The Press.
London, England, 1855-12-15 00:00:00

THE RUSSIAN FORCES.

The reports of deserters represent the Russian
army to be very seriously reduced, but they still
admit that strong reserves are concentrated round
Duvenkoi and Simferopol, where also large stores of
provisions for winter are collected:—

The regiments, they say, are so reduced that most of
them have been melted down to two battalions, and, if the
orders which have been given to send twenty men from
each company into the interior to instruct recruits are

►S ATURDA?,

carried out, some regiments will altogether disappear.
The :Ifird Infantry Regiment, Borodynsky, belonging to
the 17th division—a regiment which took part in the
battles of Alma and Inkermann—has already had an order
to that effect. It will be incorporated, or rather divided,
among the other regiments of the division, with the
promise that it should be re-formed in times of peace. The
artillery seems not to be much better off than the infantry,
especially that part of it which is in front on the plateau.
One deserter says that the horses were in such wretched
condition when the Emperor reviewed them that he repri.
manded the colonel publicly. The consequence was that
the batteries, which were reviewed the next day on some
other point, had the best artillery horses brought up fur
the occasion from the batteries in the rear, where the
horses were in better condition, having been less exposed
sad fatigued.— Times cur., Nov. 24.

At present they are displaying great activity in
fortifying the Tchongar road, which is said to be
their main line of communication with the interior.
As regards the dispositions of the forces they are
much the same:—

There are still eleven divisions of infantry remaining in
the south, two having gone north. Immediately atter the
fall of Sebastopol, when the French went down towards
the Upper Belbeck, a great number of troops were sent
that way, so that from the pus of Aitodor down to Albared
and Kutshuck Sioren there were seven divisions, the 6th,
7th, tith, 9th, 10th, 13th reserve; and the 15th, the 16th,
and 17th were on the Mackenzie heights, the 4th and sth
at Inkermann, the 12th in the Severnaia, and the 11th on
the Belbeck.

When the demonstrations from Eupatoria forced the
Russians to show front in that direction the 4th and sth
were bent there; the 11th came down from the Beibee.k to
take their place; and the Bth were sent to Apiece the
latter.

Since the fall of Sebastopol not a man of regular troops
is said to have arrived in the Crimea—only about 20,000
militia. These latter were of those enrolled in April last.
Probably, in order to work on the religious feelings of the
new conscripts, they were all enrolled (luring the holy week
—23 in 1,010. They were of all ages, front seventeen to
sixty—boys and old men—no distinction was made ;
whether they were married or not, they were taken
according to the will of their owners, who naturally sent
those who were of least use to them The new conscripts
were drilled fur a month, and then sent otr.—lb.

THE WAR IN ASIA.
Letters from the Turkish camp at Sugdidi, of the
11th of November, state that Omer Pacha was about
to advance at once on Kutais. 'the whole army had
moved up from the Ingour to the town of Sugdidi,
two days after the battle. The inhabitants at first
displayed the most remarkable dread of the Turks,
not a living soul remaining in the town, but the
strict discipline enforced by Omer Pacha in his army
was gradually bringing back the refugees. A cha-
racteristic anecdote of Turkish character is given by
the Times correspondent. When the batteries of the
Ingour were taken, the first soldier who entered,
Perceiving a Russian colonel lying dead upon the ground,
he plucked off his glove and appropriated a valuable
diamond ring which was upon his linger. Knowing, how-
ever, that it would be impossible very long to keep secret
the possession of so valuable a prize, he showed his
Usbashi, or captain, his treasure, and requested permission
to keep it. The Usbashi told the man that he was quite
r•ght to bring the prize to him, and that henceforward it
should be transferred to the finger of the said Usbashi.
The soldier, not satisfied with this arrangement, referred
the matter to the Bimbashi, or major, who said that both
he and the Usbashi were highly culpable in daring to retain
the ring from their superior officer, and that he would
therefore relieve them of the subject of dispute. From
the Bimbashi the soldier went to the Kaima Kama, or
lieutenant•colonel, 'rho at once followed the example of
his inferiors, and took possession of the ring. The soldier
still persevered, however, and went to the Meer Ali
(colonel), who determined that he was the rightful pos-
sessor of the ring by virtue of his rank, and dismissed the
rival claimants from his presence in the most summary
manner. Next day a French officer attached to the stilt' of
Omer Pacha observed a private soldier prowling near the
tent of the commander•in-chief. The story of the ring
was at once retailed by its original possessor to this gentle-
man, who laid the matter before his llighness, and the
man had not only the satisfaction of regaining possession
of his property, but of knowing that those who had at-
tempted successively to deprive him of it bad been severely
reprimanded for their conduct.—Times cur., Nov. 11.

A further letter from Trebizond, dated the 19th,
states that Omer Pacha had reached the river
Marnai, a few miles from Kutais :
From that station to Rvdout•Kale the roads are good, and
in possession of the Turks, consequently head-quarters are
transferred to that place. The transport of provisions and
ammunition was very easy, and was principally dune by
Mingrelians, who being regularly paid served with zeal.
The security of the roads was obtained after Omer Pacha
had taken possession of the village of Kappa, where eight
Russian battalions were. In this village were found
12,000 winter coats, which were quite a god-send to the
Ottoman army, and other articles of equipment. Mustapha
advances, it is said, on Kutais by the great road of Um.-
gheti, and we shall, before long, be informed of the junc-
tion of these corps.—Leller from Trelthrond, Nov. 18.

