The Press.
London, England, 1855-09-08 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

THE WAR.

WE are still without intelligence of any active move-
ments of importance before Sebastopol. The tele-
graphic advices received in Paris and London, and
published by either Government, bear date only to
the 2nd inst., and announce merely that all was well,
and the siegeworks progressing rapidly. On the
31st ult. the allied generals reported that the
Russians had made a sortie on the works before the
Redact on the ptevious night, but were repulsed after
destroying some gabions.
Prince Gortschakoff is stated in a despatch from
Hamburg to have informed the Czar that the forti-
fications of Sebastopol had suffered severely from the
fire of the besiegers. This confession of damage
has created much comment in Paris, but the authen-
ticity of the report that any such despatch was sans
mitted appears very questionable. The Prince sent
word on the 30th ult. to St. Petersburgh

On the night between the 28th and 29th we blew up a
large quantity of the enemy's projectiles in the old keine-
ehatka lunette ( the lifamelon).
. . .

The fire of the allies is more moderate upon the whole,
but is strong at times.

On the Ist inst. he reports
The fire of the enemy continues as before.
There is nothing new.
Despatches from the East (coming through
Trieste) state that it is expected that the Russians
will be compelled to act again on the offensive.
According to the latest accounts from Constanti-
nople, dated the 27th ult., the Russians have con-
structed two semi-circular lines behind the Malakoff
Tower. A great movement is observable amongst
the army of the enemy on the Belbeck plateau.
New works have been constructed by the allies to
protect the line of the Tschernaya.
The Russians were actively constructing the
bridge which is to unite the north and south of
S.-bastopol.
All the steamers of the allies have been ordered to
return to France for troops. They bring home sick
and wounded.

The army has lost another of its general officers.
Lieutenant General Sir George Brown, G.C.8., has
resigned his appointment upon the staff. His re-
signation has been accepted, and was duly notified in
the general orders of the 23rd of August.
His Excellency Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, G.C.8.,
has invested the undermentioned officers of the army
and navy, by commission under the sign manual,
with the insignia of the Most Honourable Order of
the Bath :—Lieutenant-General Sir Colin Campbell,
G.C.8.; Rear-Admiral Sir Edmund Lyons, G.C.8.;
Lieutenant-General Sir H. Bentinck, K.C.8.; Rear-
Admiral Sir Houston Stewart, K.C.B. ; Lieutenant-
General Sir W. Codrington, K.C.B. ; biajoraeneral
Sir Richard Airey, K.C.8.; Lieutenant General Hon.
Sir J. Yorke Scarlett, K.C.B. ; Mikjor•General Sir
Harry Jones, K.C.8.; Major-General Sir Wm. Eyre,
K.C.B.

The Piedmontese general, Monte Vecchio, who was
at first reported to have receiveda mortal wound in the
battle of Tschernaya, is now stated to be recovering.
The Russian army in that engagement was, ac-
cording to the Presse d'Orient, composed as fol-
lows :—Corps of General Liprandi, 20,000 ; corps of
General Read, 20,000; cavalry, 6,000; engineers,
2,000; riflemen, 1,000; artillery, 2,400 ; in all,
51,400, with 160 pieces of cannon. The cavalry
were not engaged. General Goitschakeff remained
on the heights with a strong reserve.

The Military Gazette of Vienna, a journal not
likely to overstate the Russian reverse, says that be-
sides the three generals killed, the Russian army
lost 1,451 killed, including forty-five officers, and
4,875 wounded.
General Toddeben, who had almost recovered from
his wound, will be prevented from resuming active
service through his own impatience. Before he was
in a fit state, he persisted in inspecting the fortifica-
tions and the progress of his mines. This exertion
brought on inflammation, and, by the advice of the
surgeons, Prince Gortschakoff determined on remov-
ing him from Sebastopol to prevent the chance of
another relapse. He was therefore conveyed to Sim
feropol, -•here he still is; but, notwithstanding his
absence, nothing important is done without bis ad-
vice being taken.

