The Express.
London, England, 1855-05-08 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 8, 1855.

Mt ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL

should se little think of imputing blame to the French
Government or people for this outbreak of a time-
serving lawyer, as we should of attaching blame to
the Government and people of England for the noto-
rim line of defence adopted in the cue of

(num TWI /MILL

MM.)

peace have fied, and yielded place to rough war. And
here was some of war's handiwork. Never were nobler
hearts, never worthier soldiers, ea.oh in his several
sphere of duty, than those who heti been suddenly
struck down in the midst of life anal energy, and
who are now finding their last restiorplace on this
spot. War engenders strange feelings, and works
wonderful changes in men's natures: day after day
the sudden transition from life to death is seers; until
at last the sight fails to produce even a passing agita-
tion in the spirit of the beholder ; but there were tew,
among the many who testified by their presence to
the worth of the dead, who were not. pierced with
deep emotion as they heard the solemn words of the
sacred eervice—" dust to dust"—end who saw the
grave cover all that remained of the gallant Colonel
Egerton and the brave soldiers by his side.
Lord Raglan had signified, the day before, his in-
tention of being present at the funeral. After its
Ilconclusion, the Field Marshal had an interview with
Captain Gilby, the senior captain who acted under
Colonel Egerton in the affair, and with Colonel Yea,
who commanded in the advanced work on the same
occasion, and then paid a visit to the hospital of the
77th Regiment. On the way, one of the regimental
buglers, named M'Gill, was introduced to Lord
Raglan's notice. This young soldier had particularly
distinguished himself ou the night of the attack. He
was one of the first in the ambuscade, and having
marked a Russian bugler there, he selected him for
his antagonist, es if it were his particular province to
attack a man of his own calling before any other.
Although the Russian had the advantage in size,
knocked him over, and eventually succeeded
in securing him as a prisoner. He also carried off his
bugle as a prize; but after a hard struggle, for the I
Russian warmly contested his own right to this pro-1
perty. This trophy he had now the honour I
of exhibiting to Lord Raglan, and on being /
desired to sound same of the notes of the bugle,
he at once blew the "advance." The instrument has
a shriller tone than the English bugle, is small and
portable, and has engraved on the bell the Russian
imperial arms. In the straggle with the Russian
bugler M'Gill inflicted a severe sword wound on a
Russian soldier who came to the rescue, and after-
wards, having placed his prisoner in sate keeping,
remained by his colonel's side till he fell.
After visiting each of the hospital tents and huts,
and speaking to some of the wounded, Lord Raglan
returned to head-quarters.
The cadet who was taken prisoner states that had
we not taken the ambuscades, within a very short
time they would have been joined together by the
Russians themselves, and made to form part of a
regular advanced trench to be connected with the
works in rear.

