The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-25 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY EVIENTI'k-IGI JUNE 1855.

THE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL.

(Front the Special Correspogdent of the Times.)

CAMP BEFORE SEBASTOPOL, June 9.

My letter was scarcely despatched this morning when
a white flag on the Round Tower and another on the
left announced that the Russians had a petition to make.
It was a grave one to make in the middle of a fierce
bombardment with events hanging in the balance, and
success, perhaps, depending upon the passing moments ;
but made it was, and granted. From I o'clock until 6
in the evening no shot was tired on either side, while
• the dead bodies which strewed the hill between the
Mamelon and the Round Tower, or remained in front
of the quarries, were removed from the field
of slaughter. Both of the French and of the
Russians there were large numbers scattered
over , the ground of the chief conflict ; among the
former a large proportion were swarthy indigenes
of Arab blood, or, as they are popularly termed by
the French soldiers, Turcos, and to their contingent
of the killed some were added froth the very inside of the
Malakhoff, showing how near the impromptu attack was
delivering the place into our hands. Of the Russians
there still lay upon' the spot some 202 corpses, a suffl-
. cient testimony to the severity of their losses in the
struggle. Among the dead there was observed by one
of our sergeants, also engaged in the task of 'seeking
them, one partially in English and partially in -Russian
accoutrements. In the language which custom has
stereotyped ha pointed theattention of the Russian bury-
, ing party to the body, and said, " No Inglis," " Russ ;"
"No Rues," " Inglis," was the reply ; but a further exa-
mination of the uniform strengthened the impression that
it could be no other than a deserter from the 34th who
went over to the enemy some time back, and .a man of
that regiment coming by recognised the face and put the
matter beyond a doubt. The man had received a less ig-
noble deathth an he deserved, one bullethad passed through
his head and another through his body. The third bat-
tery on the Sapoune-hill was abandoned last night, and
its guns either withdrawn cr tumbled down the hill.
If the general amusement and the satisfaction of curi-
osity were any argument for the interruption of war, it
was at least well provided. Apart from the military
question, and the further one as to where the true hu;
manity lay, the interval afforded another opportunity,
rapidly taken advantage of, of getting a nearer, look at
Sebastopol, and the Mamelon, as the most important of
our late acquisitions, was the attractive spot, whither
any one who had the time and chance hastened. The
French working parties had' broken ground on the
ascent, and were connecting their lines, distant some
200 yards, with the fort by new parallels, and were
also reversing the Russian trenches outside, facing
towards our advanced works. The rugged, channelled,
and shot-bruised outline of the fortress grew larger
and more real as you wound up to it; but the inte-
rior, altogether unknown till that moment, excited a
more vivid feeling, and alike outside and inside attested
the fierceness of the struggle and the pluck of the assail-
ants. The surface of the ground within was cut into
holes and pits—here like an old stone quarry, there like
a bit of Crimean vineyard • some of these were the effect
of bursting shells with well-timed fuses, some the cun-
ning apparatus of the hardy and prolonged defence.
The corpses which cumbered the earth and were in pro-
cess of removal gave out faint tokens of coming putre-
faction, fragments of bodies and marks of carnage were
interspersed with ruined gabions and broken firelocks ;
Russian guns, dismounted and dented with shotmarks,
lay tumbled below their embrasures ; 50 or so were
concealed beneath the debris, and some quantity of
hidden powder was also rooted out of the subterra-
nean recesses which abounded in the rock. These nests,
excavated in the inner faces of the intrenchments,
were left warm by their previous occupants—food and
implements of labour were found in them, and, among
other things, a bit of fishing-net in course of construc-
tion. The nearer view alone revealed the stupendous
character of the earthworks, and, if astonishment were
not now a stale sentiment, the eye witnesses would have
been simply astonished at the amount of labour lavished
on them. The traverses appeared to be some 18 feet in
height. An English lady—where will they not go ?
where do they not go ?—was brought by her husband,
an officer to survey the place—perchance herself had
decided his coming. On the further side the view into
the harbour was straight and clear, and, from the
furthest point to which access was allowed, it seemed as
if a bowshot would carry to the ships ensconced beneath
the hill. The Round Tower looked, even to experienced
eyes, less formidable from that proximity than it had
been judged from the distant points of view. Ho tv, in-
deed, could it longer look impregnable when the Rus-
sians were bringing out of it 40 or 50 corpses of French
soldiers who had won their way into its heart ?

