The Press.
London, England, 1854-11-11 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

in the leg, is fortunately not very severe, nor by any means

dangerous.
Ocr. 23.—The mail starts in a few minutes, so I have
only time to say that up to this time we appear to be making
more and more progress against the enemy. Yesterday
night, about eight o'clock, the whole camp was startled by
a tremendous explosion at sea, to the north of Sebastopol.
Up to the present time we have heard no news to account
for it.
It is said that oar advanced battery will be able to open
fire to-morrow. If this should be the case, and the battery
do any considerable execution, we shall storm in a few
days—perhaps before the next mail leaves on the 28th.
None of our present line of batteries will be disturbed for
the one which is to be advanced. They will fire over it..
The new battery is to consist of about twenty-five long 3:4
and 68 pounders. The fire at five hundred yards swat pro-
duce au immediate and terrible effect.
THE SEA ATTACK.

The following description of the naval operations
during the first days of the bombardment is given by
Admiral Dundas in his official reports to the Ad-
miralty :

Britannia, off the Katscha, Oct. 18.
I beg you will acquaint the Lords Commissioners ,
of the Admiralty that the siege batteries of the allied
armies opened tire upon the Russian works south of
Sebastopol about half-past six o'clock yesterday
morning, with great effect and small loss.
In consequence of the most urgent request of Lord
Raglan and General Canrobert, it was agreed by the
admirals of the allied fleets that the whole of the
ships should assist the land attack by engaging the
sea batteries north and south of the harbour, on a
line across the port, as shown in the accompanying
plan ; but various circumstances rendered a change
in the position of the ships necessary and un-
avoidable.
The Agamemnon, Sanspareil, Sampson, Tribune,
Terrible, Sphinx, Lynx, Albion, London, Arethusa,
towed by the Firebrand, Niger, and Triton, engaged
Fort Constantine and the batteries to the northward ;
while the Queen, Britannia, Trafalgar, Vengeance,
Rodney, Bellerophon, with Vesuvius, Furious, Retri.
bution, Highflyer, Spitfire, Spiteful, and Cyclops,
lashed on the port side of the several ships, gra-
dually took up their .positions, as nearly as possible
as marked on the plan.
The action lasted from about half-past one to
half-past six p.m., when, being quite dark, the ships
hauled off.
The loss sustained by the Russians, and the da-
mage done to Fort Constantine and batteries, cannot,
of course, as yet be correctly ascertained.
An action of this duration against such formidable
and well-armed works could not he maintained with-
out serious injury, and I have to regret the loss of
44 killed and 266 wounded, as detailed in the accom-
panying lists. The ships, masts, yards, and rigging
are more or less damaged, principally by shells and
hot shot. The Albion has suffered much in hull and
masts; the Rodney in her masts, she having tailed
on the reef, from which she was got off by the great
exertions of Commander Kynaston, of the Spiteful,
whose crew and vessel were necessarily exposed in
performing this service; but, with the exception of
the Albion and Arethusa, which ships I send to Con-
stantinople to be repaired, I hope to be able to make
my squadron serviceable in twenty-four hours. Fore-
seeing from the nature of the attack that we should
be likely to lose spars, I left the spare topmasts and
yards on board her Majesty's ship Vulcan at this
anchorage, where I had placed her with all the sick
and prisoners.
I have now the pleasure of recording my very great
satisfaction with the ability and zeal displayed by
Rear-Admirals Sir Edmund Lyons and the Hon.
Montagu Stopford, and all the captains under my
command, as well as my sincere thanks to them,
and to the officers, seamen, and marines employed,
for their unremitting exertions and the rapidity of
their fire, in the absence of a large number of the
crews of each ship, who were landed to assist in
working the siege batteries, Atc.,on shore; and to this
circumstance I attribute the small loss of killed and
wounded.
The gallant and skilful conduct of our French
allies in this action was witnessed by me with admi-
ration ; and I hear with regret that they have also
suffered considerable loss.
I beg to express my gratitude at the manner in
which Ahmed I'acha, the Turkish admiral, did his
duty. (Signed) J. W. D. DUNDAS.
Britannia, off the Katscha, Oct. 23.
Since my letter of the 14th inst. the siege batteries
have continued their fire against the Russian works,
which appear to have suffered much, and the fire
slackened, although it is still considerable.
The naval brigade are doing good service, and up
to the 20th had a loss of twelve killed and fifty-three
wounded, as per annexed list. By the desire of
Lord Raglan, I have reinforced them by 410 officers
and seamen, and placed Lord John Hay in the Wasp,
under the orders of Captain Lushington.
Captain Brock, at Eupatoria, supported by the
Leander and Megcsra, has maintained his pesitien

