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

THE PRESS.

trated his infantry chiefly on the extreme right of the third
division (Faucher's) on which point a second column was
now advancing, I ordered a portion of my fifth brigade,
under the command of General Mallard, to march to the
support of the right wing of the French, and I posted two
of our batteries in a position from whence they g:ould
maintain an oblique tire upon the Russians. At the sanie
time I requested the English cavalry to move down into
the plain to be in readiness to charge. I had given similar
orders to my own cavalry.
When the soldiers of my fifth brigade arrived at the
mamelon they found that the enemy's attack had been
already repulsed ; but the fire of the two batteries of the
second division (Troths') appeared to do great execution
on the second Russian column, which, checked in front
by the French troops, and harassed in the rear by the fire
of our batteries and the musketry of our battalions, fell
back in the greatest disorder. I then ordered some of our
battalions to advance under cover of the riflemen (Ber-
saglieri) ; but I was requested to countermand this move-
ment.

The enemy, repulsed at all points, commenced his re-
treat. One column, which appeared to me to consist of a
division, retreated by the valley of the Souliou. Another
division, the one which had attacked our outposts and the
French right in the morning, fell back upon the zigzag
marnelon ; while a third division followed the road which
leads to Mackenzie's Farm.

I took advantage of this state of things to reoccupy with
my troops the zigzag mamelon ; in which design I succeeded
perfectly, in spite of the imposing force which the enemy
still retained on that point. In the meantime three batta-
lions of Turkish troops advanced into the valley of Tchor-
goun, to replace the battalion of Cialdini's brigade, which
was occupying the heights of Karlooka.
Later in the day, 1 crossed the Tschernaya with four
squadrons, and, marching in a parallel line with the zigzag
mainelon, came upon the old Russian redoubt, whence 1
could easily discern, at a little distance before us, a very
fine array of regular cavalry, supported by horse artillery.
It was distributed in twelve separate bodies, and must have
been composed of at least fifty squadrons. This cavalry
did not fall back on Mackenzie's•road till the whole of the
infantry and artillery had effected their retreat.
The losses sustained by our troops, a portion only of
whom was engaged, were very inconsiderable. They
amount to about two hundred men placed hors de combat;
and I impute the fact of our not having lost more men
mainly to the works with which wo fortified our position,
and to the batteries of heavy guns which you were so
obliging as to lend us for their defence. It is, however, my
painful duty to announce to your excellency that Count
Monte Vecchio, the general commanding the fourth brigade,
is mortally wounded ; a ball passed through his chest...

Pray accept, general, the
ation.

of my high consider•

The General Commanding-in-Chief the
Sardinian Expeditionary Forces.
(Signed) DE LA MARMORA.

To his Excellency the General Commanding-
in.Chief of the English Army.

On the day after tho'battle General de la Marmora
issued the subjoined order of the day to his troops :
Soldiers !—Yesterday, for the first time, you encountered
the enemy, to combat whom we came to these distant re•
gions. Your attitude has fulfilled my hopes and won the
eulogiums of our brave allies. The telegraph has announced
to Europe that you have contributed to the victory of the
Tschernaya. The King will be satisfied, and the nation
filled with joy. I thank you for your fine conduct on this
glorious day.—The General in Chief,
DE LA Mammas.
THE BALTIC FLEET.

The following official despatches detailing some
recent operations in the Baltic have been received by
the Admiralty :

H.M.S. Duke tif Wellington, off Nargen, Ang. 27.
I have the honour to transmit for the information of the
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty a letter from Cap.
tam Warden, of her Majesty's ship Aja.r, inclosing a
report, detailing the proceedings of Captain Henry C.
Otter, in her Majesty's ship Firefly, before Brandon, the
seaport of Wasa, in the Gulf of Bothnia, which are highly
creditable to that officer and to the officers and crew under
his command; and I beg leave to recommend to the
favorable notice of their lordships the gallant conduct of
Lieutenants Edward Burstal and John Ward, as well as
that of Mr. John A. Bull, second master, and Mr. James
W. Salter, the gunner, on the occasion.
(Signed) R. S. Dusoss, Rear-Admiral and
Commander-in-Chief.
(Inclosure.)

Firefly, KOrsoren Bea.con, August 11, 1855.
I beg to acquaint you that after leaving Fogle Fiord, on
the 27th ultimo, I communicated with her Majesty's ship
Harrier, and his Imperial Majesty's corvette D'Assar, on
their stations, and on the evening of the 31st despatched
her Majesty's ship Driver to you from Noorskas Light.
At ten a.m., on the Ist of August, I anchored her Majesty's
ship Firefly half a mile outside of Korsoren Beacon, and
with the two paddle-box boats and the gig, accompanied by
Lieutenant Ward and Mr. Bull, pushed on to the south-
east ; on our way we got information of a large barque at
anchor to the eastward of Wasklot, and also that there was
a military force in the neighbourhood.
On arriving within two miles from Brandon a telegraph
was observed on a small island in Korsham Fiord, signal-
ising with three large balls, and on pulling in towards it
two men in a boat pushed off from the land with a flag of
true ; fortunately I did not fire, for the flag was so large
mistook it for the boat's mainsail, and concluded they were
trying to escape.
This very improper opportunity of using a flag of true
could not he recognised, and I ordered the telegraph to be
cut down, but released the men and their boat.
No time was now to be lost, as the signal had been an-
swered from the main; I therefore pushed on with an

851

expedition, and on rounding the east point of Wasklot
observed the object of our search in the mud, which with
little difficulty was got off, and towed out of range of auy
guns that could be brought to bear. The prize proved to
be the fides, of 300 tons, with from 200 to 300 csaka of
tar on board.

