The Press.
London, England, 1854-10-14 00:00:00

964

THE

WAR.

THE BATTLE OF ALIdA.
Official despatches from the commanders of both
armies, containing full details of the battle of Alma,
reached London and Paris almost at the same time,
and were published by the respective Governments
on Sunday last. Lord Raglan's letter appeared in
an Extraordinary Gazette. It was brought by Major
Lord Burgbersh, who arrived at an early hour on
Sunday morning from the Crimea. The despatch is

of course addressed to the Minister of War:—
Head-quarters, Katschs River, Sept. 23, 1834.
My Lord Duke,-1 have the honour to inform your grace
that the allied troops attacked the position occupied by the
Russian army, behind the Alma, on the 20th instant ; and
I have great satisfaction in adding that they succeeded, in
less than three hours, in driving the enemy from every
part of the ground which they had held in the morning,
and in establishing themselves upon it. The English and
French armies moved out of their first encampment in the
Crimea on the 10th, and bivouacked fur the night on the
left bank of the Bulganac, the former having previously
supported the advance of a part of the Earl of Cardigan's
tbrigade of light cavalry, which had the effect of inducing
he enemy to move up a large body of dragoons and Cos-
acks, with artillery. On this, the first occasion of the
English encountering the Russian force, it was impossible
for any troops to exhibit more steadiness than did this
portion of her Majesty's cavalry. It fell back upon its sup-
ports with the most perfect regularity under the fire of the
artillery, which was quickly silenced by that of the batteries
I caused to be brought into action. Our loss amounted to
oily four men wounded. The dey's march had been most
wearisome, and, under a burning sun, the absence of
water, until we reached the insignificant but welcome
stream of the Bulganac, made it to be severely felt.
Both armies moved towards the Alma the following
morning, and it was arranged that Marshal St. Arnaud
should assail the enemy's left by crossing the river at its
junction with the sea, and immediately above it, and that
the remainder of the French divisions should move up the
heights in their front, whilst the English army should
attack the right and centre of the enemy's position. In
order that the gallantry exhibited by her Majesty's troops,
and the difficulties they had to meet, may be fairly esti-
mated, I deem it right, even at the risk of being considered
tAioust to endeavour to make your grace acquainted with
the position the Russians had taken up.
It crossed the great road about two and a half miles
from the sea, and is very strong by nature. The bold and
almost precipitous range of heights, of from MO to 400 feet,
that from the sea closely border the left bank of the river,
here ceases and formed their left, and, turning thence
round a great amphitheatre or wide valley, terminates at
a a dient pinnacle where their right rested, and whence the
descent to the plain was more gradual. The front was
about two miles in extent. Across the mouth of this
great opening is a lower ridge at different heights, varying
from 60 to 150 feet, parallel to the river, and at distances
f •om it of from 600 to 800 yards. The river itself is gene.
rally fordable for troops, but its banks are extremely rugged,
and in most parts steep ; the willows along it had been eut
down, iu order to prevent them from affording cover to the
attacking party, and in fact everything hail been done to
deprive an assailant of any species of shelter.
In front of the position on the right batik, at about 200
yards from the Alma, is the village of Boulioak, and near
it a timber bridge, which had been partly destroyed by the
enemy. The high pinnacle and ridge before allluded to
was the key of the position, and, consequently, there the
greatest preparations had been made fur defence. Half-
way down the height and across its front was a trench of
the extent of some hundred yards, to afford cover against
an advance up the even steep slope of the hill. On the
right, and a little retired, was a powerful covered battery,
armed with heavy guns, which flanked the whole of the
right of the position. Artillery, at the same time, was
posted at the points that best commanded the passage of
the river and its approaches generally. On the slopes of
these hills (fonring a sort of table land) were placed
dense masses of the enemy's infantry, whilst on the heights
above was his great reserve, the whole amounting, it is
supposed, to between 45,0110 and 50,000 men.
The combined armies advanced on the same alignement,
her Majesty's troops in contiguous double columns, with
the front of two divisions covered by light infantry and a
troop of horse artillery, the 2nd division, under Lieute-
nant-General Sir De Lacy Evens, forming the right, and
touching the left of die and division of the French army,
under his Imperial Highness Prince Napoleon, and the
light division, under Lieutenant-General Sir George
Brown, the left; the first being supported by the hid
division, under lieutenant-General Sir Richard England,
and the last by the lstdivision, commanded by Lieutenant-
General his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge. The
4th division, under Lieutenant-General Sir George Cath-
cart, and the cavalry, tunler Major-General the Earl of
Lucan, were held in reserve to proteet the left flank and
rear against large bodies of the enemy's cavalry which had
been seen in those directions.
On approaching near the fire of the glans, which soon
became extremely formidable, the two leading divisions
deployed into line, and advanced to attack the front, and
the supporting divisions followed the movement. Hardly
had this taken place when the village of Bouliouk, imme-
diately opposite the centre, was fired by the enemy at all
points, creating a continuous blaze for three hundred
yards, obscuring their position and rendering a passage
through it impracticable. Two regiments of Brigadier-
-oe3lggl Adams's brigade, part of Sir De Lacy Evans's

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