In the early part of the day there had been a popular
impulse to believe that an and of the affair would be
matte to-night by a combined assault on the alaneeneee
and the Redan. That both were within scope of capture
was considered in camp as proved to demonstration. But
the news of the suspension of arms dissipated the hope,
and when the divisions got their orders for the night it
was no longer thought that aggression was likely, though
defence might be. The enemy, with their wonted per-
severance, had been making very comfortable use of
their tune, and when the flying rcommenced, which it
did instantly on the flags being lowed, a few minutes
before six o'clock, it was plain that the Malakhoff and
Redan had both received a reinforcement of guns. Six
and 11 are the asserted, if not the ascertained numbers
of remounted boackes de feu—exactness in such a calcu-
lation is not easy, for the Russians are laboriously artful
in disguising the strength of their artillery,
and frequently by moving guns from one em-
brasure to another make a single one play
dummy for two or three ; but I am tolerably near
the mark. From G until 9 o'clock the duel continued
without special incidents ' • then there came a sudden
splash of musketry which lasted some few minutes, and
died away as unexpectedly. The Russians had made a
demonstration against the well-guarded Mamelon, which
was easily snuffed ; though it might at first have been
thought to have some connexion with a movement of the
army outside. Simultaneously with the clatter of small
arms, there burst out into relief against a black cloud
passing over several flashes of fire from the Inkermann
batteries. Fatigue parties, 12 to each waggon, were
even then dragging shot and shell down to the trenches.
So there were just enough symptoms of disquiet to make
anything possible. The natural consequence was that
nothing occurred. Another trifling musketry diversion
took place about three in the morning, to relieve the mo-
notony of the great artillery, which kept up its savagery
throughout the night-10 guns for one of the enemy's—
but slacked a little towards morning. We had a great
number of casualties during the night in our new position
on the left, into which the Russians kept firing grape
and canister from the batteries which protect the rear of
the Redan. They also occupied the dismantled houses
above the ravine, and leisurely took shots at our people
from the windows. Not unnaturally, it is a subject of
the bitterest anger and complaint among the soldiers
that they have to stand still and be riddled, losing day
by day a number which is swollen in a week to the di-
mensions of a battle roll of killed and wounded. Their
spirits have been lately at the highest conceivable pitch;
they believe reasonably, after what they have seen, that
the whole place is at their mercy, and must be forgiven
if in the error of their eagerness the subtleties of stra-
tegy, the etiquette of regular approaches, the ready
courteey forthcoming on demand fail to compensate in
their minds for the now enormous labour of the trenches
and the harassing dangers of a petty peddling warfare.
The new ground which they occupy is a strong position
for defence, being divided partly by nature and partly
by art into different bays or recesses, and having three
enormous traverses ; we are now also making a covered
way into it—in fact, a fourth parallel ; but it has the
fault of being either too near or not near enough, and is
exposed to inflictions of 2n /tragic which it cannot pay
back in kind.

JUNE 10.