At midnight two Russian deserters came on board,
and stated that the troops moved off to Wasa on seeing
the boats approaching, thinking an attack was contemplated
on that place.
At 8.30 p.m., 2nd August, I returned to the Firefly, and
immediately got under weigh for Korsoren Fiord, but the
navigation was so difficult that it was not until 5.30 p.m. I
came alongside the prize. At 8.30 p.m. I weighed and
proceeded towards Brandon, the seaport of Wasa, and a
great ship•building place ; it had immense magazines on
an island, separated by a very narrow deep water channel
from the town, with a custom-house and barracks.

At midnight, anchored within 400 yards of the town, and
sprung the broadside to enfilade the channel and protect
the boats, which were sent under Lieutenant Ward to
examine the magazines. Some of them were opened, and
found to be empty ; others contained coal, tar, res in, salt,
spars, anchors, and cables, boats, salt fish, hawsers, and
numerous piles of three-inch deals, but no sails or
rigging, as we were led to expect. On a few of the prin-
cipal inhabitants joining us on the island, they were told
that the sails of the barque must be given up, and they im•
mediately sent to Wasa to Mr. Wolf, a wealthy merchant
and shipowner, but he refused. I therefore determined to
burn the magazines ; but as the wind was blowing directly
on the town, I agreed to wait a reasonable time until a
change took place, and gave the inhabitants notice that they
were at liberty to remove everything from the island that
belonged to them, except ship's stores ; for this forbearance
they expressed themselves very grateful.
Towards the afternoon Lieutenant liurstal brought in •
schooner, and reported having discovered two tine barques
and two brigs, in a creek a mile and a half distant.

As the wind was still on the shore, and the destruction
of the town inevitable had the magazines been fired, I
directed the schooner to be hauled close into the island,
and a working party to put some casks of tar and deals
into her. Everything had the appearance of security ;
ladies were walking about the beach, parties of pleasure
sailing round the ship, and the people employed taking
their property from the island.
At 8 p.m. I landed to communicate with the first lieu.
tenant, and had just visited the sentry placed on a building
platform, when a heavy fire of musketry, from different
parts of the town, was opened upon the working party
and the ship, and was immediately replied to by the latter
with shot and shell, which appears to have done great
execution.

The deck of the schooner was so enfiladed that it was
impossible to get on board for the arms, and had it been
practicable to do so, nut a man could be seen from her to
fire at. Providentially all escaped on board uninjured, and
Mr. Bull having returned in the paddle-box boats with a
fine barque in tow, a fire from the four guns and rifles was
kept up, so hot that in about an hoar aud..a half the fusi-
lade from the shore nearly ceased.
At midnight I moved the ship into a better position for
sinking the schooner, and the bows being nearly driven in
by the shot, I proceeded to the destruction of the barque
and two brigs before the enemy could rescue them. This
was successfully performed with the assistance of the second
master, Mr. Bull, and Mr. Salter, gunner.
It was ascertained afterwards, from two different sources,
that the enemy had twenty five killed arid from four to
eighteen wounded. The injury appears to have been in-
flicted chiefly by the first three shots, whilst the troops
were drawn up abreast of the ship.
On our aide 1 am thankful to report that no more serious
casualties occurred than a man and a boy being struck with
spent balls.
During the 6th and 7th the weather was so wet and
boisterous that it was impossible to act against the enemy,
but I ascertained during the night that reinforcements had
arrived to the amount of 200 or 300 sharpshooters and
Cossacks, with several guns.
On the morning of the fith, the weather being moderate,
I took up a position 1,500 yards from the magazine, and
the same distance from a battery of four guns, and opened
fire upon the latter, which not being returned I com-
menced firing red-hot shut at the magazines.
At 20.30 p.m. smoke began to issue from the houses, and
Lieutenant Ward, who had volunteered to try and cut out
the schooner, pushed in with paddle-box boat, and with
great gallantry drove the soldiers three times out of the
woods ; but ultimately was obliged to retire before an
overwhelming force secreted in the Custom-house. The
boat was struck in many places, but, I am thankful to say,
not a man hurt.

At 8 p.m., the principal magazines being all in a blaze
and their destruction inevitable, I closed the battery to
1,000 yards, but still receiving no return (though both guns
and soldiers could be seen ), and the ammunition nearly
expended, I was backing out, when suddenly several heavy
guns, from an elevated position masked by trees, opened
tire, chiefly with shells, and at the same time the whole
force of riflemen; and the power of these weapons may be
imagined when I mention that a ball cut through a spar
on the bridge two inches thick at a distance of fifteen
hundred yards.
It is with the greatest pleasure I have to speak of the
coolness of the officers and men at this trying juncture :
the narrowness of the channel and shoalness of the water
(at the most 2f fathoms) rendered it injudicious to attempt
turning the Firefly round, and she was slowly backed
astern a mile and a quarter before she was out of range, an
evolution which, from the lightness of the wind, was not
performed under forty minutes.
I cannot conclude without mentioning how much I am
indebted to the first lieutenant, Mr. Edward Burstal, who
so materially assisted in inflicting this serious blow on the
enemy's property.
C. Oros, Captain.