The Press.
London, England, 1854-10-07 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

Our disembarkation was performed on the 14th, in the
happiest circumstances and without the enemy being per-
ceived. The moral impression which the troops have re-
ceived is excellent, and Alit to the cry of " Vive l'Empereur !"
that they stepped ashore and took possession of their
bivouacka.
We are encamped upon steppes where water and wood
are deficient. The necessity of effecting a difficult disem-
barkation, and one which was complicated beyond all that I
can tell you on the subject, thwarted by a sea wind which
rendered the seaboard often unapproachable, has retained
us to this day in these bad bivouacks.
I had in the first instance wished to occupy Eupatoria,
of which the narrow road is the only refuge open to us on
this difficult coast. But I found the disposition of the in-
habitants so accommodating that 1 contented myself to es-
tablish a naval station and some agents there, who will be
employed to collect the resources which they can meet with.
The Tartars begin to arrive at the vamp. They are
very quiet, very inoffensive, and appear very sympathetic
towards our enterprise. 1 hope we shall obtain from them
cattle and mettle of transport. I take care to pay for all
the resources which they offer us, and I negleet nothing to
render them favourable to us. It is a very important
point.
On the whole, our situation is good, and the future pre-
sents itself with fresh guarantees of success which seem
very solid. The troops are fullof confidence. The passage
and the disembarkation were assuredly two of the most re-
doubtable eventualities offered by an enterprise which is
almost without precedent as respects distances, season, and
the innumerable uncertainties which surrounded them. I
judge that the enemy which allows such a storm to collect
at the distance of a few leagues without doing anything to
dissipate it in its origin is placing himself iu a disgraceful
position, of which the least inconvenience is that of ap-
pearing in presence of the inhabitants as if struck with
impotency.
I have the honour of addressing you, subjoined, the
order of the day that I ordered to be read to the troops at
the moment of disembarkation. Deign to accept, &c.,
A. DE ST. ARNAUD, Marshal and Commander-in-Chief.
The following is the order of the day referred to in
the marshal's despatch :

GENERAL ORDER.
14th September. during the disembarkation on the
coasts of the Crimea.
Soldiers,—You have been seeking the enemy for the last
five mouths. He is at length before you, and we are about
to show him our eagles. Prepare yourselves to undergo the
fatigues and privations of a campaign which will be difficult,
but short, and which will raise in presence of Europe the
reputation of the army of the East to the level of the
highest military glories of history.
You will not permit that the soldiers of the allied armies,
your companions in arms, shall surpass you in vigour and
►n solidity before the enemy, or in constancy in the trials
which await you.
You will recollect that we are not making war on the
peaceful inhabitants of the Crimea, whose dispositions are
favourable to us, and who, reassured by oureseellent disci-
pline, by the respect which we will show for their religion,
their manners, and their persons, will not delay coming to
us.
Soldiers, at this moment, when you plant your standards
on the soil of the Crimea, you are the hope of France—in
some days you will be her pride. " Vive l'Empereur !"
A. DE ST.ARNAUD, Marshal Commander-in• Chief.

TURKISH ACCOUNT.
The following summary of the proceedings was
published in the official journal at Constantinople on
the 18th ult.:—
" As we announced in our supplement the day before
yesterday, the allied fleets disembarked at Ettpatoria about
ten thousand men ; then during the night of the 13th and
early morning of the 14th they set sail, in order to come
to anchor off Old Fort (others say Calamita and Elmalik),
which is seven leagues north of Sebastopol. At a quarter
past seven the Ville de Paris anchored ; the other vessels
followed her example, and at eight o'clock the admiral
commanding the French fleet hoisted the signal to com-
mence landing. At half-past eight the flag of a French
boat was flying on the land. General Canrobert and Rear-
Admiral BouiA-Willaumez planted on the beach three flags
to mark the spots where the three divisions were to dis-
embark. A few moments later and the whole of the first
division had landed. The field artillery arrived in the
barges. At three-quarters past nine the English troops
landed on the spot marked out for them on the beach.
At the same time eight steam-fiigates, French and Eng-
lish, cannonaded Katcha, in order to effect a diversion.
At noon the French army was completely disem'arked,
with twenty field-pieces. Later, the horses, guns, baggage,
tire., were landed. On the 15th were landed the fourth
division coming from Katcha, and the Ottoman division,
and after them the provisions and horses. On the 16th
the Franco-Ottoman army was ready to start for Sebas-
topol along the coast. The English army was making
its final preparations for departure. All professional men
say that this debarkation was one of the finest things they
had seen both for its order and rapidity. All the opera-
tions were completed without the slightest accident, the
weather being magnificent. At Calamita the first demon-
strations put to flight a small camp of Cossacks, who dis-
persed in three directions. The inhabitants were ignorant
of Russia being at war with Turkey, and her allies France
and England, and they received the combined army with
great joy. They hastened to offer them provisions of all
kinds, as well as all the means of transport they required.
Everything indicates that, when armed, they will second
the operations of the allied armies. The crops were still
in the fields.
More circumstantial narratives of the events are
presented in the numerous accounts transmitted by
eyewitnesses of the operations to our daily contem-

SATURDAY,

poraries. From these we select the following ex-
tracts, remarking that the various authorities cor-
roborate one another in all essential particulars.
We begin with a diary kept by an English officer,
noting down every day's work from the date of leav-
ing Baltschik Bay, namely, the 7th ult.:—

