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

THE PRESS.

pieces, independantly, however, of the ship guns, and
those in the works of Sebastopol.
Protected by a tremendous fire of shot, sh ell, and
grape, the Russian columns advanced in great force,
requiring every effort of gallantry on the part of our
troops to resist them.
At this time two battalions of French infantry,
which had on the first notice been sent by General
Bosquet, joined our right, and very materially con-
tributed to the successful resistance to the attack,
cheering with our men, and charging the enemy down
the hill with great loss. .

About the same time a determined assault was
made on our extreme left, and for a moment the
enemy possessed themselves of four of our guns,
three of which were retaken by the 88th, while the
fourth was speedily recaptured by the 77th Regiment
under Lieutenant-Colonel Egerton.

In the opposite direction the brigade of Guards,
under his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge,
was engaged in a severe conflict.
The en2my, under the cover of thick brushwood,
advanced in two heavy bodies, and assaulted with
great determination a small redoubt which had been
constructed for two guns, but was not armed. The
combat was most arduous, and the brigade, after dis •
playing the utmost steadiness and gallantry, was
obliged to retire before very superior numbers, until
supported by a wing of the 20th Regiment of the 4th
division, when they again advanced and retook the
redoubt.

This ground was afterwards occupied in gallant
style by French troops, and the Guards speedily
re formed in rear of the right flank of the 2nd divi-
sion.
In the meanwhile Lieutenant-General the Hon.
Sir George Cathcart, with a few companies of the Nth
Regiment, considering that he might make a strong
impression by descending into the valley, and taking
the enemy in flank, moved rapidly forward, but finding
the heights above him in full occupation of the Rus-
sians, he suddenly discovered that he was entangled
with a superior force, and while attempting to with-
draw his men, he received a mortal wound, shortly
previous to which Brigadier-General Torrens, while
leading the 08th, was likewise severely wounded.
Subsequently to this, the battle continued with una-
bated vigour and with no positive result, the enemy
bringing upon our line not only the fire of all their
field-batteries, but those in front of the works of the
place, and the ships' guns, till the afternoon, when
the symptoms of giving way first became apparent ;
and shortly after, although the fire did not cease, the
retreat became general, and heavy masses were ob-
served retiring over the bridge of the Inkermann, and
ascending the opposite heights,' abandoning on the
field of battle 5,000 or 6,000 dead and wounded, mul
titudes of the latter having already been carried off
by them. I never before witnessed such a spectacle
as the field presented, but upon this I will not dwell.
Having submitted to your grace this imperfect des
cription of this most severe battle, I have still two
duties to discharge, the one most gratifying, the last
most painful, to my feelings.
I have the greatest satisfaction in drawing your
grace's attention to the brilliant conduct of the alli.d
troops ; Ftench and English vied with each other in
displaying their gallantry and manifesting their
zealous devotion to duty, notwithstanding that they
had to contend against an infinitely superior force,
and were exposed for many hours to a most galling
fire.
It should be borne in mind that they have daily for
several weeks undergone the most constant labour,
and that many of them passed the previous night in
the trenches.

I will not attempt to enter into the detail of the
movements of the French troops, lest I should not
state them correctly, but I am proud of the oppor-
tunity of bearing testimony to their valour and ener-
getic services, and of paying a tribute of admiration
to the distinguished conduct of their immediate com-
mander, General Bosquet ; while it is in the highest
degree pleasing to me to place upon record my deep
sense of the valuable assistance I received from the
Commander in-Chief, General Canrobert, who was
himself on the ground and in constant communica-
tion with me, and whose cordial co-operation on all
occasions I cannot too highly extol.
Your grace will recollect that he was wounded at
the Alma. He was again wounded on the sth, but
I should hope that he will not long feel the effects
of it.
I will in a subsequent despatch lay before your
grace the names of the officers whose services have
been brought to my notice. I will not detain the
mail for that purpose now, but I cannot delay to
report the admirable behaviour of Lieutenant-Gene-
ral Sir George Brown, who was unfortunately shot
through the arm, but is doing well; of Lieutenant-
General his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge,
who particulatly distinguished himself; and of Major •
General Pennefather, in command of the '2nd divi-
sion, which received the first attack, and gallantly
maintained itself under the greatest difficulties
throughout this protracted conflict; of Major-Gene-

