The Express.
London, England, 1855-08-17 00:00:00

OUR ARMY IN THE CRIMEA.

(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)
CAMP ABOVE SEBASTOPOL, AUGUST 4.
No event of much importance in the siege opera-
tions has occurred since the last mail left. The nights
have been generally too light for much progress to be
made in advancing the approaches toward the princi-
pal points against which the operations are now
directed, but the new batteries have been forwarded,
and the approaches already existing hare been
placed in a more favourable condition for fat are ne-
cessities. Oar allies have taken advantage of a few
hours of darkness to throw op, unobserved by tie
enemy, an important branch approach on the
Malakhoff advance. A very complete system of
telegraphic signals has been established between the
fleet and our works in front, and from facilities of
observation obtained by Towle placed in certain
positions with regard to the enemy's works, the ia-
lbeseatiessehlsh may thus be Webbed is act aaliksly
to prove occasionally of a very valuable nature.
Our allies still speak with confidence of the Malak-
hoff position being gained by them before the ini-1
perislfete-day of the 15th of August. It is doubted
by many whether the preparations will be sufficiently
ripe for such an event within the period named.
I subjoin a diary of some of the occurrences of the
last few days :
August I.—The rain, which commenced falling
last evening, continued throughout the night. Heavy
showers are still pouring down, and the atmosphere,
darkened by dense clouds, gives no promise of a
change of weather. The ravines are changed into
watercourses, and so deep are the rushing streams
and so violent the flow of these extempore torrents,
that it is with difficulty the men wade across to pass
from one side to the other. The surface of the pla-
teau is already covered with mud. The Duke of
Newcastle, who has pitched his tent on Cathcart's-
hill, but is occupying at present the small hut which
was built by Sir George Cathcart, will have the'
opportunity of forming a remote idea of the state of
the camp last winter, when day after day of con-
tinued rain, without any solar influence intervening
to dry up the plain, and mingled snow, converted
the plateau into one vast slough of deep adhe-
ales mire. The French, as they pass along to
relieve their trench guards and covering parties, are
compelled to move along the sloping sides of the hills,
instead of following, as usual, the beaten track along
the bottom of the ravines. The men returning from
the trenches walk towards their camps without at-
tempting to guard against the force of the storm :
they have been for hours, with clothes saturated by
the rain, independent of any further harm from the
watery element. It is strange, considering the ex-
posure to which the troops are subjected during such
weather as the present in the unsheltered trenches,
bow seldom one hears tell of rheumatism or ordinary
colds in the camps.
The 72nd Highlanders are suffering rather severely
from cholera. The other regiments of the Highland
Brigade, although encamped aide by side with the
72nd, are nearly free from the disease. Another
regiment not long arrived, the 13th, Prince Albert's
Light Infantry, have been suffering very severely.
They have been moved from the low ground
near Balaklava which they at first occupied,
and now are encamped at a considerable ele-
vation on the hillside above. Their hospitals
still continue very full. It is said that, in-
cluding those who have been invalided to Scu-
tari or elsewhere, as well as the number who have
died, or who are still sick, this regiment is already
three hundred men weaker than when it landed in
the Crimea on the 28th of June bat from Gibraltar.
It is satisfactory, however, to know that these are ex-
ceptional cases, and that the general state of health
of the British troops is most favourable. The health
of the Sardinian troops is stated to be much improved,
and the forces of our other allies are also said to be
free from all epidemic disease. Isolated cases of cho-
lera occur now and then, and an instance of rapid
sinking from this disease was said to have occurred
yesterday morning in a French captain of infantry
who was taken ill while on duty at the Magneto° Vert,
and whe had barely time to be carried to his camp
before he died. He had been apparently well prior
to the attack, which was attributed to the effects of
chill from the rain of the previous night.
Major Cohn Campbell, of the 46th Regiment, was
wounded yesterday while on duty in the left attack.
He had observed a flash from one of the guns of the
Redan, and stooped to avoid the risk of being struck
by the shot. Unfortunately he did not stoop ►ufli-
ciently low, and a grape shot glanced along his back
inflicting a severe contusion in its passage. Had he
not stooped, the ball would in all probability have I
struck him directly in the chest, and produced a fa-
tal wound. In the same attack a few days prior to
this occurrence Captain Paton, of the 4th Regiment,
experienced a most narrow escape. He had been
visiting some advanced sentries, and was in the act
of climbing over a parapet on his return, when a
round shot came close by his aide. A corporal was
returning with him, and was also mounting the para-
pet at the same time. The shot struck this poor fellow
in the back, and dashed him to pieces. Capt. Paton
was bit on the side of the neck and face by a portion
of the corporal's body, and the fragment was pro-
jected with such force, that he received a severe
contusion in consequence.