From Kars the information is scanty; Mouravieff,
by the latest dates, still kept up a strict blockade.
A letter, dated the 3rd of November, had reached
Paris, direct from the city, but merely contained a
brief account of a skirmish with the Russians

' DECEMBER 15, 1855.

I risk these few lines, although not at all certain that
this will reach you.
Towards ten o'clock this morning the monotony of our
blockade was interrupted by a movement on the part of
the Russians, followed by a cannonade. This is what
omurred
At the foot of the Takmaz-Tabia is a deserted village.
Twelve Russian battalions, two reg; meuts of cavalry, and two
artillery batteries, marched upon this village with the view
of destroying it, in order to carry away the wood, which
the temperature we have here causes to be in great request.
The expedition was commanded by Mouravieff in person.
The moment the march commenced we took our precau-
tions to be ready for anything that might occur.
As soon as the work of destruction commenced, and we
became acquainted with the intention of the enemy, we
rushed upon him from the height of the position of the
Takmaz-Tabia The firing lasted about an hour. The
enemy not being able to hold the village, was obliged to
retreat precipitately, leaving fifty dead and wounded be
hind him. In retreating he fired the village, which was
gradually burnt.
You have now all that has occurred that is new. It is
said Selim Bey is approaching; also that Omer Pacha will
act with effect, bat we have no official particulars. That
which we know but too well is that all our horses are posi-
tively dead of hunger, and that our men are beginning to
succumb to the same fate. 1 hope that this will soon be
over. Our miseries once past we shall quickly forget them.
The advance of Selim Pacha from Erzeroum was
very problematical. The Times Constantinople
correspondent gives no flattering account of him :-
11)The English officers at Erzeroum have done their very
utmost to get Selim Plebe to make a move in advance ;
but Selim, who appears to be one of these fainéant gene-
rals too common in Turkey, demurs and stirs not. He
promised to march on the 14th, but put it off until the
Itith, and will then probably have postponed it until some
later day. It was thought that he might at least venture a
dash at the small Russian column at Dellibaba, a very
short distance to the east of Erzeroum, and without any
extraordinary effort of valour give a good account of it.
The Russians there are but 3,000 to 4,000 strong, with six
small guns ; whereas Selim could march against them
with 5,000 infantry, 1,500 regular and 500 irregular cavalry,
24 guns, and 1,500 to 2,000 Bashißszouks. Where such
a disparity of force existed all that was wanting was the
will to tight. This is very likely not wanting among the
troops, who have lately received new clothes, new arms,
and four months' pay. But Muchir Selim is a slow com-
mander, and little can be hoped from him—Times Con-
stantinople cor., Nov. 29.
Of the certain fate of Bars there appeared very
little doubt at Constantinople; previous letters had
stated that the garrison could hold out without relief
orov to n certain period, and that period had arrived
before Selim Pacha intended to move.

Tnr RING or SARDINIA, it is stated, has been
invited to Vienna by the Emperor of Austria. The
motive of this invitation is said to be to extract from
the King some concession in favour of the Church
privileges lately surpressed in Sardinia.
THE Russurt GOVERNMENT, at a late council of
war, determined upon fortifying St. Petersburg and
Moscow. General Dehn and General Todtleben
have been respectively appointed to plan and super-
intend the works. The fortifications of Paris nave
been taken as a model.
RUSSIAN POLICY at this moment is thought to be
favorable to France. It is related that a St. Peters-
burg journal ebout to publish a political article upon
the speech of the French Emperor, was prohibited
from so doing "by command." The Emperor Alex-
ander's allusion "to a powerful and valiant enemy"
in his late address to his army, is understood to refer
specially to the French.
THE GRAND DUKE CONSTANTINE, 115 High-Admiral
of the Russian fleets, has, by an order of the day, per-
mitted the survivors of the crews of the Black Sea
fleet to wear upon their helmets the following inscrip-
tion : " For Sebastopol, from Sept. U., 1854, to Aug.
27, 1855."
COLONEL BLONFIELD, Military Commissioner at
Bucharest in the room of Colonel Turr, the Hun-
garian lately arrested by Count Coronini, arrived at
his post on the 2-ith November, and died the day
after from the extreme fatigues of his journey. All
the civil and military authorities, foreign oonsuls,
and Austrian officers of high rank, attended the
funeral.
GENERAL. PAAR, the Austrian Commandant at
Jassy, being lately appealed to by the Moldavian
Government to put an end to the smuggling trade
carried on between Moldavia and Bessarabia, replied
" that the Austrian army was in the principalities to
resist any armed irruption of the Russians, and not
to act as police."
THE NEUTRAL STATE OF HAMBURG, in the first
week of this month, allowed five cargoes of sulphur
and four of saltpetre to be openly landed and sent off
across the frontier. via Prussia, to Russia. The
otiloials are said to have allowed the commodities to
pass through on their being packed in sugar-casks, as
I.4rge supplies of Brazil a,ali il•avannaii sugars are
daily landed for transit to Russia. Colonel Hodges,
the English Consul-General, has, we believe, pro-
tested strongly against this infraction of neutrality.