1063

well, although threatened and attacked by heavy
bodies of cavalry, with guns. We have drawn large
supplies from there, but, as the Russians are destroy-
ing all the villages, I fear they will in future become
very scanty and uncertain.
Since the action of the 17th the enemy have been
working incessantly in repairing their batteries, and
in constructing new works on the north side of the
harbour, commanding the approaches by sea and
land.
1. have sent the Albion and Arethusa to Con-
stantinople to repair; the other ships of the fleet
have fished their masts, &c., and are ready for ser-
vice.
The Lynx, Sphinx, Stromboli, and Viper have
arrived.
The weather hitherto has been very favourable,
and the crews of the ships are generally healthy.
The English and French steam division still con-
tinue in the Bay of Odessa, actively employed in
preventing communication with the Crimea.
J. W. D. Durum&

The French Government have published the follow.
ing report of the part taken iu the engagement by
the squadron under Admiral Hamelin
Monsieur le Miuistre,—By my letter of the 13th of
October 1 announced to your excellency that, with all my
staff, I went on board the Moyador frigate to cast anchor
as near as possible to the French head-quarters, and to
combine with the commander-in-chief a general attack by
land and sea against Sebastopol, as soon as the siege
batteries should upeu fire. On the 14th 1 had au inter-
view with General Canrobert, whose views coincided with
mine.
On the 15th a council of the admirals of the combined
squadrons was held on board the Alogader, and the dis-
positions for a general attack were agreed upon, and then
submitted to the generals of the army ou laud, who at once
agreed to them.
This general attack was fixed for the 17th, the day upon
which the siege batteries were to open fire.
With respect to the squadrons, they were to effect what
follows :—The French squadron undertook to place itself
towards the rocks to the south, and at about seven cables'
length to operate against the 350 guns of the Quarantine
Battery, the two batteries of Fort Alexander, and the
battery of the artiller)•.
The English squadron had to attack towards the rocks
to the north, at about the same distance, the 130 guns of
the Constantine Battery, the Telegraph Battery, and the
Maximilian Tower to the north.
If your excellency would imagine a line traced along the
entry to Sebastopol from the east to the west, that line
would separate into two parts the locality of the attack
which devolved upon each squadron.
The Turkish admiral, with two vessels, all that he re-
tained at the time, was to cast anchor to the north of the
two French lines—that is to say, in an intermediate
position between the English and French vessels. On the
morning of the 27th the attack of the siege batteries com-
menced ; but, as the weather was calm, it was necessary to
attach the ships-of-the-line to the steam-frigates before
developing against Sebastopol the line of the twenty-six
ships of the allied squadrous. Nevertheless, in spite of
this ditliculty, and the separation which had taken place
between the ships of the allied squadrons, a part of which
hail anchored at Karnisch and part before the Kataeha, 1
have the satisfaction to announce to your excellency that
the ships of our first line advanced about half-past twelve
in the day under the tire of the batteries of Sebastopol,
which they stood against at first during more than halt an
hour without replying. A few minutes afterwards they re-
plied vigorously to the fire, which did nut fail to incommode
them, from their small number. Afterwards the other
French and English vessels Successively arrived, and the
attack became general.
Towards half-past two o'clock the fire of the Russian
batteries slackened ; it was stopped at the Quarantine
Battery. This was the exact object desired by the French
squadron, but our firing was redoubled any continued
without interruption till night.
At the time 1 am writing to your excellency I am not
aware of what was the success of our siege batteries, whose
fire had commenced before ours, and which attacked the
BUS/AIM fortifications on the land side.
If the Russians had not closed the entrance to Saber
topol by sinking two ships-of-the-line and two frigates, I do
not doubt that the vessels of the squadrons, after the first
fire, would have been able successfully to enter the port
and place themselves in communication with the army.
Perhaps they would not have lost many more men in
doing this than we have now to regret; but the extreme
measure which the enemy adopted of sacrificing a portion
of his ships forced us to confine ourselves to attacking fur
five hours the sea batteries of Sebastopol, with the object of
silencing them more or less, of occupying a great many
men of the garrison at the guns, and of giving thus to our
army material as well as morel assistance.
To-day, the 18th, 1 have only time to give a hasty sketch
to your excellency of this affair, which, in my opinion, does
great honour to the French navy.
At the commencement of the affair the enthusiasm was
extreme. During the combat the tenacity of every one was
not less so. Before commencing the fire I signalled to the
squadron " France has her eyes upon you," a signal which
was received with cries of " Vive 1 k]topercur !"
The correspondents of the daily papers add many
details to the accounts given in the official despatches.
The following are from the Times :
Off the Katschs, Oct. Ig.
Yesterday morning, about daybreak, the English and
Irsush opened lire from their batteries ea the 'oath side

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