The Express.
London, England, 1855-05-18 00:00:00

OUR ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL

(11.011 till /FILIAL

OP PHI DAILY
maws.)
CAMP ABOVE

MAT 1.

The appeosolies towards the enemy's outworks are
programming radially. The advance doss not make
much show, bat it Moose the keg sure. As the die.
tans between the works of the besiegers and the
fortifications of the town and arsenal is dimi-
nished, the attention of the troops of the garrison is
proportionably excited, and much care and watch-
(oleos is malted oa the part of the guards sad
working parties in the trenches. The fire of the
enemy 's riflemen, constantly directed against the
position of the working parties, which can gene-
rally be known, even in the dark, by the sound of
the pickaxe and spade, becomes more and more effec-
tive, and longer time is occupied in forming the re-
quisite cover. The Russians appear to direct their
efforts to impeding the progress of the French works
by frequent sorties against them ; while against the
English works they confide more in works of counter-
approach and the fire of their riflemen.
On the right the French are slowly, but steadily,
advancing their zigzags against the foremost Russian
redoubt on Mount &pone, east of Careening Bay ;
and also toward the works on the Mamelon and Ma-
lakhoff hills. On the left, the limited space which
exists between their third parallel and the Flagstaff
bastion, is the scene of nightly conflicts.
The Russians have very much strengthened the
new work constructed in the quarry below the Reds's.
They have also contrived to throw up another large
ambuscade, about fifty yards from the farthest
of the two ambuscades which our troops took
from them on the night of the 19th ult.
This new rifle pit is capable of holding sixty or
seventy sharpshooters, and was so planed as in a
great degree to enfilade our most advanced trench.
It is chiefly constructed with sandbags, and loopholes
have been made net only near the top of the parapet,
but also at convenient distances about two feet above
the level of the ground. In its neighbourhood five
or six other places of cover, each capable of holding
three men, have been thrown up; these are composed
simply of small excavations protected by rough
walls or heaps of stones. The short distance
et which the riflemen in these pits are placed
from the newest part of our advancing work
enables them not unfrequently to send a ball
through a half-fil!cd gabion, or even through
a filled sand-bag, and several casualties have in
this way occurred among oar men. A traverse had
to be put up, to obviate the enfilading fire from the
larger ambuscade. This ambuscade appears to be
connected by a covert way With the Redao.
On carelul examination the new work in the
Quarry appears marked out for ten embrasures.
From the apparent depth it was suspected that the
enemy proposed to place mortars in this position ; but
it is now evident that it is intended for heavy guns.
A few shells have been thrown into the work, but
with this exception the enemy has been permitted to
carry it on without interruption. It is expected that one
or two heavy pieces on the left attack can he so placed
as to bring an enfilading fire upon it, while a direct
fire from the right attack will assist in silencing it,
in case circumstances should not lead to its being
taken before there shall have been sufficient time for
its being armed. There seems to be little doubt that
the Quarry is covered by the fire of some of the guns
of the Mamelon redoubt.

The second parallels both en the left and right
attack have been greatly strengthened. Several new
batteries have been constructed, and guns of heavier
metal brought into position. On the Greenhill
attack several batteries have been made and armed in
the third parallel, and, still further in advance, a
work known as the Redoubt has been thrown up.
From this work our riflemen are enabled to do much
execution against the enemy's artillerymen in the
Flagstaff and Barrack Batteries and the adjoining
earthworks.
There are various rumours respecting the renewal
of the bombardment, and dates for opening fire are
named ; but they have foundation only in surmise.
It is asserted that a very different impression will be
made on the enemy's works when the batteries re-
open than was made on either of the two previous
occasions; lent so much confidence was expressed
previous to each of those two attacks by the en-
gineers and others, that such assertions are now
received with distrust. More hope and reliance are
placed upon the effect of the combined operations,
which, it is unders.ood, are about to take place at
Kertch on the one hand, and from the neighbour-
hood of &futona on the other, than in the whited
efforts of the besiegers on the south side of Sebes-
topoL
Sir John *Neill and Col. Tulin& are actively
palming their inquiries into the circumstances of
the troops during the pest winter, and the causes
which led to the disasters of that season. Certain
printed queries are addressed to the commanding
racers, surgeons and quartermasters of regiments,
which they are called upon to reply to in writing ;
and these officers are afterwards examined person-
ally on the several subjects which their reports elic!t.
A saes of documentary evidence will thus be col-
/send, which ought to furnish correct data for de-
termining the sources of past errors, and the proper
means of avoiding them in future. Dr. Sutherland
bee also been inspecting and examining into the sani-
tary condition of the camp and the field hospitals.
The vacancy canoed by the melancholy death of Dr.
Gana has not been yet filled up.
It is said that a cavalcade of ladies and officers,
Lady George Paget and the two Misses Canning,
daughters of Lord Stratford de Radcliffe, comprising
the former, were fired at by a Russian battery, near
Inkermann on the 28th ult., being mistaken for
a body of ;taff. It is just as probable that the fire
was directed at the French redoubt overlooking the
?gin in this direction. There are many reasons,
which need not be named, why a large camparried , ape-
clay when active operations are being on,
unfitted for the visit of ladies; and it may les ea well
to give this hint, as conversation would laid to the
belief that not a few other ladies are purposing to
some and see their mildness in the field. It is• great
pity that WOO of the soldiers' wives have been per-
mitted to remain with their husbands in cramp it
cannot in any way tend to good.
The last two day. we have had constant mists and
rain, accompanied with a shilling degree of tempera-
ture, which went a long we. contradict the an-
nouncement in general on the 28th ult.
that summer had come, and there was, therefore, no
further need of winter clothing. This announcement
was called forth in consequence of a number of Eng-
lish officers having appeared at the two French re-
views in catkin and rabbitskin overcoats, not a very
becoming or appropriate costume, beyond all doubt,
on inch an occasion, and in fine and bright weather.
The rain which has fallen has not been heavy, nor
sufficient to impede the transport of stores or other
operations in the field.