The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-17 00:00:00

1 THE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL.

(FROM THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF
THE DAILY NEWS.)

The subjoined letters bring down our published
correspondence to lan. 2, 18.55 :
Dec. 31.—The construction end arming of the new
batteries and advanced works has been proceeding u
rapidly as the state of the roads and means of trans-
port have permitted. Many of the large mortars
are already in position. Nearly all the long 52-
pounders from the Britannia and Trafalgar have
been brought up from Balakiava to the two artillery
parks. Large quantities of shells have been daily
brought up by the troops, the French assisting us in
the occupation. One of the large shells, suspended
from a pole, is carried between the shoulders of two
men, or, in instances of shells of less diameter, the
smaller end of the pole is inserted into the opening
for the faze, and the iron missile is carried by a
single man. The Preach are now said to have 74
guns sod mortars in position ready to open fire,
sot one of which has yet discharged a single shot
or shell.

'fhe lineal eircumvallation which is being carried
on from the French earthworks oa the right flank,
and continued around the sides of the mountain
overlooking the Inierreann and the Tchernaya
valley, will shortly. be completed. Great progress
has also been made in the new redoubt on French-
man's-hill, and also in the entrenchmenta extending

to the right from the advanced work. The enemy
has been constantly firing at the working parties on
Frenchman's-hill; but they have done scarcely any
mischief : many of the shells have fallen as far
beyond as on a line parallel with that of the picket
house. There has also been a very constant discharge
of shot and shell on the part of the enemy, chiefly
from their ships' guns, against our new batteries in
progress on the hills commanding the heed of the
roadstead, and the valley of Inkermann. When the
line of circumvallation before mentioned and other
earthworks are finished—without including the new
batteries constructed for carrying on the attack—the
position of the allied army will be protected by as
non:tempted line of parapet and foam, with redoubts
and guns at the necessary intervals, from the heights
above Balaklava to lihersonese or Pestchanaia Bay.
When the eye follows the circuit which this line has
to make in winding around the brow of the great
mountain plateau, following its sinnositirs, and
' dipping across its ravines, it must be confessed that
this is a wonderful achievement, and one that
could only be accomplished by troops of such hide.
fatigable energy as those who are now occupying
these heights.
The occurrence which took place on the night of the
20th instant at the advanced works of Frenchman's
Hill and Green Hill has led to several stringent
orders to ensure the more complete protection of these
important positions. No officer under the rank of a
major or acting major is to command in the advanced
work itself, and he is personally to satisfy himself
from time to time that the sentries are well to the'
front and in their proper positions. A lieutenant-
colonel is to command in the battery. At least half
the men in the advanced work are to remain up, and
with their arms in their hand,' ready to fire or
charge with the bayonet upon an advancing enemy.
A number of fireballs have been placed at the disposal
of the officer commanding in the battery for the pur-
pose of illuminating the ground in front on the ap-
proach of a Russian force being suspected. These
necessary missiles, however, are said to be very
limited in number: they are frequently thrown out
in front of the Russian works, and by scattering over
a considerable space an intensely white light, they
expose the numerical strength and direction of any
troops which the sentries may hear approaching.
No banquette had been made in the advanced work
at Frenchman's-hill—an oversight by no means fact-

litating its means of defence. -Thiidefect has been
remedied, and other precautionary measures have
been adopted which prudence prevents me from
mentioning here, but which will tend materially to
prevent any attack being again made upon the work
with impunity.
It is ascertained that Captain Frampton, of the
30th Regiment, who was taken prisoner on the night
above alluded to at Greenhill, was not wounded.
He lost an arm in action in India, and a report had
pined ground that he had received a severe wound
in his remaining arm in the affair of the 20th inst.
This is happily not true. He has proceeded to Sim-
pheropol, where several other British officers are
detained as prisoners of war. According to letters
received from some of these, every attention is paid to
them that can be reasonably expected, and they are
allowed to go about on parole, and even make excur-
sions into the country within certain limits.

The Russians made a sortie against the French
advanced works on the night of the 28th with the
intention of spiking the guns in the battery. They
advanced stealthily, and managed to get into a por-
tion of the covered way, bat not without being ob-
, served by the French troops who were guarding the
works, and who acted very coolly and deliberately
on the occasion. The Russian force consisted of about
eighty men and nine or ten officers. They had not
been long within the entrenchments when it became
evident that they had become bewildered as to the
proper line of direction which was to conduct them
to the battery in question. In the meantime, while
they were seeking to extricate themselves from the
difficulty in which they had entangled themselves,
the French covering force had divided itself into two
parties, each of which was quietly extending itself in
such a manner as to surround them. This the latter
succeeded in doing completely, so that the Russians
at last, caught in a net as it were, had no alternative
but to deliver themselves as prisoners without offer-
ing the least resistance. Not a shot was fired on the
occasion.
A reconnaissance en force was made against the
Rucatan camp on the opposite side of the Tchernaya
plain by a large body of French troops on the 29th
inst., under General Bosquet. Several battalions of
Ottoman troops accompanied the expedition. In-
cluding all arms there were about 25,000 men. The
Russian pickets having been driven in, it was found
that a body of cavalry was drawn up to resist the
advance of the French force, but a charge of the
Chaerieun d'Afrique quickly caused them to disperse.
The Russian troops abandoned their camp, and our
allies did not give them time to take away mach io
their hurry. Contrary to what had been anticipated
from the various reports made by deserters, it was
discovered that there was no scarcity of p ovisions,
or of the necessary protection against the inclemency
of the season. A quantity of cattle, sheep, and poul-
try were seized ; there was also a considerable amount
of timber ready sawn into planks. The men were
living in huts, which were well covered in and warm.
The road leading northwards toward Simpheropol,
and which winds along the foot of the mountain, was
found to be in excellent condition.
Leaving a considerable force in reserve at the
deserted -Russian camp, General Bosquet with the
remainder extended his reconnaissance, and is said
to have made some valuable observations respecting
the line of communication established between the
Russian forces on the heights north of Sebastopol
• and that which be had just succeeded in expelling
from the plain.
Three Polish deserters from the garrison of Se-
bastopol, who gave themselves up the same day,
. described a very different state of things to be,
existing within the town. They stated that there