The Press.
London, England, 1855-10-06 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

If Seba.stopol is to be held as a "material guaran-
tee," it is very unlikely that these fine works would
he destroyed, and, on the whole, it seems probable
that the writers above were misinformed, or that the
preparations spoken of were made by the allied coin-
manders in ignorance of the decision which might
be taken by their Governments at home.

ANNIVERSARY OF THE ALMA.
This anniversary was kept up in the camp with
great spirit. The French celebrated the day by a
grand religious ceremony in the morning, and fetes
at night. The officers of our Guards had a grand
dinner, and throughout the army the day was
honoured with enthusiasm
This great anniversary was celebrated enthusiastically
throughout the army. There were many "Alma dinners'
among the regiments, both ogficers and men, and music
and song kept the camp awake till long after midnight..
Many a memory of the dead was revived, many an old
wound reopened, at these festive meetings.
The French also had their banquets and festivities.
They had a grand ceremony early in the morning—a
Missa Solermis for the repose of the dead. Indeed, they
have had some splendid spectacles lately, but one never
hears of them in this vast camp till his attention is aroused
by the echoes of the 101 guns with which they are brought
to a close.—Times Cor. Sept. '2l.

HONOURS OF THE ALLIED COMMANDERS.
Marshal Pelissier is stated to be very proud of the
G.C.B. conferred upon him by her Majesty, and it is
asserted that the Marshal has on several occasions
signed himself "Pelissier, G.C.8." A camp anec-
dote is that when he saw the tricolour planted on the
Redan he exclaimed—" voila mon baton."
General Simpson has also received from the Em-
peror of the french the rare distinction of the Grand
Cross of the Legion of Honour.
RUSSIAN IDEAS AS TO PEACE.
The feeling of the Russian army on the subject of
peace was strongly expressed on occasion of the flag
of truce for the removal of the Russian wounded :
A Russian naval officer, who was superintending the re-
moval of the wounded from the Kirahelnia to the north
side on the 10th instant, was addressed by an English
officer, after a slight conversation between them in the
French language, with the remark—" Well, I hope now we
may look forward to a cessation of hostilities between
us." "What! with that behind us (said the Russian,
pointing to the burning city) ; no, depend upon it,
peace is further off than ever." This may be taken as a
sample of the feeling of the Russian officers on this
subject, for it was evidently said in earnest.—Daily News
Cor., 17th Sept.
The Russian officer is stated by a correspondent of
the Morning Post to have been the gallant captain of
the Vladimir.
THE COUNTERSCARP OF THE REDAN.
Among the heroes of the Bth must be ranked
young Lieutenant Massy of the 19th. He is only
sixteen years of age, and he led the Grenadiers of
his regiment into action. At the assault on the Bth
nothing could exceed his dashing bravery. In a
letter from the Crimea, the following account is
given of his spirited courage and bravely-borne
sufferings :
He went on in front of his men, got across the bridge,
and climbed to the parapet on the opposite side. Here
his progress was impeded by the men of different regi-
ments, who were crowded together, vainly endeavouring to
effect an entrance into the work. The men tell thickly
around him, but he escaped. He was one of the very
last who retired. On his return, as he was mounting the
counteraearp, and just at the edge of the natural glacis of
the hill, some soldier caught hold of his leg to assist him-
self in mounting up. At that moment a rifle ball struck
young Massy in the left thigh. The bone was broken
near the hip joint, and he was unable to extricate himself
from his dangerous position. He crawled on a few yards
and there remained. Now came a fearful trial. The
Russians were showing themselves thickly on the parapets
of the Haan, firing at our men who were retiring, and, in
turn, our troops were firing up at the Redan from the first
parallel of the works of the right attack. The shot flew
like hail around him. Then came the round-shot and
shell directed against the enemy in the Redan, but many
of which struck short and cut up the ground where the
wounded were lying between the abattis and the ditch.
Every bhot which struck the parapet of the Redan sent
back a shower of dust and stones over the nearest
wounded. Some of our men, lying thus dreadfully ex-
posed, even asked the Russians to take them into the
work, by appealing to them, "Johnny, Johnny.' In
several instances the Russians slipped out, in spite of the
fire, and carried some of the wounded in, and placed them
tinder shelter. Young Massy, however, kept himself
quiet, and continued near to the spot where he had
fallen. He felt as if his life must be lost,
and yet at the same time hope was kept up by an
opposite feeling that he might be spared to escape. At
last, when the fire had in a great degree subsided, and the
afternoon was advancing, a Russian soldier in his charac-
teristic long grey coat came to him. He opened his
coatee to find if he had any valuables there, then sought
for a watch or other things, but handled him so gently
that Massy felt no fear respecting the man taking his life.
At last he left him, taking his sword and havrestick. This
was the only Russian who came to him ; others were
around collecting the Minie rifles and anything else they
• thought worth taking away. Mossy saw no barbarity or

