The Press.
London, England, 1855-08-18 00:00:00

THE WAR.

Important news, both from the Crimea and the
Baltic, have arrived by telegraphic despatches during
the week. From the former, the following tidings
were received yesterday afternoon at the War-office :

Varna, August 18, 1.30 p.m.
The Russians attacked the position on the Tschernays
this morning at daylight in great force. The action limited
about three hours, but they were completely repulsed by
the French and Sardinians.

Further particulars will be sent.
7.0 p.m.—The Russian attack of the morning was under
the command of General Liprandi, with from 50,000 to
60,000 men. Their loss is estimated between 4,000 and
5,000 men ' • about 400 prisoners taken. The loss on the
side of the allies is very small.

The Baltic despatches announce the accomplish-
ment and success of the bombardment of Sweaborg.
The account of the affair, as transmitted by Admiral
Dundas to the Admiralty, runs as follows:

Off Sweaborg, August 11.
Sweaborg was attacked by the mortars and gun•boata of
the allied squadrons on the morning of the 9th instant.
The firing ceased early this morning.
Heavy explosions and very destructive fires were pro-
duced in a few hours. Nearly all the principal buildings
on Vargon, and many more on Svarto, including those of
the arsenal and dockyards, are burnt.
Few casualties have occurred, and no lives lost in the
allied fleets.

A substantially similar despatch was received from
Admiral Penaud by the French Government. It
was dated also on the 11th, and announced that the
bombardment of Sweaborg had been very successful.
A terrific fire, which was kept up for forty-five hours,
had destroyed nearly all the stores of the enemy.
The magazines of the arsenal were a heap of ruins.
The magazines of powder and shells had exploded.
The enemy had received a terrible blow, and suffered
enormous losses. The loss of the allies was trifling.
Many ships had not received the slightest injury.
There was the greatest enthusiasm among the sea-
men of the fleets.

A private message transmitted by telegraph from.
Dantsie, and published in the Times, states :

The bombardment of Sweaborg commenced at six
o'clock last Thursday morning, and continued until day-
light on Saturday. The town itself is burnt to the ground,
not one house left. The dockyards are completely de-
stroyed. All the earthworks and batteries are knocked to
pieces. Six magazines blew up. In fact, Sweaborg exists
no more. On our side there are very few casualties.
The full details of this affair are still en route,
and the precise nature and extent of the destruction
inflicted upon the batteries and fortifications of
Sweaborg remains uncertain. Nothing further seems
to have been even attempted either against that for-
tress or the neighbouring fort of Helsingfors, since
a later despatch from Dantsic, dated Thursday
evening, acquaints us that the fleets had returned to,
Nargen. These advices add that no ships have been
seriously injured. The casualties on the English
side are—killed, none ; two officers and about 30
men wounded. The French loss is equally trifling.
The written despatches from the Crimea convey
only some details of the continued preparations
making by the allies for a renewed assault, which
was expected to come off on the 15th, the Napoleon
fête-day From the telegraphic announcement given
above it would, however, appear that the attack waa
delayed, as the Russians seem once more to have
taken the initiative.

Advices to the 4th instant have arrived by the
usual mails from the seat of war. They announce
that the Russians had heightened and increased the
fortifications of the Malakoff Tower.

The Preese d'Orient states that fifty six batteries
have been prepared for the general attack on the
left, at a distance of from 50 to 120 metres from the
enemy. Immense quantities of projectiles have been
conveyed to the trenches. Some works still remain
to be executed.

Experiments were being made at Kamiesch with
the mortar-vessels and gun-boats recently arrived in
the Black Sea.

Prince Gortschakoff reported to St. Petersburg
on the Bth : " Nothing has changed in the situation
before Sebastopol. The enemy's fire continues to be
feeble."

Another despatch, dated the evening of the 11th,
says: "Nothing new. The enemy's cannonade is
feeble."

Writing on the 10th, at night, the Prince reports
that there was nothing new before Sebastopol, and
that the fire of the allies was feeble.

