The Press.
London, England, 1855-06-16 00:00:00

SIEGE CHRONICLE.

The correspondence from the camp lately received
brings intelligence to the 4th instant. The news is
of little interest, the active operations reported by
the telegraph not having commenced, and the
rumours of the proceedings in the Sea of Azoff which
had penetrated to the writers being more fully and
faithfully rendered in the official despatches. The
following brief extracts convey the only details of real
importance:—
MAY 29.—There is very little to write of since the last
mail left. The guns in front are quiet on both sides ;
perhaps, after the calm, a slorm may come, but there are at
present no signs of it. Talking of storms, the 27th and
yesterday were days of extreme heat, and the lightning and
thunder, accompanied occasionally by heavy showers of
rain, made the camp unusually wretched. I rode along
the French lines, which are now advanced so close to the
Tsohernaya that our soldiers water their horses there
without any molestation. The river abounds in tench and
other fish, but our people cannot muster a rod or a bit of
tickle in the whole of the camp, and the French are equally
unsuccessful.

Yesterday being Sunday, after divine service had been
read, as usual, to the different divisions, the following order
was promulgated before the parade was dismissed :

MORNING GENERAL ORDER.

Head-quarters, before Sebastopol. May 27,1555.
Field-Marshal Lord Raglan has the hiuhest satisfaction in
announcing to the army the complete success of the expedition to
Xertch, under the charge of Lieut.-General Sir George Brown,
K.C.8., without loss to the brave men engaged in the enterprise.
The troops landed on her Majesty's birthday. They have cap
ured fifty guns of large calibre, end destroyed an extensive
ountiry. The Sea of Azoff is opened to the combined troops
under Admirals Sir Edmund Lyons and Bruat, whose joint
exertions are beyond all praise.
J. SIMPSON, Chief of the Staff.
The order was received by cheers such as only English -
men know how to give, and were repeated from one brigade
to the other throughout the whole line.

JUICE 2.—Very few events of general interest have oc-
curred during the last four days in the siege operations,
nor has any change taken place in the condition of the
works beyond the gradual advance of the approaches
against the enemy's more prominent positions. Each day
rumour has asserted that the following day would see the
opening of the new batteries, and the commencement of
the third bombardment ; and each, in turn, by its station-
ary quietude, has given the lie to the assertions of its pre-
decessor. A council of war was assembled at an early
hour of the morning at Headquarters on the 29th ultimo,
when, it is stated, the arrangements were completed re-
specting the reopening of the fire, but their nature has not,
of course, transpired. It is not unlikely that the renewal
of the fire will he delayed until matters are ripe for a con-
nected series of combined movements, such as will tend to
engage the attention of the Russian forces, if not to detach
a considerable portion of the army from the immediate
n4ighbenrhood of Sebastopol.
Now that our trenches are so close to the works of the
enemy, a well-directed rifle fire can be brought to bear on
the embrasures of their batteries with great effect. The
Russians have for some time resorted to the usual expe-
dient in the Redan and elsewhere of placing swinging
screens, or " mantlets," for the protection of the gunners
against our Minies ; but in spite of these devices our
men, placed in favorable points, by watching and taking
advantage of favorable opportunities, can keep greatly
under control the fire of the guns. Some mantlets have
lately been applied to several of our foremost batteries.