The Press.
London, England, 1855-09-15 00:00:00

THE WAR.

FALL OF SEBAStOPOL.

THE accomplishment of the event which has for
eleven months formed the great object of the labour
and courage exercised by the allied armies in the
Crimea, and of eager anticipation in England and
France, took place this day week. The details of
the event are as yet but imperfectly communicated
by the laconic advices received per telegraph. We
learn however that the grand attack on Sebastopol
was made on Saturday last, the evermore memorable
Bth of September, at noon, by storming the Malakoff,
and the Little and Great Redans. In all our gallant
allies, and our own brave troops, effected a lodgment,
but such was the force of the enemy's concentrated
artillery fire, and such the strength of his reserve
infantry, that only the Malakoff could be held. Here
—within the enceint—the French firmly fixed them-
selves, and defied all attempts to dislodge them.
While the troops on the right were engaged at the
Malakoff, General de Salles made a diversion on the
other side of the town, from the left attack, against
the Central Bastion, but did not effect a permanent
lodgment. The Malakoff has proved an all-sufficient
entrance. It is not known that, beyond establishing
themselves in this work, the besiegers prosecuted the
attack : the enemy gave them no time. The Mala-
koff was taken on Saturday afternoon, and on Sa-
turday night the Russians, in the exacerbation of
despair, began to sink their ships, blow up their ma-
gazines, and burn their city. By Sunday morning
Sebastopol was evacuated, and the communication
between the north forts and the town broken off.

The progress of the assault was communicated by
General Simpson by a series of despatches to the
War-office, of which the following extracts were
published by Lord Panmure
:
Crimea, Sept. 5.
Our batteries opened fire at daylight this morning.
Sept. 6, 5 p.m.
The bombardment goes on steadily and favorably, with
few casualties on our side.
A Russian frigate, supposed to have been set on fire by
our rockets, was burnt last night in the Great Harbour.
Sept. 8.
Another Russian frigate was destroyed by fire, yesterday
afternoon, in the Great Harbour of Sebastopol.
A large fire is burning this morning about the middle of
the town of Sebastopol.
Last night, about five minutes past one o'clock, a great
explosion took place, supposed to have been one of the
enemy's magazines on the north side.
Sept. 8, 11.3.5 p.m.
The allied forces attacked the defences of Sebastopol
this day at twelve o'clock.
The assault on the Malakoff has been successful, and
the work is in possession of the French.
The attack of the English against the Redan did not
succeed.

Sept. 12, 10.40 cm.
a• The enemy have destroyed the remainder of their fleet.
Nothing now remains in the harbour.

It was, however, upon the French that the chief
glory of the achievement devolved, their gallant
capture of the Malakoff having led to the rapid eva-
cuation of the whole of the south portion of Sebas-
topol. In General Felissier's despatches accordingly
the events are more fully narrated. These advices
arrived in the following series :

Varna, Sept. 9, 13.35
We commenced the assault on the Malakoff at noon
yesterday. Its entrenchments and the Redan of Careening
Bay were carried by our brave soldiers by storm, with ad-
mirable intrepidity, to the shouts of " Vive l'Empereur !"
We immediately occupied ourselves in lodging ourselves
there. We succeeded in doing so at Malakoff. The Redan
of Careening Bay was not tenable, owing to the heavy fire
of artillery which was poured upon the first occupants of
that work. However, our footing in the Malakoff will
soon enable ns to reduce that as well as the Redan itself,
of which our brave allies carried the salient with their ha-
bitual courage ; but, like ourselves before the Redan of
Careening Bay, they were forced to retire before the
enemy's artillery and his powerful reserves.
When our eagles were seen floating on the Malakoff,
General lle Salley made two attacks on the Central
Bastion. They were not successful. The troops retired
into the trenches.

Our loss is severe; we cannot yet state its amount, but
ft is entirely compensated by our success, for the taking of
the Malakoff is a result the consequence of which will be
immense.

Sept. 9, 3 a.m.
Karabelnia, and the southern part of Sebastopol, exist
no longer.
The enemy, seeing our solid occupation of the Malakoff,
has decided on evacuating the place after having mined or
blown up nearly all the defences.
I passed the night in the midst of our troops, and I can
assure you that everything was blown in Karabelnia ;
and from what I have seen it must be the same on the
left attack.

This immense success reflects the highest honour on
our troops. I will sena you our losses tomorrow ; after
such obstinate struggles they must be serious.