The Press.
London, England, 1855-08-11 00:00:00

SATURDAY,

SIEGE CHRONICLE.

The last letters from the camp are of the 28th ult
They report no occurrences of special moment. The
following extracts from the correspondence of the
Daily News narrate the progress of the siege opera-
tions since the previous advices :
Camp above Sebastopol, July 23.

The short period which has elapsed' since the mail left
on the 21st instant has not been marked by any important
event connected with the siege operations. The French
works have been steadily advancing against the Malakoff
position, in spite of continued and very severe opposition
both by day and night. Frequent discharges of grape have
been directed against the head of the up, and grenades
and (whom shells have been thrown abundantly. Although
the French have necessarily suffered from the fire directed
against them, their daily numbers of casualties are by no
means so great as might be anticipated.
Our new batteries are completed and armed. The prin-
cipal battery, occupying a very advanced position on the
right, and in front of Frenchman's-hill, is fitted with a
most powerful armament, a considerable proportion of
which consists of land and sea service 13-ineh mortars.
This is more especially to act, it is said—and its position
renders the statement probable--against the line-utluattle
ships which still retain their threatening attitude, broad-
side toward the liarabelnia suburb. Our new parallel in
advance of the Russian trenches connected with the Quarry
Battery and works has been completed; it will form a very
extensive place d'arnies whenever • gathering of troops
may be necessary in that direction prior to another assault.
The temperature has been exceedingly high during the
last three days, the thermometer averaging from 85 deg. F.
to 92 deg. le , in the shade of a tent, during the greater
part of the day while the sun was in the ascendant. About
ten o'clock each morning a breeze has sprung up from the
sea, which has moderated the oppressive state of the at-
mosphere. The troops, however, are generally healthy,
although cases of fever and bowel complaints still prevail
in certain parts of the camps.
JULY 25.—There was a heavy fire all night from the
batteries, and about midnight the enemy made a sortie
against the ambuscades and advanced trenches of the
French on the Malakoff Hill. The moon bad been shining
brightly, and about five minutes after it had set and there
was general obscurity the Russians sallied out. The
French were on the alert, and must have perceived the
enemy advancing, for the first notice in the English attack
of the sortie were the French bugles sounding the alarm.
They were immediately followed by the usual sharp cry of
the Russians as they rushed f3rwiud to attack, mixed with
the sound of their bugles and shouts of officers A very
heavy fire of musketry followed, and all the batteries
opened with terrific effect.
Jour 26.—Same new mortars of large calibre have
arrived for us, which possess, it is stated, the superior
advantage of being worked with greater facility then the
mortars on the old plan. They are moved on a kind of
traversing platform.. It is said that .our artillery are
expecting daily the arrival of a large supply of powerful
mortars.

The fire from the batteries on both sides was very inces-
sant during the whole night. The Russians not only
threw a vast amount of shells into various parts of the
works, but kept up a constant discharge of grape and
" bouquets " against the advanced trenches. These bou-
quets consist of a number of small shells or grenades ;
they are thrown from a mortar, about ten or twelve at one
discharge ; they burst closely together, and their fragments
are scattered in all directions. A constant fire of this
kind is going on against the French works on the
Malakoff Hill, and in addition the sharpshooters maintain
an unceasing fusillade. The loss of our allies, from
casualties of all kinds, is said now to be nearly one hun-
dred men per diem. This seems a very large number, but
the great extent of ground they occupy, and the strength of
the force employed in guarding the trenches and in work-
ing parties, with the closeness to the enemy's lines, will
sufficiently explain the apparent improbability of the state-
ment. The proportion of our own casualties has greatly
increased of late, though the majority have not been of a
very grave character. From the great weight of our
shells, and the superior power and comparative proximity
of our guns, the loss in the ranks of the enemy must also
be very great.
JULY 27.—Many reforms have taken place in the inte-
rior economy of our routine since the change at our head-
quarters; they give universal satisfaction. The trench
duties are now taken by divisions, which prevents a deal of
trouble; in the event of casualties the senior officers can
be discovered without difficulty, and the command handed
over to the proper person without requiring the aid of an
army-list. The whole of the attack is placed under the
command of the general of the attack, who delivers his
orders to all employed. Formerly the Artillery was only
under the control of its own chief, and received the orders
from him alone. The inconvenience from this arrangement
has only now been rectified. Our new commander-in-
chief seems determined to view all things for himself, snd
will take nothing on hearsay. He was nearly taken as a
spy by some soldier ignorant of his rank not long since,as
the latter could not understand what business an officer in
a very shabby uniform, and without any attendants, had
in promenading through the most advanced and exposed
trenches, looking into the magazines, taking the directions
of the mortar batteries, and making himself master of the
whole plan of our attack.
. .

JULY 28.—The fire in the batteries was as heavy and un-
interrupted last night as it has been for several nights past.
Our allies manifest an originality in the minor branches of
military strategy which we sadly want. At the attack of
the Mamelon, on the ith, the signal given was six rockets
from the Victoria Redoubt. Under the impression that
the besieged would probably for the future keep a good
look out for demonstrations of this nature, the French not
many days since made these's...4nel, and env-AEI:m:IW
it with the reli of damns i3l the trenches towtada the licitt,