Colored News.
London, England, 1855-08-11 00:00:00

A LEAF FROM A DIARY IN THE CRIMEA.

MONDAY.—The fire was very heavy all night, but the working
parties escaped with coaiparatively few casualties. The attack
was made against the new French rifle pit, on the Malakoff-hill.
It is said that the enemy did not advance with their former con-
fidence, and their approach was observed. Our allies were con-
sequently fully on the alert, and the reception the enemy met with
caused him to retire with precipitation. The Russians suffered
severely as they were going back from the discharge of shells
which were poured in the direction of the Malakoff works.
TUESDAY.—A powerful fire was opened against the Redan at
3a.m. this morning, from both the left and the right British attacks,
and was continued about nine hours. The Redan answered
quickly and vigorously. Our practice was most excellent. Three
of the most powerful mortars in the Greenhill attack were con-
stantly discharged together, and the effect. produced by the she'll
falling within the Redan at short distances from each other was
strongly marked. They reached the ground almost at the same
instant, and clouds of dust ruse after their explosion. Frequently
the shot from the Frenchman's-hill batteries were noticed to pass
right through the embrasures of the Redan, ploughing up the
cheeks of the openings as they passed along. Yet it is doubtful
whether much damage was done to the enemy's guns Often
when cur artillerymen had supposed their certain guns, from their
continued silence, had been knocked over, these guns would
suddenly appear in their embrazures, and open tire. Even late in
the evening, after the fire had been renewed in the afternoon
against the Redan, the guns appeared able to apply whenever it
suited the purpose of the enemy that they should do so. But
though the guns may have remained for the most part uninjured,
it was seen that the ateillery-men suffered severely. Behind the
hollow between the Redan and Malakoff hills part of a broad road
is visible. This road emerges from behind the Redan hill, passes
in front of the barrack and part of the dockyard wall, and is lust
to view behind the Malakoff hill. Along this way men hearing
stretchers and ambulance waggons were observed to pass and re-
pass in unusual numbers. In the course of the mornine, a 10-inch
gun in the right attack burst, killing one sailor and wounding two
others. It is remarkable that the Malakoff batteries bid not fire.
Three new embrasures were discovered this morning on the proper
right of the Malakoff works. They must have been opened during
the night. The line of fire appears to be against our quarrywork.
WKDNESDAY.—One result of the fire opened aeainst the Redan
yesterday appears to have been a considerable diminution in the
degree of opposition made by its guns against our advance works,
and the supposed site of operations in progress by our working
parties. Tie fire was less vigorous than it had been for many
nights previously. The enemy made frequent use of fireballs, as
if there were some suspicion that the tire of the daytime was
intended to be preliminary to an attack at night. A fire broke
out in the town, which threw a bright glare for a wide distance
round. It appeared to be near the ravine, at the head of the
south harbour, and was very probably an intentional destruction of
some of the houses of the suburbs which were in the way of the
Russian works. The fire in the batteries has been very Slack all
day. The weather has continued oppressively hot. It appears
strange that at this advanced peuiod of the hot season the issue of
summer clothing to the troops is nut yet completed. In the light
division •the issue was only commenced within a week past, and as
yet summer trousers only have been given out to the men. It is
stated that the suits will be completed within a short time; hut
two months ago they might have been distributed with advantage.
The soldiers wiar have lately joined have brought their canvas
dress with them, and all the men who are wearing it describe it to
be an easy and cool attire, especially when on fatigue duty. Flies
now infest the camp in such countless myriads that they almost
amount to a plague. They chiefly consist of the same species
as the common house-fly in England. Mosquitoes and sand flies
are also annoying, but do not exist to such an extent as to cause
inconvenience worthy of note. The execution of a French soldier
took place this afternoon in the plain of lialaklava. The unhappy
criminal belonged to the 73d regiment of the line. Ile had stabbed
the captain of hi: company, and caused his death. lie was con-
veyed in an artillery waggon to the spot where his life was to pay
forfeit for the net he had committed, and was attend-d by api jest.
Only a few moments of suspense followed A firing party of
twelve men had been drawn up in front of the prisoner. Ten of
these men were to fire ; the shots of two were reserved in c ise of
the execution being incomplete. This proved to be a psud"nt
precaution. The order to tire vas made in silence, signalled by
the movement of ,the sword of the officer in command of the
firing party. At the first wave of the blade the arms were
" carried," at the second they were brought to the " present," at
the third the shots were discharged. Them were a few quivvering
movements, and the soldier fell.

The Birmingham gaol keeper was indicted at the Warwick
Assizes and found guilty of cruelty to the prisoners under his
charge, one it will bo recollected died under his coercion.
A firm of attorneys having brought an action aglinst a genVe-
man of Yorkshire for their bill of costs, incurred bp his wife in pro-
secuting a suit of divorce in the ecclesiastical court against her
husband on the ground of cruelty, the case was tried at York,
before Mr. Baron Platt, when it having been shown that the defen-
dant's wife, who is now dead, was a woman of violent temper, and
that her husband had not treated her with any harshness, the
plaintiff's were nonsuited, on the ground that there was not sefficient
reason for prosecuting the suit of divorce.
A young man named Andrew Moreland was committed for trial
at Liverporl on a charge of stealing two £lOO notes front a deck in
the Exchange, where they had been left for a few minutes.- The
prisoner had got them exchanged by an emigration agent, stating
that he had received the notes from his friends in Bcltast.
At the Stafford assizes, Mr. William Booth. coaldealer, Birminn-
ham, sued the South Staffordshire Railway Company, to recover
damages for an injury which the plaintiff had sustained, in con-
sequence of the train in which the plaintiff was running foul of a
carriage which had been improperly backed from a siding on to the
line. The company had
.paid £75 into court, and the jury gave a
verdict for the plaintiff, with £25 damages beyond the sum paid
into court.
Mr. John Dalton, an architect, and who had hitherto borne a
most irreproachable character, was convicted at the Clonmel
assizes of forging the name of the Marquis of Waterford to three
bills of exchange for £1,300, and negotiating the same. Strong
affidavits in mitigation of punishment were put in, and the court,
having given them a favourable consideration, commuted the
prisoner's sentence to four years' penal servitude.
At the Bodmin assizes, Edward Rawle, late master of the
emigrant ship John, which was wrecked at St. Keverne in May
last, was tried for the manslaughter of Eliza Hallett, one of the
passengers who lost their lives on that occasion. The ground of
the charge was that the captain was not rdinarily wilful and
careful. The jury acquitted him.

THE COLORED NEWS.