OF THE DAILY

CAMP ABOVE BEBASTOPOL, APRIL 24.
No event of particular interest has occurred in the
siege operations since the 20th instant. The fire
from the batteries hes continued slack, but changes'
a importance are being made in the disposition of
the siege artillery preparatory to future movements.
There is talk of a repetition of the bombardment very
shortly: if this should take place the fire will be
heavier, for many of the larger guns have been con-
siderably advanced during the last few days. Se-
veral other engineeripg arrangements will be com-
pleted which were only in progress when the fire
opened a fortnight ago. Perhaps a delay may take
place until the railway shall have reached the two
siege train depUte. The two branches, which diverge
aeon after the main line has got to the summit of the
hill above the Col di &dalliers, are fast advancing
towards these two points in rear of our left sod right
attack.. The requisite supplies of ammunition,
the power of replacing guns which may happen to
be disabled, and the carriage of munitions of war of
all kinds will then be wonderfully facilitated. A
rumour is also prevailing in camp that our allies will
shortly have everything in train to ensure a success-
ful assault on that part of the town and works which
are chiefly exposed to their attack. The capture of
the ambuscades in front of Frenchman's-hill is en
abling the engineers to advance still nearer to the
Redsn the zigzag from the left of the advanced work
in that situation. On the tight the French are gra-
dually sapping up toward the Mamelon Redoubt ;
and, still further to the right, are extending their
trenches towards the Russian redoubts on the west
side of Careening Bay.
It may be is well to mention that the large work
which is alluded to in the English and French des-
patches as the " Nlamelon Redoubt," is called by the
Russians the " Kauitschatka Redoubt." The " Kor-
niloff Bastion," which is frequently referred to in the
Russian despatches, appears to be the work imme-
diately in front of the ruin of the old Hamad
Tower, and now known as the Malakhoff batteries.
The ravine which in the English camp is known as the
" Middle Ravine," or eomeumes the " Otchakov Ra-
vine," is always spoken of as the " Karabelnaia"
ravine in the French despatches. The French have
given this name to it, because, in winding round to
terminate in the valley of the south harbour, it passes
by the Karabelnaia suburb of the city.
The following are notes of some of the circum-
stances which have taken place since the last mail
left.
APRIL 21.—The advanced rifle pit in front of our
new zigzag on Frenchman's-hill—which the night
before was abandoned, after being taken, on the
enemy returning in overwhelming force—was last
night captured, and levelled to the ground. The
Russian, did not engage in a contest for its posses-
sloe. They held it during the day, bet must have
hurriedly retired soon after dusk, as they omitted to
sorry off some of their arms and entrenching tools.
The arms probably belonged to some of their comrades
who had fallen the night before.
Some of the English soldiers guarding the advanced
works volunteered in the morning to go at that time
and take the ambuscade. They made their request
known to the field-officer commanding in the ad-
vanced work, and he communicated with the general
of the right attack on the subject. The latter did
not think it prudent that the affair should be under-
taken then, by daylight, and it was therefore deferred.
The attempt would have been a bold one, and would
no doubt have succeeded ; but would very probably
have been attended with unnecessary loss of life,
from guns being brought to bear on the ambuscade
after it had fallen into our possession.
Soon after dusk the parties told off to attack the
ambuscade advanced. No fire was directed against
them, and on entering the work they discovered the
Russians had left it. Some muskets, and the bodies
of two men who had been killed, were lying just
within it. The working party at once set to work
end levelled the parapet ; for the pit web not so placed
es to be brought within the line of trench, as had
been the case with the pit taken by the 77th Regi-
ment the night before.
The capture of these ambuscades has since been
found of great value, not only on account of the
removal of an impediment to the progress of our sap
in this direction, and of the annoyance caused by the
fire of the Russian riflemen against our artillerymen,
bat also on account of the opportunity it has afforded
our men of interrupting the Russian artillerymen in
the Redan. The ambuscade first taken, and now
connected with our trench, at present forms a minia-
ture bastion, as it were, and from its loopholed wall,
turned toward the enemy, our men discharge their
Mines with impunity. The work is so close to the
Roden, and in such a position, that its guns cannot be
safficiestly depressed so as to bear against it. Some
men of the let battalion of the Rifle Brigade have been
also placed under cover on the opposite side of the left
ravine—near to which, on the right, our zigzag is
being formed—and have thus been brought to act
is concert with the troops in the advanced trench on
the right attack. The united fire of these two bodies
has: for the present almost silenced the Iledan : a
The following letter, from Timpartial of Smyrna,
could not show himself near any of the em-
contains details respecting the operations of the left
bwwlaa bat he was at once marked down, and the
attack, which seldom come directly under the °beer-
Remiss artillerymen were compelled to close these
openings. In turn the enemy is constructing another vation of English correspondent.:
formidable cover for his riflemen, taking advantage Before Sebastopol, April 21 to 24.
la its formation of a large mousey a short way below At the rostra and the left the fire of the allies has outsider.
the abatis which extends in front of the battery ably slackened, as it is not judged desirable to ezhaut too
above. This work threatens to be strong and formid- quickly the store of ammunition, which so many months
able. It assumes at present the appearance which were required to accumulate. Bet the question is, whether
would be given by a number of crescent-shaped am- the enemy will not take advantage of this nearly total
baseades joined together at the free extremities of suspension of ear fire to repair the ravages made in his
their parapets. It will give cover to a large body of ' fortifications sad to remount his batteries ?
riflemen, who will have the opportunity of throwing Sanday, April 22.—The fire of musketry was very
out a diverging fire of very considerable range. The warm on the left attack the whole of last night, and cannon
part of the Redau-hill on which it is placed has a shots boomed in quick succession. We have smog several
