fitz Clarence's troop was ordered to
the first village, and Captain Clarke's to the latter. At each
of these villages they were to join a troop of the Chasseurs
d'Afrique, who had preceded them. On arriving at Koss-
Serai Min, Captain Fitz Clarence found both troops of the
French Dragoons, and immediately sent off an order to Captain
Clarke to join him that night ; the letter was unfortunately
not delivered until the following morning. In complying with
this order Captain Clarke, whose troop consisted only of thirty-
four men, fell in with a body of about fifty Cossacks, which he
immediately charged and pursued ; but, as they were soon
reinforced by upwards of 300, he was forced to retire upon the
village, with a loss of his sergeant-major, farrier, and thirteen
men taken prisoners.
Captain Fitz Clarence's troop, with the Chasseurs, the whole
under the command of the officer commanding the French
troops, having seen a large body of the enemy, skirmished with
them at some distance, and moved in the direction of the vil-
lage of Serai Min, where, after having joined Captain Clarke's
troop, the whole force commenced their march upon Kertch.
At about the distance of half a mile from the village they
were attacked by a large body of Cossacks, who were, however,
beaten back by repeated charges. The loss of the 10th Hussars
consisted of— _ _ .

------
Two privates, supposed to have been killed.
One wounded.
One troop sergeant-major, one farrier, thirteen men, fifteen
horses missing.
From information that has since been received the Cossacks
were supported, within a quarter of an hour's march, by eight
squadrons of Hussars and eight guns.
Colonel Ready informs me that nothing could exceed the
coolness and courage of the troops in the presence of such
overwhelming numbers of the enemy, who were only kept at
bay by their steady movements.
I have the honour to enclose the list of casualities.
The health of the army, I am rejoiced to say, is excellent.
1 have, &c.,
JAMES SIMPSON, General Commanding.
The Lord Panmure, &c.
The total casualties are 1 rank and file killed; 1 officer, 1
sergeant, 19 rank and file wounded.