The French sprang another mine to-day near the
Bution du Mit.

Lieutenant-General Sir Richard England, K.C.8.,
commanding the Third Division, is about to leave
camp for England. at the recommendation of a medi-
cal board. He was the last of the generals of division
among those who landed with the army in the
Crimea, who h►d not been prevented from remaining
at his post of command, by the effects of either
wounds or sickness. Among all the general officers
at present commanding brigades, there is not one, I
believe, remaining who held the position when the
army landed at Varna; end the Quartermaster Ge-
neral, Sir Richard Airey, with Lieutenant General
Sir Colin Campbell, are the only two officers who
were then Brigadier Generals, and now occupy
other positions with the army in the field. Rumour
says that the Quartermaster General will shortly
leave. Brigadier-General Lockyer is also named to
take his departure at an early date for the purpose of
assuming a command at Ceylon.
Rain has continued to fall without intermission
during the whole day. The fire from the batteries
hes not been very active.
August 2.—A sharp fire was maintained at
intervals during the night from the batteries on both
sides. The early part of the night was dark and rain
continued to fall. The working parties took advan-
tage of the absence of the moonlight, and both ex-
tended and deepened some of the most advanced
works. The morning is now sunny, and a few scat-
tered low clouds alone remain to threaten a further
fall of rain. The water has already drained from the
ravines.

The French have thrown forward a boysu from
the right of one of their advanced approaches on the
Malskhoff hill. The end of this new trench is some
yards in advance of the foremost part of the most
advanced parallel, which is projected in a curved
form towards the salient angle of the Korniloff hoo-
doo. The boys. is carried along the slope on the
right of the Malakhoff hill, u it dips down toward
the comparatively level ground beyond ; it is thus
protected by the higher part of the sweat towards
the messy% works from the pas of the Redaa.whiek

would otherwise take the trench directly in reveres.
Its extremity is turned round, to prevent an enfilading
fire from the guns of the Borniloff bastion. One prin-
opal advantage of this boyan will be, that it will afford
a cover to sharpshooters, who can from this position
control the fire of some of the finking guns on the
proper left of the Malakboff works, which bad
been annoying the guards and working parties in the
French approaches advancing up the face of the bill.
The Russian trench cut through theabattis, and com-
municating with the ditch, appears to have been
slightly prolonged, but otherwise remain, in the
condition in which it appeared when first opened.
Fort Constantine has been firing, about one shell
every quarter of an hour, in the direeftoa of the
French work', near the Quarantine batteries. The
12 gun battery on the north side has also been firing
occasionally against the French batteries near the
Careening Bay. The other batteries along the hos-
tile lines were comparatively silent until the after-
noon, when a heavy interchange of fire took plane
between the Roden and Barrack Batteries and our
left attack. The fire from the Roden was especially
heavy. Some of our guns on the right attack also
opined ageleet the Bede& The Melakhoff batteries''
remained silent.

A council of war was held to-day between the allied
commanders, at the British head-quarters. The sub-
jects discussed at the meeting have not transpired.
It is stated that Lord Stratford de Redcliffe is com-
ing to the Crimea, by her Majesty's command, to
hold an investiture of the Order of the Bath. It was
also expected that the distribution of the Crimean
medals would take place at the same time,
but it is now said that they will not arrive
in time. The Alma and Inkerniann medallists
are daily diminishing in number. Independent of the
casualties from sickness oar nightly losses from
wounds and injuries are necessarily very severe. The
close neighbourhood of the hostile works render, them
unavoidable. It is calculated that, taking the whole
allied force engaged in the siege operations, the ave-
rage somber of mon placed hors de combat are now
not less than 150 during each 24 hours, or between
4,000 and 5,000 per month. This estimate appears
to be immense, bat it is based upon returns which
cannot be contradicted.

The Doke of Newcastle has been suffering from
illness. His attack is said to be of a dysenteric cha-
racter--a malady to which many newcomers appear
to be liable.