The French Moniteur de t'Arm4e, publishing Ad-
miral Penaud's despatch, says : " The striking and
swift success of the allied fleets in the Baltic will
soon, we are confident., be followed by the no less
complete, though dearer bought, triumph of the
brave besiegers of Sebastopol."
The Russian Nord says . "We may now look out
for great events and horrifying recitals."
In yesterday's Poet we find another mysteriousin.
.imation "We have reason to believe that stirring

AUG. 18, 1855.

and hitherto unexpected, intelligence may be looked
for from the Crimea in the course of the next few
days."

The following official despatches have been pub-
lished in the Gazette :

Before Sebastopol, July 31.
I beg to inclose the list of casualties to the 29th inst.'
which I regret to say are very heavy.

The proiimity of our works to those of the enemy, to-
gether with the lightness of the night, and rocky nature of
the ground, making it impossible to obtain rapid cover,
materially contributes to such a result; notwithstanding
which disadvantages our engineers continue steadily, though
slowly, to advance in the direction of the Great Sedan.

An agreeable change has taken place the last few days
in the temperature of the weather ; heavy showers of
rain have occasionally fallen. _ .

Several reconnaissances have been made from the valley
of Baidar towards Ozenbash, Aitodor, and through the
Phoros Pass towards Aloupka, the enemy nowhere appear-
ing in any foroe ; but the narrowness of the mountain
roads, with the exception of the Woronzow, makes it un-
nacesaary for them to alter their concentrated position on
the heights of Mackenzie and plateau of the Belbeck.
The health of the troops continues very satisfactory.

August 4.
On the night of the 2nd inst., between ten and eleven
o'clock, the enemy made a sortie in considerable force by
the Woronzow-road. The strength of the enemy is com-
puted to be about 2,000. Their object was to destroy a
heavy iron chevaux-de-frieze, made across the Woronzow-
road, between our right and left attacks, and being further
supported by heavy columns in rear, to take advantage of
such circumstances as might present themselves.
They came on with loud cheers and bugling, and were
received with great gallantry by our advanced picket, under
the command of Lieutenant R. E. Carr, of the 39th Regi-
ment, who withdrew his men, firing at the same time upon
the enemy, to the main body, under the command of Cap-
tain Leckie, 39th Regiment.
A heavy and well-directed fire was opened upon the
enemy by the party under Captain Leckie on the Woron-
zow-road, as also by the guards of the trenches on the right
of the fourth parallel, under the command of Captain
Boyle, of the 89th Regiment, and Captain Turner of the
Ist Royals, which, in about ten minutes, caused the enemy
to retire from an attack which, if it had not been so well
met, might have been a serious affair.
The enemy left four men killed, and some wounded were
eirried away. We had only one man slightly wounded in
this affair.
I have the honour to transmit the returns of casualties
from the 30th July to the 2nd August.
I have the satisfaction of informing your lordship of the
return to this army of Captain Montagu, of the Royal
Engineers, from being a prisoner of war. He expresses
himself highly grateful for the kindness with which he
was treated by the Russians during his captivity.
. . _ .

It is with great regret that I have to communicate to
your lordship that Lieutenant-General Sir R. England,
G.C.B.' has been compelled, upon the recommendation of
a medical board, to return to England. Sir R. England is
the last of the general officers who left the United Kingdom
in command of a division; he has remained at his post
throughout the trying heats of Bulgaria, and the severities
and hardships of the winter's campaign in the Crimea; and
great credit is due to this officer for the constancy and un-
tiring zeal he has exhibited in carrying out arduous and
difficult duties on all occasions.

JAMES SIMPSON, General Commanding.

Admiral Lyons has transmitted a series of de•
spatches announcing further operations in the Sea of
Azoff, where a combined English and French squad-
ron, under the command of Captain Osborn, has
effected the destruction of a vast number of ilsh
stores, granaries, &-c., on the coast, without sustain-
ing any loss.