945

ill-treatment now; previously, while the fighting was going
on, many of the wounded were bayoneted by the enemy.
Some time elapsed, the firing had ceased all around, even-
ing was advancing, when suddenly without any warning
the ground shook and there was a terrific noise from an
explosion. It was one of the magazines in the Redan
which the Russians had fired. Down came a shower of
dust and gravel, and, as ill-fortune would have it, there
fell also a large stone and struck poor Massy on the right
thigh, the one which was not previously wounded. It
inflicted a very severe br►ise. Soon afterwards he per-
ceived in the dusk some twelve or fifteen men coming
cautiously up towards the Redan. They were not very far
distant when he first perceived them, but what amazed him

was, that they were not
this was, or what the
suspected that the Men
were not observed from 1
Redan, and he lost sight

they came back again„
to one of our Highland
not remain longer, for
magazine of the Redan
within the work, the pro.bability
theft would have been
edge of the ditch, was
fragments which were
time received no hurt.
tention of one of the

was carried in a loose
his wound was examin,
was sent up on a stretcher
favorably, but his wound

THE REDAN ON THE NIGHT OF THE BTH OF

SEPTEMBER.
A letter from an officer of the Highland Brigade is
published in the North British Daily Mail, giving
an account of his discovery on the night of the Nth
that the Medan was evacuated by the Rnssians.
After noticing the events of the day, he proceeds :
I may mention that the French took the Malakoff about
one o'clock, and when the Russian troops escaped from
the Malakoff they retired into the Redan, overpowering
our people, who had to leave the place, the Russians
killing every one they could, and causing the others to
leave, being unable to hold it. Things remained in this
position till about eleven o'clock at night, when they began
blowing up some magazines and forts behind the Redan,
in the suburbs of the town. I stood looking while they
sent two or three batteries in the air, until I felt cold and
very uncomfortable. By way of giving myself a heat and
some amusement, I walked along the advanced trench
until I came to a new work lately erected. Being curious
to know what was doing in our front, I marched up this
trench for the first time. I had not gone over twenty
yards when I stumbled in the dark over three or four dead
men, through whom I made my way as 1 best oould, till I
was called to by a man of the 19th, who asked me who I
was. When I made answer, he requested me to have
him removed, as he said he had only a broken arm. I
answered that I would do what 1 oould for him. We had
not done talking when I was called to by about ten or
twelve men at once to get them assistance, as they could
not get any one to pay any attention to their requests.
When I passed along the trench to the far end, I heard a
poor fellow say, " Here's& kilty officer, he will get us taken
out of this." Listening to such remarks as " 'fake us out
of this for the love of Clod, as there is nothing the matter
with us but broken legs and broken arms, and we will pray
far you while we live," I passed on, promising to attend to
them as soon as I returned. I then left the trench, and
went on to the plain open field between the Widen and our
trenches, where our poor soldiers were lying as thick as
you see the men on board ship, when they used to lie on
the deck. 1 examined the way to the Redan until 1 was
satisfied that 1 could make my way into it. I then faced
about, and directed my steps to the general in command of
the trenches, to whom I reported the state of the
wounded. He ordered the two regiments in front to have
them removed ; and I was turning to leave the general of
the trenches (Cameron), when I met Sir Colin Campbell,
the General of the Highland Division, to whom 1 made
known the miseries of the wounded men of the divisiot.s
that attacked ; 1 also made mention of what 1 thought of
the renowned Redan, and my inspection of the wig up to it,
asking permission to go up and examine it properly. The
leave was granted, with au order to take ten men with me,
if I could get ten to volunteer for the service. I proceeded
to where the light company of the 93rd were, when I made
offer of such a proposal as volunteers for the Redan for the
purpose of going into it to inspect it, and 1 am proud to say
I had my party made up in about a minute, with as many
more if I would take them. I dressed them to my own
taste, so as to get close up to the barrier and ditch before
we could be noticed. This done, we marched off, many
doubting if ever any of us would return, as a whole division
and a brigade were repulsed in the same place during the
day. When we passed along the advanced trench on to the
open, we lay down for a little to see if all was quiet. We
then moved on in company with a party of the 72nd, for
whom I had to go back a second time before I could find
them to go on. When all got to the open, we started to our
feet, and soon made our way into the ditch; but, to our
horror, when we came to the bottom we found our own
poor fellows in heaps above one another. We sprang
across to the other side of the ditch over wounded, dying,
and dead, scrambling -
I went in at an
pounder gun
gun, traverses,
from our shot,
tenor
confu
here
the breast

t fired at. He could not divine why
Russians were about; and at last
n must be Russians themselves who
n our trenches. They went into the
tht of them, but alter a short time
and he discovered them to belong
nd regiments. Fortunately they did
r shortly after their return another
lan was blown up. Had they been
probability is that the greater part of
destroyed. Massy, as he lay at the
again covered by the dirt and loose
e thrown up into the air, but this
. Subsequently he attracted the at.
Highlanders, and after p short time
grest-coat to the trenches. There
[fled by an assistant•aurgeon, and he
tretcher to camp. He is going on
nd is of a very dangerous character.

3 1.4) LUe MUM Ditac va auv •••••••• • -
dead, scrambling up the parapet like as many cats.
it in at an opening where there was a sixtreight•
der gun pointing out. I ran to examine about the
traverses, pits dug by them for concealing their mew
our shot, shell, ikc., and this done I examined the in-
• of the Redan, where there was nothing but horrid
tairm—Russians and British mixed all together, with
and there a British soldier grasping the Russian by
resat of the coat, with the hold still Arm in his hand,
•