A breezy clay, but with signs of returning heat, and
an occasional drift of shower. The French in immense
numbers, are at work on the approaches to the Mamelon
in the hope of speedily gettio, up some heavy metal.
The Round Tower and the Redan are just giving now
and then sullen assertion of unexhausted purpose, but
with so little vigour that the shells which drop and
bluster about their ears, throwing up the dry dust in co-
lumns, look almost like a useless persecution. Five Rus-
sian vessels-of-war are in full sight out in harbour, having
betaken themselves out of the way of inconvenient missiles
from the Mainelon. The white banner of St. Andrew flies
from their mizen, and floats in honour of Sunday
on Feat Constantine. The Twelve Apostles lies just
ahead of the arsenal, with her broadside towards her new
danger, but encounters another foe, for the express
train" is cutting up the water near her, and apparently
flashing the spray right over her. At midday the small
steamer which does the chief traffic in harbour was ob-
sen able in the Dockyard Creek getting up her steam,
and surrounded by quite a flotilla of boats, which were
most probably carrying wounded on board of her. The
arsenal building, or soi-disant hospital, which stands on
the western sidc,showed all torn and riddled with shot,its
windows reduced to shapeless apertures, and its roof
ragged and pierced from end to end, the whole being evi-
dently untenable. Between it and the shore, sheltered
under an angle of the building, a group of Russians were
gathered,and there was some slight bustle on the shore,
where one or two men of authority were movingabout with
determined step. The steamer was presently full freighted,
and moved off, towing the boats alongside, to return
in the evening with provisions or monitions of war—a
long string of men with carts and animals were toiling
up the steep on the north side leading towards Inkerman.
There might have been from 1,500 or 2,000 of them. In
the sloping graveyard at the east end of the harbour,
planted with innumerable crosses, small parties of twos
and threes were wandering on no unexplained errand.
For the last throe weeks every day there have been large
parties constantly engaged in the labour of interment—
a fact which encourages the presumption of disease tell-
ing as much, or more, upon the enemies strength as it
has done latterly upon our own, especially in and near
to Balaklava. Any way, the work in that kind is not
;ii.ely soon to cease. There is litt!e doubt, in spite of the
ilisp'aytd, that the garrison are heartily sick of
ceamissi,m. A Russian officer yesterday fell into
conversation with one of our men, and, giving him
his card, said, " I wish this was all over, and we were
good friends again ; we are all tired enough, but our
orders Aro to fight it out to the last," At the terinina,

tion, too, of the arrniAice, there were some signs of
insubordination aiming the men who were in contiguity
with ours. :Steady firing Will been going on all the af-
ternoon, but' with abated force in the evening. A t 9
o'clock there was a lull in the discharges, but they
grew rapid and energetic again at 11, about which time
there was another little encounter between the French
and Russian outposts on the Pchernaya. A French di-
vision, with artillery, passed over that way in the even.
ing, and their.telegraph above the Woronzow.road was
very busy during the_afternoon.

12 o'CLoca.

There is a very sharp skirmish going on, quite in the
old fashion, between the. French and Russians on the
left, and a very pretty interchange of shells, which are
in the air in showers. The enemy- are throwing car-
casses to direct their gunners and grenades. From our
batteries there is but little firing, one' of the Lancaster
guns making the principal figure, and astounding the ear
of night with its resolnte whistle, which sounds all the
wore wicked from the intervals in the utterance, and
convoys the idea of accumulating power. The Himalaya,
came in tb-day with a cargo of horses and 340 men for
the Land Transport Corps, from England. The said corps
has its strength now increased to 6,000 beasts of draught.
JUNE 11.
_ _ _

To-day things are very quiet before the town, for the
sufficient reason that our ammunition is not up in suffi-
cient quantity. Most of our artillery tralsport is gone
down to Karniech .to fetch up shells for•our allies. We
had yesterday a little accident in that department, water
interfering with the perquisi,left of fire. - A lighter
coming up to the Ordnance-wharf at Balaklava_ canted
over, arid deposited her cargo of something like 1,000
shells in deep water. But for the diving bell on the
spot they would have become a permanent puzzle to the
fishes, who would have taken, no doubt, quarters in
them according to precedence. By the aid of the divers
they are coming up again, and, having been rescued
from drowning, will end, it is thought, by being shot.
One may almost say that the bombardment has ceased,
and that " the state of siege" is restored once more.
From morning to night there has been nothing from our
side beyond salute and reminder. It may well be hoped
that the French batteries ;on the Mamelon and Sapoune-
hill will hold their own effectually, and put a termi-
nation to the struggle ; otherwise, to what end our dila-
tory and inconstant action ?_ The Russians have been
sending shells up to the Sapoune-hill from the fort oppo-
site to it on the other side of the harbour ; and one of
them, falling among a group of Frenchmen at dinner,
took them, as the ancients would have said, to sup with
Pluto. The losses sustained in the Mamelon are heavy,
and yesterday reached 200. Our official returns will
also make the 10th of June look a black day when they
are published.
The cholera has been prevalent, especially in and near
Balakla.va, and there is a good deai of the moderate
form of it in camp, though the last few days has seen
some abatement, both from the cool winds which have
refreshed us and the excitement of late operations. Col.
La Marmara, the brother of the Sardinian-General, has
fallen a victim, and the Piedmontese army has suffered
very generally. In harbour it has been found, as might
be expected, that locality is the chief determining cause
of its outbreak, and our artillery in the low ground out-
side, after losing a number of men on consecutive days,
has been forced to change its ground. Sir John M'Neill
has had some threatening of the disorder, and, having
now-completed his task of investigation and counsel, re-
turns to England. I regret to say, and it is a subject of
very universal regret, that Dr. Anderson, who has for
some months been in 'charge of• the hospital in Bala-
klava, has been compelled to ask for a Board, and has
been invalided home. The union of qualities which
made a man at once valuable as a medical attendant
and an administrator, is not so common but that
it produced, when found, a very wide-spread regard.
Dr. Anderson leaves the Crimea without any special
marks of favour, but with the respect of equals as well
as inferiors, and the grateful remembrance of many who
have been under his care. This is no matter-of-course
eulogy, but the sincere acknowledgment of unostentatious
service.

