The Press.
London, England, 1854-11-25 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

fleets in the Pacific made an attack on the Russian
town and fort of Petropolopski, Kamschatka, on the
Ist and 4th of September, and destroyed two Russian
batteries. No official accounts have as yet arrived, and
the details given in the transatlantic journals are not
only evidently tinged with Russian prejudice, but
differ materially among themselves. They represent
the result to have been that the allies lost sixty-four
men. The loss of the Russians is reported to be
very heavy, but the number not ascertained. The
allies retired, having captured two Russian vessels.
Rear-Admiral Price was accidentally killed. Captain
Frederick, of the Amphitrite, succeeds him. Petro-
polopski, the place assailed, was, it is reported, very
strongly fortified with above 100 guns, whilst the fri-
gates were dismantled and put into a position of
advantageous defence, 2,000 men manned the bat-
teries and lined the woods ; nevertheless, our gallant
seamen and marines, with their characteristic im-
petuosity, effected, if not all that was desirable, at
least more than could have been expected of them,
against such odds as those to which they were
ex posed.
The San Francisco Times, of Oct. 11, publishes
the following account of the engagement, which,
however, must be taken with much reserve:—

We have stirring news from the first scene of cenflict
between the allied powers and the Russians in the Pacific.
On the Ist and 4th of September an attack was made by
the combined fleet upon the fortress of Petropolopski.
The English vessels•of-war comprised the President, the
Pique, and the Virago; and the French, the Forte, Eury-
dice, and the Obligado. The action was a very severe one,
the English vessels firing 3,000 balls. Two of the Russian
batteries were destroyed, and two crippled. The loss on the
side of the latter was very heavy, but is not ascertained.
Of the English and French forces, 64 men fell during the
assault. The Russian frigate Aurora, of 44 guns, and the
Diana, of 20 guns, were moored inside, and protected by
sandbanks, behind which they operated as batteries, be-
yond the reach of the French and English.
When leaving the port, and a short distance outside, the
Russian merchantman Sitka was captured by the allied
forces, and sent to Vancouver. A Russian supply vessel
was also taken and burnt. Throughout the siege we learn
that the Russians fought with great courage. The Sitka
was captured on the Bth of September. She carried 10
guns, a crew of 3i men, and had 25 passengers. The
Sitka was loaded with provisions for the Russian settle.
ments.
The Times correspondent at San Francisco gives
some additional particulars respecting the fortress
and the attack upon it. He says :

Petropolopski is a place of considerable importance, is
the residence of a military commandant, with a large
garrison, which was considerably increased about a month
before the declaration of war reached the Pacific by rein-
forcements from Siberia, under the command of an expe-
rienced Russian general. These reinforcements were con-
veyed down the river Amoor to the Bay of Saghalian, and
thence across the Okhotsk Sea to the garrison. The
troops were conveyed by steamers. for which the Amoor is
navigable. The town and garrison of Petropolopaki are
situated on a sort of inner bay, across which a long sand-
bank runs parallel with the town, leaving a narrow en-
trance from the outer to the inner bay. The allies found
two Russian men of-war, the Aurora, of 44 guns, and the
Diana, of 20 guns, dismantled and moored broadsides on
as a battery, defending the entrance of the harbour. They
were sheltered behind the sandbank and only became
visible when they opened a galling fire.
The French officers describe the havoc of the Russians
during the bombardment as awful in the extreme. Many
of them were cut in two by the balls from the ships, and
fragments of bodies were seen flying about in the air over
their batteries, and it is admitted that they fought through-
out with the utmost bravery and determination. As an
example of the unflinching courage displayed by them, an
anecdote is related of a Russian sentinel at whom sixty
rifle shots were aimed, but nothing could overcome his
stoicism, and lie continued to pace up and down the ram-
parts of the fort on which he was stationed, without turn-
ing his head either to the left or to the right. lie escaped,
as he deserved, Russian though he was.

