The Press.
London, England, 1855-12-15 00:00:00

THE WAIL

A telegraphic despatch from Marshal Pelissier, dated
December Bth, announcing a smart encounter at the
advanced posts, has been the sole point in the week's
news from the camp. This brief despatch does not
state the cause or object of such au attack on the
part of the Russians, but merely announces its im-
mediate repulse by the French advanced guard,
and the capture of a few prisoners. Beyond this
attack, military operations appear to be suspended on
both sides; the Russians are stated to be gradually
drawing in their troops round Baktchi-Serai and
Simferopol, and reducing the strength of their ad.
vanced posts; while the English cavalry are daily
being sent down to Scutari, where a strong reserve
force is being collected. The weather though cold
was still fine. Vast trains of provisions are said, by
the St. Petersburg papers, to have passed through
Perekop, en route to the Russian headquarters,
while large supplies were also expected via Taganrog
and the Spit of Arabat.
_ .

In the south of the Crimea no ftesh movement has
yet been made by the Russians, but it was generally
believed at Kettch that an attack against the town,
now held by the Anglo• Turkish Contingent, would
certainly be made dating the winter. The town was
being barricaded at all points, and a French steamer,
the Sesostris, with mortars of enormous range, was
to bombard the Russian camp at Genitchi.
• Asia the )1! is brief bad. Tin

ready
From . intelligence is u. any.
attempt of Selim Pacha to relieve Kars had failed,
and the city had at length surrendered.
The Morning Post of Wednesday made the fol-
lowing announcement :
We regret to state that authentic intelligence has been
received which leaves no doubt as to the fete of Kars.
Ismail Pacha (General Kmety), with another officer who
succeeded in eluding the vigilance of the Russian outposts
have effected their escape. When they quitted Kars,
General Williams had been compelled by famine to send a
flag of truce to the Russian camp, offering capitulation.

OFFICIAL DESPATCHES.
Lord Clarendon received on Tuesday a despatch
from Maior-General Williams, K.C.8., dated Kars,
October 31st, announcing that the Muchir had be-
stowed various dEcorations upon the English officers
engaged in the battle of the 3rd, and requesting
Lord Clarendon to obtain the gracious permission of
the Queen for those officers to accept and wear those
honours they had so nobly won.
The telegraphic despatch from Marshal Pelissier
received in Paris gives the following account of the
affair at the outposts :

Sebastopol, Dec. 8, 1 p.m.
have received the following despatch from the general
in command of the first division of the first corps :
A body of front 2,000 to B,OOP infantry, and about 400 or
WO horse, at daybreak this morning, attacked Baga
Ourkonsta-Skvaka.

The enemy beat a retreat after a sharp fusillade, which
lasted for an hour and a half.
Some thirty prisoners were left in our hands, two of
whom were officers.
1 am not aware of the number of killed add wounded.
Our loss is insignificant.
An Extraordinary Supplement of the Invalide
Raw, distributed at St. t'etersbui'g on the 2nd
December, contained the following bulletin :
Aide•de•Camp General Prince Gortschakoff reports as
follows by telegraphic despatch of the date of the Ist De-
cember, ten p.m. :
All goes on well in the Crimean peninsula. Nothing
new. A small detachment of the enemy has been surprised
on the south coast, and ten French were made prisoners.
A Turkish captain has also been taken by our men in the
neighbourhood of Eupatoria.
Despatches have been received from Admiral Sir
Edmund Lyons, G.C.8., inclosing reports from Capt.
Osborne of his late operations off Gheisk and
Glofira, in the Sea of Azoff, w;th details of the de •
struction of the vast stoles of corn and forage
collected on the coast by the Russians for transport
to their Crimean army. _ _ _

Captain Osborne states that on the 3rd of November
he arrived in the Gheisk limarl, and made the neces-
sary arrangements for a combined movement of the
boats and gun-boats of the small squadron under his
command, at daylight on the 4th. At the appointed
time he ran in to Vodina, a station three miles north
of Glofira, where tiers of corn-stacks, six deep, stood
along the coast for at least two miles. Under cover
of the gun-boats he landed a strong force, who set
fire to the stacks and re-embarked before the Cossacks
in charge were aroused. The town of Glofira, where
corn-stacks for some miles in length were stored off
the coast, was next attacked. The enemy here were in
great force and strongly intrenched, but by a simple
manoeuvre, by which several points were threatened
at once, the boats' crews landed on one or two points

THE PRESS.


7-, -;- .

and successfully set fire to the different stacks and
stores of corn, rockets and carcases from the gun-
boats effecting the rest. On the morning of the 6th
the whole squadron weighed and ran into Gheisk,
anchoring just off the east end of the steppe, when
for "four miles," continues Captain Osborne, " corn
and hay were stacked in quantities far beyond what I
had conceived to be possible." A strong landing
force, in three divisions, was immediately embarked
in the boats of the squadron and thrown upon three
different points of the coast. The wind being fortu-
nately right on shore, a few minutes' firing from the
gun-boats set some dozen stacks of corn and hay in
flames, which rolled such dense volumes of smoke
upon the Russians that it was impossible for them to
see the exact position of our men or act against them
effectually. The fires of the centre and lett having
joined, the two divisions of boats' crews were re-
embarked and landed to the right, where, under a
heavy fire from the heights, our men drove back
the Russians, capturing one gun, and ultimately set
fire to the whole mass of corn, as well as to large
stores of fishing materials, Sec. By two p.m. the work
finished, and the boats' crews re-embarked without the
loss of a man, and with only six wounded. Half the
squadron was immediately sent back to Glofira to com•
plete some work left unfinished the day previous,
and to freshen up the smouldering corn-stacks
with some additional fire. This Movement was
executed with success,land the *hole squadron met
off Uheisk on the 7th. During these proceedings the
number of our men engaged never exceeded tWo hun-
dred, while the enemy, Captain Osborne states, had
from three to four thousand men upon the coast.

The conduct of the officers and men engaged
is highly praised by Captain Osborne, and in the
case of Commander Kennedy was brought specially
under the notice of the Admiralty, who have rewarded
that gallant officer with his promotion.