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

TURKISH CAMP BEFORE SEBASTOPOL, JUNE 9.

As you will have seen from my last letter, a truce
was agreed upon to-day for the burial of those who fell
on the evening of the 7th. In the suspension of hostili-
ties it is always understood that it will not be used for
any other purposes, such as repairing the works or mount-
ing guns, &c., which would materially alter the status
quo before the truce.
.The Russians to-day looke
on this truce for the burial of the dead as on
any other kind of truce, which leaves each party
free to employ it as hest it can ; and while, on our
side not one sbovelfull of earth was added to the
parapets and not an embrasure touched, they, as
soon as the white flags were, heloi.a, Ahaplayed an ant-
like diligence in repairing their damaged works and in
replacing'tneir, dismounted guns, so that when, after
about six hours' time, the fire was renewed, the formerly
silent embrasures of the Redan and the Malakhoff Tower
gave, by a furious volley, an unmistakeable proof of this
diliczence.
Our men in the batteries were, as you may imagine,
furious at this breach of faith of the Russians, but of
course never thought of in.itating their example.' As it
might have been expected from precedents that the Rus-
sians would make good use of their time, the truce was,
and is' still, very much censured by the armies. But in
reality it was an urgent necessity. The dead bodies
were beginning to decompose very fast in the heat of the
sun, so that in a day or two it would have been nearly
impossible to remain nearthe places which had been oc-
cupied °tithe evening of the 7th. This was chiefly the case
as regirds the Mamelon. Not only this latter, but likewise
all the whole plateau behindit up to the Malakhoff Tower,
was covered with dead, and it was only in going over the
place and the ground around it that one could form an
idea what a fierce struggle there had been there.
As soon as the white flag was hoisted the tents poured
forth their inmates, anxious to look at the battle-field
and to contemplate a little closer the formidable Tower
of Malakhoff, which may be called the south citadel of
Sebastopol. It was quite a procession. Not only the
large ravine between our right attack and the old five-
gun or Tower battery, but likewise the slopes on both
sides of it, were covered with a motley crew—officers,
soldiers, sailors, French, English, Sardinians, and Turks,
navvies and merchant sailors, besides a number of trades-
men and idlers from Kamiesh and Balaklava.

The most interesting road was, however, through
the ravine. Through it the way leads to the ad-
vanced trenches, which were constructed by the
French to approach that work ; through it they ha'l
as well as our own gallant fellows, marched cheering
and singing to the attack ; and through it were carried
back those who had won it with the loss of their blood.
It was the best guide to the Mamelon, for it contains the
whole history of its taking ; there are the numberless
trenches, the hard work of months ; there are the thou-
sands of shot and shell with which the enemy has in vain
tried to arrest our approach to this vital part of his strong-
hold ; there are the alleys of graves which mark the pro-
gress of our dearly-bought success ; and there, lastly,
you may see the grand preparations made to insure the
success obtained, and to extend it.