steep incline, which will add to the difficulty of die- aim is the cemetery, between the Central Baau„ and
lodging the enemy from this situation. that of the Quarantine, in order to bring our new works
Colonel Egerton,
Captain Lempridre, and four sol- nearer the emanated wall. Unfortunately these mines did
dlera of the 77th Regiment, all of whom were killed I not produce their effect on the side intended ; the explosion
ba the first attack on the rifle-pits, were interred a I was rather towards us than towards the enemy, and th•
little after 10 s.m. to-day. Lord Raglan, and a very f„racow which were set flying killed and
wounded several
raumeroue assemblage of staff and other officers, at- of our own men. We set to work immediately is the
tended the funeral. They were buried on a gentle craters, notwithstanding the fire of rifles and grape. The
declivity, where the bill in front of the light division works made good progress list night. We shall soon have
slopes down toward the left ravine. The Woronsoff there, too, a fourth complete parallel at tees than 150 metres
road to Sebastopol skirts the burying-place, and a I
!from the crsaellatsd wall. In the:angle of that wall and
neatly cut vent-atone marks the distanos--five the left flank of the Central bastion there is at present an
vents—from the city. The picket-house, which has open breach that is computed to be about 150 metres broad.
been so often spoken of, is a little way on in front. All the adjoining houses am dismantled and riddled by our
Formerly the burials from this part of the stet.
camp took place in the low ground of the
Monday, April 23.—The night has passed at the trenches
ravine itself, but many objections to this site
with the greatest calm. Guns have been fired at rare and
Were discovered, and the present mastery was se-
distant intervals. All is equally quiet this morning. The
lacteal. The ground is not enclosed, but already
en emy.douss. net appear_re. to be more desirous than ourselves
The Queen and Prince Albert, General Buckley, a few unpretending head -stones tell the names of
of 110 tag the n. A spectator. might my that both
Captain Da Plat, Mies Byng, and Miss Stanley, visited the some of the English soldiers whom remains lie
sides were in an attitude of expectation. And yet no one
Exhibition of Paintings, by Preach artists, yesterday. beneath. There are nearly a hundred graves here•
here think. peace at all likely. Bat if the Etiessiess do not
Nothing can exceed in beauty the magnificent aos-
A new reason is now given for Lord Stratford de rot which opens in the view at this point.lt is fire a great deal, they work very hard. I have just paid
•
dying visit to the left attack, and seen nearly the whole of
Sedeliffe's late visit to the Crimea. It is said that be west uere that, on ascending the hill from the plateau,
I was amazed at the rapidity with which
Se es to be able to hold direct communication with Lord traveller approaching by the high road would first the English*"
'lda Resell, and Lords Clsreadon and Palmerston, by perceive the city and roadstead of Sebestopol. They I the enemy has repaired the injuries sustained by his dates-
= the telegraph. Looking at his lordship's parallellike a map sive works. The huge breach, for instance, that I had seen
and the general Usibroglio, we may easily imagine stretched at the feet of the spectator,
with my own eyes in the angle of the tessellated wall near
mese very short pertinent questions, which it would be 0r... out before him, while the hills on the north
Rattail fir his lordship to put, under the circumstances, mile and a vast expanse of omen complete the pie- thiethCintralabnedstiiolee,d
olinardelyhezois: any loliageer ; sacks filled
az ter rise k btt saes to
On Saturday the Rev. Reginald Norman Durant, hire. The Chereonese Cape and its lighthouse, the
within thi d pf
h alar wall in height, and thus dog
LA was hemmed to the perpetual enemies of Itambergh long line of ships off the reset from the vessels 'it • r° t • refi
sus B. Michael, Brnth Elmbans, in Buff ilk, en the aemiss- Ruardielf Kamiesch to the sentry ships on watch the gap.
Men of George Dermot, Esq., of Sock Birnbaum Hall. before the mouth of the great harbour, the works of The lead fortifications which terminate the defences of
The new planet lately discovered at Dusseldorf has the French and those of our left attack are all visible the place on the Quarantine side, the Quarantine bastion
Itaeolved the name of Leakothea. Its distinctive sign will at a glance. When there were vineyards and groves Itself, the Central and Flagstaff bastions, the faces of which,
be as ancient light tower. in the valleys, and flocks and herds grazing on the together with the parapets and embrasures, seemed one
The Cam has rewarded General Baron Osten- hills, and ships gliding in and out of the roadstead, mess of ruins, and the batteries of which won silenced, are
p=s's merits as defender first of Odista, and next of the prospect must have been indeed charming—one low in a state for re-opening their lire. At first sight their
topol, by raisin him to the dignity of a Count. of the finest in the world. Now, the serried lines inmate appearance is much the um* se it bas been for some
• Washington Irving, says the flew York Courier, dividing the bedews and besieged—the—the barriers gays
past, bat when we examine them with the glass we
Leaff,ring from a casualty sustained on the 18th of April.
;closing the harbour—the lifeless slips, prisoners in dissever that, amid the dismantled ee battered terraces, ties
. Irving was riding on the river road seer Sunny Side,
their own port—the ground furrowed by trenches in Jemmy has made openings to serve for embrasures. It is
}bee his bons took fright and ran away. The animal's
hoed was fortunately towards home
which the plough has had no part—the scattered en- j
ast the same with the batteries of the barracks and the
terrible pus. Mr. Irving kept hi for which he made at s
meat, aad might have oampmente,French,English,andltussian—the wreaths menet in front of the English attack.
escaped unhurt, but as the bores tumid fro. the Main read of smoke from many batteries, and the booming of Frew, raicraraawacta reach the Russians every day. We
he fell cud threw his rider, she was takes up stunned bY the guns—all these awaken far different emotions see from the heights to the north of the town their tents,
the fall. Mr. Irving resained insensible for several hours, ".„ would have been evoked by the more peaceful' which are pitched in vast squares. In the Inkermann
and, though for some time in danger, is now (April 21)
considerably better, prospect of former days. Agriculture and the arts of wood and at the mouth of the pep in the mountains of