The land engagement was a most desperate one. The
men landed under the direction of an American pilot, who
represented the environs of the town as quite easy of ac-
cess. But, whether by mistake or treachery, in advancing
upon the principal redoubt the forces of the allies found
themselves entangled in a " ebaparal"—a thick hush of
underwood and brambles, which arrested their progress at
every step, but which afforded the Russian sharpshooters,
who lay in ambuscade in the bushes, a secure and almost
impenetrable shelter, when they shot. dead every men of
whom they caught a glance. Notwithstanding the galling
hidden tire to which they were exposed, and to which they
could not reply with effect, the troops pressed on with the
greatest intrepidity, until the similarity of the uniforms of
the English and the Russians caused confusion in the
ranks of the French, who feared to fire upon the red uni-
forms (of the marines), thinking they might be those of
their brethren-in arms. When retracing their steps they
lost their way, and found themselves suddenly brought up
by a precipice seventy feet deep. Deadly volleys were pouring
in upon them from the rear, and they had no alternative
but to jump down the precipice or Le shot; several did
jump, and some of them were killed and others maimed.
Authentic intelligence, according to the Herald,
has reached official quarters, which leaves no doubt
that the death of Rear-Admiral Price was not acci-
dental; he fell by his own hand in his cabin at the
moment before going into action.

1113

THE REINFORCEMENTS.
Recruiting for both services is progressing with great
activity and success. The greatest enthusiasm prevails
among the militia regiments, and large numbers of the
men are eagerly volunteering into the line.
The 90th Regiment, 8(10 strong, sailed from Kingstown
for the Crimea on Sunday in the Europa. Yesterday
(Friday) 1,340 troops of the Guards, 77th Regiment, and
Royal Itsigineeis, proceeded to Portsmouth, whence they
will embark in the Royal Albert to-day or on Sunday.
From Constantinople and Malta troops are incessantly de-
parting for the seat of war. Among other vessels, the
Nap,,1e914 left Constantinople on the 7th with 2,(XX) men
on board, and the Sand with 1,100 troops on board. A
despatch from Marseilles of Tuesday announces the arrival
of divisions of the French army and their generals at
Toulon, where they are about to be embarked on board a
flotilla of strainers.
instructions have been sent to the depot, Newbridge, to
give over immediately twenty-eight young three-year Olds
from each regiment on service, and take over from the
cavalry at home the same number of seasoned troopers.
The British Government have hired a large Bremen
steamship of about 1,000 tons for the conveyance of some
of the reinforcements.

Another 90-gun screw-ship has been added to the list of
the fleet in commission—viz., Exmouth (Albion class),
converted into a screw, with 400-horse power engines.
Captain the Hon. F. T. Pelham (1840) has been appointed
to the command of this ship. The Exmouth is fitting at
Devonport.
Four millions Minie rifle-ball cartridges were forwarded
from the Royal Arsenal yesterday week for use in the
Crimea. A manufacturer at West Bromwich has received

an older for 480 tons-weight of shot and shell, the former
to be 3,9, 42, and stl pounders, and the shells to be 41 and
8 inches. They are to be forwarded as fast as possible to
Woolwich, where they are to be tilled up by the Govern•
meut officers.
Two waggons, each containing twelve miles of tele.
graphic wire covered with gotta percha, and with ploughs
and the necessary arrangements for laying down the wires,
were put on board the Prince, screw steam-transport, at the
Royal Arsenal, previous to her pioceeding to Greenhithe to
embark the 413th Regiment; and there can be no .lonbt the
valuable invention is now in full operation to prevent
surprises, or be made available for concentrating the
British and French troops in any required locality to check
the Russian force iu any future attacks on the position of
the allies.

VOLUNTEERING FLOM THE MILITIA.
The following important circular has been issued
from the War-office to the several colonels of militia

regiments throughout the kingdom :
War•oBice, November V, 1854.