The entrance of the ravine was clear enough ; had it
not been for an occasional soldier or idler moving up and
down, one could scarcely have believed to what scene it
led, it looked so solitary, with the steep cliffs on both
sides of it.

At the first widening of it the scene, however,
changed. Imperial Guards, Zonaves, Turks, Infantry,
and Chasseurs were encamped there, with their never-
failing vivandieres, who were with them, even on the
day of the fight, to refresh the thirsty and nurse the
wounded. The soldiers, although without tents, had
adapted themselves to their position with that readiness
which is admirable in our gallant Allies, and bad made
themselves as comfortable as it was possible under the
circumstances. The popotte was boiling, and, until it
was ready, every one tried, as best it suited his conve •
nience, to pass his time—some reposing in the shade of
projecting rocks, others lounging away and chatting as if
they were under their tents at some autumnal concentra-
tion of troops in La Belle France, instead of forming the
reserve for an arduous duty in the Mamelon.
Near to this clearer space in the ravine the trenches
begin. One must go through them in order to judge of
the perseverance displayed in constructing them and fully
to appreciate the difficulties which our gallant allies have
successfully overcome. The whole of the ridge leading
towards the plateau on which the Mamelon lies is covered
only with a scanty layer of earth, just sufficient to pro-
duce grass enough to give it a green appearance. A few
inches under the ground the stone begins. It is a soft
white chalk stone, too hard to make a good cover, and
too brittle to allow dispensing with gabions. Nearly
every step had to be gained by laborious mining, and
under the murderous fire of the enemy. The main trench
follows the right-hand side of the ravine, and from it
branch out to the right three parallel lines running
across the whole breadth of the ridge leading down to
the plateau on which the Mamelon, the Malakhoff Tower,
and the two strand batteries are situated. The third
and most advanced of these lines is constructed on the
narrowest part of the ridge, just before it loses itself in
the plateau. Whoever takes a good map of
Sebastopol
in his hands—for instance, that made after the sur-
veys of Captain Spratt, R.N., of her Majesty's ship
Spitfire—and looks at this ridge, may see to what fear-
ful fire these works, and particularly the third line, was
exposed from the Tower of Malakhoff, the Mamelon,
the eight gun Strand Battery, and even the batteries of
Inkerman.
Immediately in front of this third line tke ground,
which up to there has been sloping down, begins to rise
towards the Mamelon. On this rise were the Russian
rifle-pits, situated about half way up to the Mamelon.They had, as usual, chosen an excellent place for them,
the edge of a terrace-like level spot. From this point 1
the hill rises abruptly to the foot of the fortification. It
is far steeper than one would imagine by looking at it
from a distance, and, although the distance to the top
cannot be more than 200 yards, the pull is very hard.
So much the more marvellous seemed that quick rush
which brought, the other day, our gallant allies to the
foot of the embrasures in less time than most of the visi-
tors to day took to get up to it.
The Russians had time enough to fortify the Ma-
melon, and I assure you they did not lose it. From
1
the simple parapet it had been in the beginning, it had
by assiduous labour become a strong outwork of the
Malakhoff W9vver, Even amid ittl IlliPi—for it it the

most complete wreck imaginable—everything shows the
value they had set upon it, and the .care they took to
make the most of it by the fixing of the gabions,.the
strength of the embrasures, and the traverses. These
latter bad been taken advantage of to form a cover for
the troops not required as . gunners c•r sentries, bound
over with fascines and earth, or rather stones ; they are
made up into a kind of subterranean, caves. But not
all the care and trouble taken could save them from de-
struction. I never saw a more complete state of wreck.
The embrasures knocked into formless mounds, the tra-
verses overthrown, burying all under them, the guns dis-
mounted, with here a wheel, there a muzzle sticking out
of the heaps of stones and ' earth—Whoever wanted to
know what English and French guns could do ought to
have gone to the Mamelon to-day, and whoever wished
to have an idea what the struggle wail ought to have
counted the mass of dead bodies.