1109

ral Bentinck, who is severely wounded ; Major-
General Codrington, Brigadier-General Adams, and
Brigadier-General Torrens, who are severely wounded,
and Brigadier-General Buller, who is also wounded
but not so seriously.
I must likewise express my obligations to Lieute-
nant-General Sir Richard England for the excellent
disposition he made of his division, and the assis-
tance he rendered to the left of the light division
where Brigadier-General Sir John Campbell was
judiciously placed, and effectively supported Major-
General Codrington ; and I have great pleasure in
stating that Brigadier-General Eyre was employed in
the important duty of guarding the trenches froi
any assault from the town.
Lieutenant-General Sir de Lacy Evans, who
ola •
been obliged by severe indisposition to go on b
ship a few days previously, left his bed as soon as h•
received intelligence of the attack, and was promptly
at his post, and though he did not feel well enough
to take the command of the division out of the
hands of Major-General l'ennefather, he did not fail
to give him his best advice an assistance.
his deeply distressing to me to have to submit to
your grace the list of the killed, wounded, and missing
on this memorable occasion. It is indeed heavy, and
very many valuable officers and men have been lost
to her Majesty's service.

Among the killed your grace will find the names
of Lieutenant General the Honourable Sir G. Cath-
cart, Brigadier-General Strangways, and Brigadier-
General °oldie.

Of the services of the first it is almost unnecessary
to speak. They are known throughout the British
empire, and have within a short space of time been
brought conspicuously before the country by his
ach►evements at the Cape of Good Hope, whence he
had only just returned when he was ordered to this
army.
By his death her Majesty has been deprived of a
most devoted servant, an officer of the highest merit,
while I personally have to deplore the loss of an at-
tached and faithful friend.

Brigadier-General Strangways was known to have
distinguished himself in early life, and in mature age
throughout a long service he maintained the same
character.
The mode in which he had conducted the command
of the artillery, since it was placed in his hands by
the departure through illness of Major-General
Cator, is entitled to my entire approbation, and was
equally agreeable to those who were confided to his
care.

Brigadier. General Goldie was an officer of con-
siderable promise, and gave great satisfaction to all
under whom be bas served.
It is difficult to arrive at any positive conclusion as
to the actual numbers brought into the field by the
enemy. The configuration of the ground did not ad-
mit of any great development of their force, the
attack consisting of a system of repeated assaults in
heavy masses of columns; but, judging from the
numbers that were seen in the plains altar they had
withdrawn in retreat, I am led to suppose that they
could not have been less than sixty thousand men.
Their loss was excessive, and it, is calculated that
they left on the field near 5,000 dead, and that their
casualties amount in the whole, in killed, wounded,
and prisoners, to not less than 15,000.
Your grace will be surprised to learn that the
number of British troops actually engaged little ex-
ceeded 8,000 men, while those of General Bosquet's
division only amounted to 0,000, the remaining avail-
able French troops on the spot having been kept in
reserve.

I ought to mention that, while the enemy was at-
tacking our right, they assailed the left of the French
trenches, and actually got into two of their batteries ;
but they were quickly driven out in the most gallant
manner with considerable loss, and hotly pursued to
the very walls of Sebastopol.

RAGLAN.

The French official narrative of the battle was
published on the same day, when the subjoined
despatch from General Canrobert appeared in the
Moniteur

Head•gnarters before Sebastopol, Nov. 7.
Monsieur le lilarechal,—l have the honour to confirm
my telegraphic despatch of the 6th of November.
The action of which that telegraphic despatch was a
summary was most furious and most disputed.
After the first few shots fired, the deserters that came
over to us revealed to us the real situation of the Russian
army as regards its effective strength, and we were able to
calculate the reinforcements it had, successively received
since the battle of the Alma. They consist :-
1. Of reinforcements from the Asiatic side, from Kertch,
and from Kafa.
2. Six battalions and detachments of sailors from
Nicolaieff.
3. Four battalions of Cossacks of the Black Sea.

4. A great portion of the army of the Danube—the 10th,
11th, and 12th divisions of infantry, forming the 4th corps,
commanded by General Dannenberg.
These three divisions were conveyed in post haste,
with their artillery, from Odessa to Simferopol in a few
days.