The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-24 00:00:00

FAILURE OF THE ATTACK OF THE ENEMY AGAINST THE

BASTION NO. 2.

At three o'clock in the morning, during the general
attack, the columns of the enemy advanced fifty steps
distant behind the dense column of riflemen.
The attack took place against the two salient angles
of the bastion. After the first discharge of artillery and
musketry the enemy retreated. The columns descended
into the ravine, and commenced a general fire. The gene-
rals, in spite of their orders and their example, could not
Succeed in prevailing upon their soldiers to renew the
attack. ,

The fire kept up by our steam-boats, which had come
up as far as the point at Quarantine Bay, at the be-
ginning of the action, and which were acting against the
hostile troops in the ravine, together with the fire of the
batteries on the north, produced a disastrous effect on
the reserve columns of the enemy, and thus aided con-
siderably in the success of the day. The field pieces
which the enemy had stationed on the height behind the
redoubt of Selerguinsk, were forced from their position
and taken away before the end of the attack.
Our troops flung themselves on the enemy, who was
retreating in disorder, but obedient to instructions given
them they halted at the parapet.
FAILURE GE THE ATTACK ON THE CURTAIN BETWEEN
THE BASTIONS KORNILOFF A4D NO. 2.
The obstinate attack against the curtain between the
bastions Korniloff and No. 2 was brilliantly repulsed by
the second battalion of the Souzdel regiment, commanded
by Colonel Dareyann, and by two battalions of riflemen
from the Yakoutsk and Selenguinek regiments, which
were under the orders of Major Stiepanoff. Being sta-
tioned in this spot at the commencement of the attack,
they took possession of the banquette of the curtain.
The reserve was composed of two, companies of the
Souzdal regiment, commanded by Captain Mitchourine.
At the third signal the French left the trenches before
the redoubt of Kamtchatka, and threw themselves on the
curtain, and on the citevaux de frize; volunteers heading
them with scaling ladders. In spite of the violent fire
of artillery and musketry, the French advanced boldly ;
the head of their column descending the ditch, the
volunteers rushed on to place their scaling ladders in
position, but the intrepid defenders of the curtain
leaping upon the parapet fired upon the most daring of
the enemy who were endeavouring to scale the rampart,
drove them back at the point of the bayonet, struck
them with the butt-end of their muskets, and hurled
stones upon them in the moat.
The enemy, thus repulsed, threw down the scaling
ladders, and retreated under cover of a heavy fire. Never
theless, after having formed again, they made two attacks

* In the instructions found the body of an Englis h en
neer officer were indicated the operations to be effected
Wereby
y
the Sappers, as soon as the barracks and hospitals
sor
gi-
seized. In addition to numerous machines rZ
r
11,14 be
00 rd
e 4
the assault, begs filled with powder were
A na of the
used by the Sappers, to blow up. those P A
u °se,. to offer
buildings in which the Russians might be B
PP
' the least resistance.

The attack on the bastion Korniloff, the principal point
in our line of defence, was made in considerable force.
At a given 'signal, made from the redoubt Kamtchatka
and from the ravine, the French columns, 12,000 strong,
precededby a dense body of riflemen, threw themselves
impetuously on all the lines of the fourth section. The
grester portion however was directed against the bastion
Kuniloff. 'Here, however, in consequence of torepa,ra-
tions 'Made by General Jouf4roff, everything was in
readiness to receive the enemy. A sharp fire of artil-
lery and musketry put a stop to the advance of the hos-
tile columns, 'when they were within the distance of a
hundred steps from the moat. •
The enemy,
.thus put to flight, sought refuge in the
ravine and in the trenches. Twice, however, they drew
up again in order, and endeavoured to approach the
moat of the bastion. In these attempts they .were held
in check by our murderous fire, were finally repulsed,
_ _

and fled in the greatest disorder to the trenches. Our
artillery and the fire of our battalion made fearful havoc
in the French lines. The ground around the Malakhoff,

Mamelon, and the whole space up to the enemy's
trenches, was covered with the killed.

, ATTACK UPON THE BATTERY GERVAIS.
The , enemy, after their first attack upon the bastion
Korniloff, leaving the ravine, flung themselves despe-
rately on the battery Gervaie, and in spite of the vio-
lence, of our fire took possession of it. The first bat-
talion of the Poltawa regiment, which was in charge of
the battery, after an obstinate hand-to-hand fight on the
parapet, was obliged to yield to the overwhelming num-
bers of the enemy.