A letter from Anapa, of July 29, says :
The place is now occupied by fifty Frenchmen, one hun-
dred Turks, and a large body of Circassians, who are
coming down from the mountain with their women, chil-
dren, and flocks. The French are busy haymaking ; that is
to say, they are employing the Circassians in fetching and
mowing the hay in the valleys, which they are stacking in
the principal square in the town, and intend to remove it to
the Crimea in a short time.
It appears by the last accounts from Constanti-
nople that Omer Paella intends to go immediately

840

to Batoum to make himself fully acquainted with the
requirements of his army ; from thence he will pro-
ceed to Varna to witness the embarkation of his
troops, which he will afterwards land at Batoum, and
then advance with them into the interior, where he
will take up a fortified position, by which he hopes to
cut off the retreat of the enemy.
By the latest advices received from Kars, of the 7th
ult., the Russians continued to blockade that place
with a view of starving the garrison into submission,
but there was no appearance of any intention to make
an attack upon the fortress, the enemy contenting
themselves with occasionally approaching the town;
firing a few shots, and then retiring to their former
position. On the 4th there was an engagement in
which the Turks obtained considerable advantages.
The Russians advanced with the whole of their
forces against the intrenchments of Kars and made
an attack on the battery of Khanly-Tabia. The
contest between the artillery commenced, and lasted
three hours. The Russians, who lost a great numbet
of men, retreated. Besides the dead and wounded
they took off, they left on the field more than one
hundred men. A Russian general was killed in this
affair, and one of their guns was so injured that it
had to be abandoned. The Ottoman troops are said
to have displayed great bravery, and, owing to the
position they occup.ed, lost but few men.
The following ofircial despatch has been received
and published by Lord Panmure :
Before Sebastopol, Aug. 25.
Having been engaged since daylight in a careful obsei•
vation of the position in front of lialaklava, 1 am unable to
address your lordship at any length to-day.
The enemy have been concentrating troops at the Mae-
kenzie, Tasova, and Karales, their left extending as far as
the village of Biskoul, and are supposed to have received
considerable reinforcements, which probably consist of two
divisions of grenadiers, which have been conveyed in carts
from Baktclu-Serai and Simferopol.
The bridge across the Great Harbinr is nearly com-
pleted, and large bodies of men are employed in erecting
earthworks on the north aide of the harbour. Intrench-
ments have been thrown dp on the Severnava-hill, extend-
from the seacoast to the site of the first lighthouse, facing
the north.
From various sources we learn that the Russians on OS
right bank of the Tschernaya are held in perfect readiness
for an offensive movement.
Our siege operations progress steadily, with, I regret to
say, heavy casualties on our side, as your lordship will *es
by the accompanying lists.
JAMEs Smear:ix, General CAtnmanding.
There is no news from the fleets. A Dantsio
despatch of Thursday announces that the Vulture
had arrived, and is not so seriously injured as was
at first supposed by the accident of running aground
at Hango Head. The weather was very bad, but the
fleets remained healthy.
All the English gun-boats which are unfit for ser-
vice have received orders, by the Basilitk, to proceed
home. They have left Helsingfors.
The allied fleets sailed from before Cronstadt on
the 27th ult.

Respecting the results of the late bombardment of
Sweaborg, the Moniteur says •
It *as not, as supposed, only to withdraw the Russian
three decker anchored between tiustafsvard and ltakhol-
men that the enemy took away that vessel from the passage
in which it had been placed. Hit, and perforated by the
shells, that vessel was sinking, and the Russians were
obliged to tow her into shallow water; she is still there,
lying over on one side, and full of water, which explains
the inclined position in which she was seen from the sea.
Considerable storehouses of corn and flour destined for the
troops were consumed by the flames.
Great fears were entertained that the allied squadrons
would attack and burn the town. Persons who have
visited Sweaborg since the bombardment have stated that
the principal buildings destroyed in the citadel are—Two
powder magazines ; two shell magazines ; one magazine
full of flax and ropes; two storehouses, containing corn
and flour for the troops; one pitch manufactory; one large
house, containing hospital stores for the army ; seventeen
private hmses ; the house of the Governor-General and
his Chancery ; eighteen vessels hit in the basins ; the gra-
nite quays are damaged by the shells; finally, the shells
which fell on board the man of-war wounded ninety-six
men, who were conveyed to the town hospital, but the num-
ber of killed is nut known.
The number of killed acknowledged is 2,000, but it is
supposed at lielsingfors that the number is much greater.
At the present moment the hospital at Helsingfors is full
of wounded from the citadel, and, not being large enough
to contain all who have been brought there, it has been
found necessary to lodge them with the inhabitants.
SIEGE CHRONICLE.
Letters from the camp to the 25th ult. have arrived.
The following extracts contain the details of chief
interest. The Times correspondent writes .-
20.—The fire which opened at daybreak on Friday
the 17th continued the whole ofSaturday and yesterday, but
was slackened this morning by order I should not wonder
if it were to be again increased to night, in order to favour the
progress of the French works. This has already been con-
siderable, and the French seem duly sensible of the service
our cannonade has rendered them. It has enabled them
to do in four hours what they previously could not
have done in fifteen days, or even what they otherplls
*mild never hare done. Their foreniost peransl, %think
bad boon begun albs two sok esold sot be ovagibletil,