The Commander of the Forces, it is understood,
has objected to the number of shells which have
been discharged from our batteries of late. The con-
stant consumption prevents the accumulation of a
store in the batteries to such an amount as is requisite
on the occasion of a regular bombardment. In future
shells are rarely to be fred, excepting on special
order, or on the occurrence of a sortie on the part of
the enemy.
A strong northerly wind has been blowing all day,
and materially assisting in drying up the surface of
the plateau. No rain has fallen.
There have been very contradictory rumours pre-
vailing in camp during the last three or four days
respecting the wintering of the armies in their pre-
sent position. In the English camp until very lately
it was regarded as a matter of absolute certainty that
under any circumstances the troops would have to
pan another winter on the plateau, and it was under-
stood that the necessary arrangements were being
made to meet this event. The officers in command of
regiments bad been called upon to send in returns
of the clothing and other articles which would
be required by their corps in case of such
a contingency. It was said that demands
had been forwarded to England for supplies of huts,
that those regiments only partly furnished with these
means of protection, and other regiments which from
having arrived comparatively lately were without
them altogether, might be fully butted before the
rains and frost set in. But it is now mentioned on
very high authority that the French commander-in-
chief has declared he will not make any further pre-
paration for shelter against the cold season, as he has
no intention that his troops shall pass another winter
on the heights. It is very generally believed that this
declaration was made by General Pelissier, and the
belief has led to a great variety of conjecture. The
general explanation is that the capture of the south
side, and the destruction of the Russian shipping,
are regarded as events certain to be accom-
plished before long, and that quarters of a more
solid and durable kind than temporary sheds
are expected to be found within the town and
arsenal. There does not appear to be much hope at
the present moment either that our force will be nu-
merically sufficient, or our transport equal to the
necessary demand, for operations to be undertaken
against Baktchi•Serai and Simpberopol, and for the
investment of Sebastopol, and its approaches to be
completed, during the present year. But, presuming
the great efforts of the ensuing months to be directed
towards the capture of the south side of Sebastopol,
and anticipating the complete success of our under-
takings, we have yet to learn how far those portions
of the town and Karabelnaia suburb, which
will remain even partially habitable, will be fitted
for the residence of troops. The buildings,
both public and private, which are not placed
comparatively near to the shore of the roadstead,
are already in a state of dilapidation and ruin. The
working parties of the enemy are seen to be busily
employed in erecting batteries on every available
and prominent point near the edge of the cliffs on
the north side of the harbour. We know that from
the summit of Fort Constantine a constant fire of
shells is directed against the French approaches at
the head of the Quarantine-bay, and that the Rus-
sian batteries along the north side of the Bay. of
Inkermann have succeeded in maintaining a harassing
fire against the batteries of our allies on the heights
east of the Careening-bay ravine, and against some
of their approaches toward the Malakhoff lines of
defence. The great Star Fort has not yet given
us a taste of its quality, but them can be
little doubt that its guns will, to a certain
extent, command the citadel on the west side of the
south harbour, and the Admiralty and dockyard
buildings on the east side. We are thus warranted
in concluding that quarters on the south side of Se-
bastopol, while the north side ie garrisoned by a
Russian army, will neither be very secure nor peace-
ful : in addition to which the condition in which it
must have been placed during the period of the siege
renders it very doubtful whether, in a sanitary point
of view, its occupation will be very desirable. We
have now become so accustomed to speak of the Ma-
lakhoff position as the key to the possersvo of all
that part of Sebastopol against which the
efforts of the besiegers have been more parti-
cularly directed that a belief seems to have
been fostered and established that, the key once
obtained, all that remains will be at once opened to
us. But we have no right to entertain the belief that
the fall of the whole south side will so speedily follow
the fall of the Malakboff works. The possession of
the Malakhoff hill will ensure the destruction of the
outer lines of defence, but we may still expect to
find inner works capable of maintaining a consider-
, able resistance; and, even when them are taken,
knowing the determination of the enemy with whom
we have to deal, and the spirit of fanatic seal with
which the Russian troops are animated, we may cal-
culate that a renewed struggle will be required before
the large forts and batteries on the coast from Fort
Quarantine to Fort Paul are permitted to fall into
our hands. Thus, although it can hardly be doubted
that the eventual result of the siege against the south
side will be one of success to the allies, it is unwise
to count on so speedy an achievement of this success
as many apparently do.
Should the allied forces have to winter an the
platsan—and many considerations, in addition to
those already named, induce the °occlusion that
necessity will compel this arrangement—the French
will apparently agars puma ow advantage over as.