The fire is the French batteries on the left has
been very vigorous et intervals during the day. The
Russians have replied with more energy than they
have done for some time past.
A body of Turkish cavalry made a reconnaissance
in the valley of Balaklava to-day. They moved in a
direction towards Tchorgouo.
APRIL 23.—There was rather more than the usual
amount of fire last night, and in the early part of the
morning. At mid-day an armistice was arranged,
which lasted near►y two hours, for the purposs of
burying the dead near the rifle pits. About thirty
bodies, among them the body of an officer, lying
close beneath our parapet, as if he had been killed iu
the act of mounting it, were removed by the enemy.
The body of only one British soldier remained on the
ground. The Russians had previously carried away
a number of their fallen comrades, who had been
killed a short distance from the work., during the
night-time.
There has been a rumour going about the camp
that another serious attack has been made against
Eupatotia, and even that it has been token. It is
not unlikely that the Russians are concentrating a
large force in the neighbourhood, and that this has
given rise to the reports. Omer Pacha and a large
body of Ottoman troops have proceeded there.
There were races in the camp of the Third Division
to-day.
The health of the troops continues favourable.
Fever is less prevalent. The General Hospital for
cases of wounds and injuries from the front has been
opened in the rear of the Fourth Division, and seve-
ral civil surgeons are in attendance there. Supplies
of all kinds are abundant. The weather continues
mild and dry.

It is related from the camp that the remarkable
inactivity of the defenders of Sebutopol under the fire
of the Allies on the 9th ult., the first day of the re-,
newt d general cannonade, a circumstance which was
observed with wonder by the besiegers, is now traced
to a plan of General t sten-Sacken, which our fire
opened just in time to foil. The Russian general
having learned that the garrison of Eupatoria had
been reduced, by the departure of 15,000 Turkish'
troops under Omer Pacha, drew about the same
number of men from Sebastopol, and marched to
attack the former town. The remit was, that when
our general fire opened before Sebastopol, the garri-
son was not sufficiently numerous to mart all the
guns. Many persons in the camp believe that an
assault might have been successfully attempted at
this juncture; the besiegers, however, did not appear
to become aware of their advantage until it had
passed away, and until the roar of their artillery had
recalled the Russian expedition back to the town,
which it regained on the evening of the 10th ult.