The Press.
London, England, 1854-10-28 00:00:00

OCTOBER 28, 1854.

iiLit

THE WAR.

I.'

THE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL.
Subsequently to the detailed accounts of the siege
operations before Sebastopol, which are given below,
telegraphic advices have arrived by various routes,
purporting to bring intelligence of several days' later
date, from the Crimea. The statements thus received
are not very satisfactory. Our last tidings, through
friendly channels, were brought to Marseilles by the
Egyptus packet., which left Constantinople on the
10th. Singular to say, this vessel did not bring either
the Journal de Constantinople or the Maltese papers.
She reports that all the disposable troops from the
garrison of the Turkish capital were about to embark
for the Crimea. Several steamers are stated to have
arrived from Balaklava, with men who had been
wounded in repelling a sortie made by 30,000 Rus-
sians from Sebastopol.
Respecting the details of this alleged sortie, there
is not a word of information. All that is told of the
siege is, that the bombardment was to commence
either on the 18th or the leth, that the allies had 300
pieces of cannon in position, but that the Russians
had received considerable reinforcements. A vague
rumour is appended to the effect that the commanders
had decided to bring back their troops into winter
quarters at Scutari immediately after the capture of
Sebastopol.
From Russian sources we are able, however, to add
some further and later particulars, of whose general
truth there seems no reason to doubt, although the
details may be somewhat misreported. A telegra-
phic despatch was received in St. Petersburg on
Tuesday from Prince Menschikoff, announcing that,
during the whole of the 17th, Sebastopol was bom-
barded by sea and land. The Russians also kept up
a hot fire. Their fortifications suffered little, but
they had 500 men put hors de combat during the
day. Admiral Korniloff was among the killed. On
the 18th the bombardment was continued, but only
from the land batteries.
This Russian statement reached England on Wed-
nesday evening. No independent information res-
pecting the proceedings of the days mentioned in it
has yet arrived, either in London or Paris.
Thursday's Moniteur contains a despatch from
General Canrobert, stating that the trenches were
opened on the night of the 9th, and that by the 15th
he hoped to have sixty-six guns in position. Since
the 10th a sharp cannonade bad been sustained
against the allies, but without success. The works
of the English army advanced steadily with those of
the French. The weather, for a short time very
severe, was again fine.
A rumour prevailed in the allied camp on the 11th
that the Simferopol army would attack it, and that
the Greeks in Balaklava would, at the same time, set
fire to the town. All the Greeks were there:ore
forced to quit Balaklava.
Large bands of 'rarters have been formed in the
Crimea ; they sack and destroy the country houses of
the Russians. The latter confess that the Tartar
population is so hostile that they have been obliged
to arrest 2,000 persons.

There was a report that Eupatoria had been re-
occupied by the Russians, Captain Brock, who held
possession, having been forced to retire. This was
afterwards contradicted.
Admiral Korniloff, who was killed at Sebastopol on
the 17th, was chief of the staff on board the Russian
fleet which destroyed the Turkish squadron at Sinope,
and latterly commanded Fort Constantine.

Advices from Odessa of the 11th state that there
was no truth in the Russian announcement that
General Osten-Sacken have left for the Crimea with
reinforcements. Ten thousand Russian soldiers were
marching from Odessa southwards, as if for the
Danube.
The Presse of Vienna of the 17th, says :—" The
news of a great tire having taken place at Sebastopol
is confirmed. The principal of the provision stores
has been burnt down, and a great portion of the
supplies which it contained has been destroyed."
CHRONICLE OF THE SIEGE.
Previous advices have enabled us to complete the
narrative of the siege operations before Sebastopol to
the morning of the 4th inst. We now continue the
account through several subsequent days to the
latest date at which the correspondence hitherto re-
ceived from the camp was despatched. These letters
furnish no details of the actual bombardment, con-
cerning which our only information is derived from
the telegraphic despatches :
October 5.
Yesterday evening :1,000 Russian infantry—fresh troops
from Simferopol and other towns—entered Sebastopol,
owning from Baktchi Serai. They were escorted by 3,000
I)un Cossacks, who, marching in their left flank, sought to
protect them against any operations we might feel disposed
to make against them. We did not, however, think proper
to interfere. The 3,000 infantry entered the town, when
they were received with violent cheers, and the Don Cos-
sacks rOSUXINA to Primo laaaaclakoff a arm at BiAttalai