On the 7th, in early morning, the Agamemnon fired ague
and made signal to weigh, and before seven o'clock ship
and transports had all found and taken their proper posi-
tions for the march. 1 say " march," owing to the appear-
ance of the whole when the divisions were formed in lung
lines, steadily advancing through the smooth water with all
the precision of the movements of a battalion. The
weather was beautiful, and favourable as the most implicit
believers in augury could wish. The fleet was innermost;
then came the Light Division—first, second, third, fourth
—cavalry, and provision-ships ; and this order has been
invariably observed. At two o'clock passed Cape Kaliakri.
Sept. B.—Weather all that could be wished. At noon
distant from Cape Tarkan 118 miles.
Sept. 9.—The white lighthouse upon the little island of
Fidonisi was visible this morning. Towards evening the
third division lost distance terribly, owing to the Cyclops,
their leader, which did not appear quite adequate for tow-
ing so much weight. 'fhe Tynemouth assisted her off.
The Agamemnon and Carailoc, the latter having on board
Lord Raglan and the Duke of Cambridge, leave the fleet
to reconnoitre off Sebastopol. We learn by signal that
Marshal St. Arnaud is seriously ill.
Sept. 10.—Anchor, shortly after eight o'clock a.m., in
twenty-three fathoms water, and wait intelligence of the
French fleet. Only those who are present can form an
idea of the wonderful appearance of this immense assem-
bly of ships, anchored out of sight of land.
Sept. 11.—The Agamemnon and Caratloc return to the
fleet at 6.30 a.m.; the Sampson also joins. At 11.30 the
armada was again on its way. The Iligliflyer, with Apollo
(38th Regiment in tow), leads the third division instead
of the Cyclops, which brings up the rear.
Sept. 12.—At noon Eupatoria Point was distant seven-
teen miles north-east. At live p.m. anchor, Eupatoria
Point at twelve miles south-east of the squadrons.
Sept. I3.—Under way again at seven a.m. The whole
anchor at three p.m. in front of Eupatoria.
The weather has been generally fine, a few showers
during the night and a very heavy hailstorm on the morn-
ing of the 12th forming the only exceptions. The water
has been perfectly smooth during the whole trip, and the
weather is now like our fine days at the end of November
in England—cold, though sunny, and strongly indicative
of winter. The troops are to land withouttheir knapsacks,
carrying with them their great-coats and a blanket, which
latter will contain a complete change of clothing. To-
morrow early the debarkation will commence. Marshal
St. Arnaud is seriously ill, and General Uanrobert (a great
favourite with the French) is next in command. The
united army of English, French, and Turks here does not
exceed 60,000 men ; no doubt there is plenty of work for
them, but there is also no doubt but they will do it well.
Admiral Lyons is entrnsted with the sole charge of the
proceedings and arrengemeuts concerning the transports.
Printed instructions have been issued to each ship, re-
' ferring to the duties of each on landing the troops, and
the whole appears to be admirably designed.

The foregoing is dated from Kalamita; thediary is

continued at litipatoria and Old Fort :
Sept. 14.—At four a.m. fleets and transports were under
way, leaving behind a small force at Eupatoria, and shortly
after nine o'clock the whole had anchored at the disem-
barking points,—the English in front of a neck of land
separating Lake Kamichti from the sea; the French some
two miles southward, at a point called Old bort ; and the
Turks a little beyond the French. The French were the
first to commence lauding; of the English, the Royal
Funiliers were the first to step upon Russian ground. Our
point of debarkation was a most favourable one—a broad
neck of land flanked by sea and lake, not sufficiently com-
manded by the rising ground in front to have covered the
enemy from the fire of our steamers, hail any opposition
been attempted. Three or four Cossacks were seen gal.
loping about, their spearheads glittering in the sun; they
remained as long as possible witnessing the first debarka-
tion, and then sped away to Sebastopol, avoiding the
French by a circuitous route. The disembarkation was
most rapid to-day, and before nightfall all the infantry
were on shore. Several bullock-carts were captured to-
day, their Tartar drivers not appearing at all averse to the
proceeding, and rendering heartily all the assistance in
their power at the unloading. These people wear circular
sheepskin caps, broad at the top, where they are crowned by
a small round piece of scarlet or other gay-coloured cloth—
loose trousers and jackets, and the expression of their
faces is good humour personified. Before night the camp
fires were seen blazing away over an expanse of five or six
miles of country ; the left resting upon a Tartar village
(Baguili). Contrary to expectation, the country here is
of the nature most fitted for the construction of tieldworks,
but whether its soft soil undergoes a change to a thinly-
covered surface before reaching Sebastopol remains to be
seen. A fresh breeze ( towards midnight) has set in from
the west, which augurs very badly for the proceedings of
to-morrow. The Agamemnon, Sanspared, Higlditer, Ma
mond, and other ships acted as covering vessels, in case
their services should have been required. The whole of
the da's proceedings has been marked by the utmost
order aynd regularity, reflecting the highest credit on the
foresight of Admiral Lyons. During the day Captain
Jones, of the Sampson, so annoyed the Russian camp at
Alma by his shell practice that they were obliged to
decamp and retire to a more distant position.
Sept. 15.—During the night a tremendous shower of
rain poured down. This was most unfortuuate for the
untented troops ; the westerly breeze, too, has raised $0
great a surf that proceedings are ordered to cease wont
afternoon, a paddlebox boat or two, and several fiats sae