The rapid augmentation of the regular army being at
this moment of urgent importance, it has become neces-
sary to call upon all embodied as well u disembodied
militia regiments to give as many volunteers as possible
to the regiments of Guards and line, and to the royal
marines.
In taking this step the Government is aware that the
efficiency of your regiment will for a time be considerably
impaired by the sudden loss of a large proportion of highly-
trained men, whom you will have to replace by raw recruits;
but, at this moment, the maintenance of the efficiency, for
immediate service, of regiments raised especially for home
duty, important as it is, must yield to the necessity of
strengthening to the utmost that portion of her Majeety's
forces which are engaged in the operations of war abroad;
and upon an occaseion like the present I am confident
that the same spirit which has induced you to devote your-
self so successfully to the formation of the regiment under
your command will secure to the Government your amis.
tance and co-operntion in strengthening her Majesty's
regular forces by drafts from your regiment.
It is intended to limit the demand thus to be made on
militia regiments to '25 per cent. on their strength.
Recruiting parties will be forthwith directed to pro.
ceed to your head.quarters in order to recruit volunteers.
It is proposed to give a priority to the recruiting parties
from those regiments which have a county connection with
your regiment, provided such regiments furor a part of the
force under Lord Raglan's orders, but men will he at
liberty to join other regiments or the marines, if they
prefer it.
The Guards will he allowed to send parties to regiments
generally, their standard not enabling them to obtain
enough recruits from any corresponding number of militia
regiments.
The marines will likewise send parties.
All these parties will be recalled immediately the nuns.
ber to be raised shall have volunteered.
The men will be offered a bounty exceeding by 11. the
augmented bounty authorized for ordinary recruits—
namely, 11. in addition to 61, or 71. in all.
Though the limit of 25 per cent. is placed on the number
of men whom the recruiting parties will be empowered to
raise, any larger number of men will be accepted, provided
you are willing, with a view to further the public service in
this emergency, to consent to their discharge.
The General Commanding-in-Chief, sensible of the
great exertions which have been made by militia officers to
bring their regiments to their present high state of db•
ciency, and of the sacrifice which they are now called upon
to make, has authorised me to state that he is prepared to
place at your disposal, for any officer in your regiment
whom you may wish to name, an ensigncy in the line,
without purchase, for the first seventy-five men who shall
volunteer from your regiment, and have been passed and
accepted in the regulars or marines, and another for the
second seventy-five, and a third ensigncy for a third
seventy-five, if the strength of your regiment enables you
to give them.

1112

officers of the Guards wore buried together near the wind-
mill. The work of burying the dead and carrying the
wounded to Balaklava ocoupied the day. The Russians
are quiet.
Nov 7.—A council of war was held to-day, at the close
of which the Duke of Cambridge left fur Balaklava and
went on board the Caradoc. His Royal Highness is, it is
said, going to Constantinople. It is said we wait here all
the winter.
The 48th Regiment have arrived here, also 1,700 Turks
from Volo, and 2,800 French. The Russians fired on our
burying parties. There was an alarm last night. The
fourth division were under arms all night, and a portion of
the second division.
I have no time to add more. We must have men at
once, and abundance of them.
Another writer says :
The allies, having received considerable reinforcements
on the Bth, 7th and Bth, made a demonstration against the
Russian left flank. The Russians evacuated the plateau
and retired to the right bank of the Tschernaya. The
allies were overjoyed at the arrival of the reinforcements,
which were coming in at the rate of 1,000 per day.
At the councils of war here mentioned it is be-
lieved that resolutions were adopted for deferring
any assault on Sebastopol until the arrival of large
reinforcements. The French say that they could
take the town by three ways at any time they chose,
but that it would be almost impossible to retain
their position in the present reduced state of the
forces.

The troops are preparing huts for the winter, and
hourly expecting reinforcements. Should the wea-
ther prove cold and unfavourable, with much wet, it
is feared they may be compelled to raise the siege.
Every preparation is making for keeping the men
housed as comfortably as possible under the circum
stances. Wooden huts are to be sent out, and every-
thing done to enable them to keep out the cold.
Stone is in such plenty on the ground occupied by
the troops that they can easily construct small huts
of stone with the tents they now use for roofs, and, so
constructed, fires can be made, and heat kept up to
any degree they may want.