The French, pursuing the battalion, took possession
of the little houses and the ruins on the north of the
Malakhoff Matnelon, and advanced as far as the docks.
Here, however, the enemy, carried away by a momen-
tary success, received a check. Lieut.-General Khrou-
loff, the commander of the line which .was made tha oh.
jest of attack—a vigilant and experienced officer, who
watched carefully the progress of the fight—hastened to
the spot where the danger was most imminent. Placing
himself at the had of the sth company,.which was armed
with the muskets of the Seosk regiment, which was re-
turning from the works, -and, rallying the battalion'of
the Poltawa regiment, which was retreating, he led them
against the enemy, whom he attacked with the bayonet.
At the same time Lieut.-General Krouleff brought up,
under the orders of Lieut.-General Pavloff, six compa-
nies of the reserved regiment Jakoutsk, two of which,
under the orders of Maier Novachine, attacked the
enemy in front, whilst a battalion under the command
of Colonel Alennikoff reinforced the brave company of
the Seosk regiment. A bloody combat took place by
the houses and ruins. The French in ambuscade there
defended themselves with obstinacy ; it was necessary
to take each house by assault. Our soldiers clambered
up each house, tore off the roofs, and crushed with
stones those who were lying in ambuscade there, or,
after breaking in the eloore, killed or took prisoners the
enemy who were inside.

The battery Gervais, one of the guns of which had
been turned against us, was retaken by a bold attack of
a company of the Seo'sk regiment, supported by a bat-
talion of the Poltawa regiment, and by six companies
of the Jakoutsk regiment. The French, in spite of con•
siderable forces which they had concentrated on this
point during the affair, were repulsed by our troops,
and pursued to the trenches.

After having formed again three times, the enemy en-
deavoured to get possession of the battery Gervais, but
were not successful. Each one of these attacks against
this battery was successively repulsed by the troops sta-
tioned there for its defence, assisted by the third batta-
lion of the Eletsk regiment.
Out of the whole fifth company armed with the mus-
kets of the Seosk regiment, which covered itself with
glory in this brilliant affair, there remained after the
assault but 33 men. The brave Captain Ostwosky, chief
of this company, fell at the commencement of the action,
and was replaced by Lieut. Keller.

FAILURE OF THE ENGLISH ATTACK AGAINST BASTION NO. 3.
At 3 ,o'clock in the morning the enemy advanced from
his nearest trenches in three columns against the salient
angle of bastion No. 3, the first ranks carrying ladders,
gabions, and fascines. The chief of the 3d section, the
brave Vice-Admiral Panfiloff, received the assailants by
a discharge of grape from the guns of the bastion, and by
a fire of musketry from the chasseurs of Briansk. The
English threw away their ladders and other materials
for the assault, and retreated to their trenches in disorder.

Mtn reforming, the enemy advanced afresh ; but be-
ing
again repulsed, they retired, and directed themselves
to the right towards the Bondistcheff battery, and began
to destroy the palisades on the side of the bastion of the
Yanovaky battery. Our troops leapt on the parapet,
and after pouring upon the enemy a shower of projec-
tiles, forced them to retire into the tavine, followed by
a murderous fusillade of grape from the two last batteries.
At this moment two fresh English columns made a third
attempt to possess themselves of No. 3 bastion. They
hal already succeeded in removing a part of the palisades,
before the salient angle, but here also they were stopped
by our grape and the fire of our battalions. The assail-
ants also.made an attempt on the right side of the bas-
tion, but being finally repulsed they retreated into the
Laboratoire Ravine. In the advance against the No. 3
Bastion. and in the retreat to the ravine, the enemy were
crushed by the gran- and balls and shells of the Niconoff
Battery. The first battalion of the regiment of Briansk
Masseurs (now commanded by Aide-de-Camp General
Prince Grrtchakoff), one battalion of the reserve of the
Volhymnia and Minsk Regiments, and two companies
of the Okhotsk Regiment, stationed on the banquettes
on the right of the third bastion, directed a well-sustained
fire of musketry on the columns which attacked the
right face of the bastion.