Already in the French trenches, chiefly at their de-
bduches, they were lying abr.ut in twos and threes, the
higher you went up the more numerous they became.
Even if you had not seen the fight you would have
guessed where the fiercest struggle took place, the end
embrasure—namely, to the right behind the Marnelon
on the slope which connects it with the MalakhorT
Tower, and at the foot of the latter in the abattis, and
very likely further in. '

I When One looks at theiformidable defences of the Ma-
melon and the protection it had from all the Russian
works to the right and left, and thinks again of the
feeble restance after which it was taken the first time,
we must home to the conclusion that the Russians in
it must Wove been takealy surprise. Besides, the events
after the first taking of it, the sortie of the Russians
from the Malakhoff Tower and the B.gun battery, the
violence of their attack wnich forced the French to re-
tire for a moment, the resistance which they found the
second time, and the tenacity with which the Russians
defended every inch of ground, all led to the same con-
clusion. The account of •the prisoners taken at the
Mamelon is to the same effect. I heard from a gentle-
man who speaks Russian, and who had spoken with a
cadet taken in the Mamelon at the first rush, that the
latter says that they had not the slightest idea of an
attack, and was dining quietly with the General, as well
as the rest of the officers, when the French made their
first rush, and he had scarcely time to swallow the lak
morsel before he was taken prisoner.
But, notwithstanding the really praiseworthy resist-
ance of the Russians to the second attack, the formid-
able batteries of the Malakhoff Tower, which are not
more than 500 to 600 feet from the Mamelon,, and the
even more formidable 8-gun battery behind, there is no
doubt in my mind that the French were actually in the
first line of the fortifications of the Malakhoff Tower.
Not only is the general account of the French soldiers to
that effect, but I saw with my own eyes numbers of dead
French carried'out by Russians from the abattis and the
ditch, where they had very likely thrown them from the
interior. The misfortune was that, as always in an as-
sault, all control was lost over the excited soldiers, and
they made an attack on the Malakhoff Tower just as
our own red-coats did on the Redan, "on their own
hook," carried away by the frenzy of the moment, while
it did not enter into the plans of the generals to do more
than take the Mamelon and the Quarries. What would
have been the result had they calculated on this irresisti-
ble rush, and had taken advantage of it by sending large
reserves to support it, is, of course, matter of opinion.
As it is, many French soldiers assured -me that they
spiked several of the guns of the first line of the
Malakhoff works, and they pretend they could have
spiked all of them had they been provided with
nails, but before the gunners, who were provided
with instruments, could come up they were obliged
to leave the place. I don't know .how it may have
been about the Malakhoff Tower guns, but every one of
the guns in the Mamelon had the nails for spiking them
attached ; but it is not surprising that they were over-
looked in the first beat.

There were 26, guns found in the Mamelon, but only
very few in serviceable order. In all, the French took
62, the rest in the Ouvrages Blancs, and 310 prisoners.
The French have, with their usual energy, begun to
turn to advantage their new acquisitions; to connect
them with the works they had formerly possessed, and
to turn their faces against those who constructed them.
The Mamelon offers immense difficulties in this respect,
it is so very strongly constructed ; but the chief diffi-
culty lies in the fire directed upon it from the ships, the
8-gun battery, and the tower of Malakhoff, and, until
the work is entirely turne'i, they are exposed to heavy
losses. Before, and even more after the truce, a hail of
grape and shell was thrown all round it.

I approached as far as I was permitted—that is,
within 300 yards, and certainly the Malakhoff is a for-
midable work ; it is, for the south.part, what the citadel
is for the north ; and whatever skilful engineering and
hard work could do for it has certainly been &one there.
It seems to command everything-within gunshot, and
once taken, the southeide of the town included, must be
ours.

From the Mamelon I went over the ravine running
up from Careening Creek to the extreme right up to the
ridge opposite to the Inkerruann heights where the
" Ouvrages Blanes" are which the French took the other
day. This ridge running down from the Victoria re-
doubt, the spot where the Russian guns were on the
bloody day of Inkerman, gets narrower as it appraches
Careening Creek o❑ one side, and the head of
the great harbour and of the embouchure of
the Tchernaya on the other side. The batteries
are situate at the extreme point of the ridge, over-
looking the harbour most completely, and are
erected on a little elevation of the ground. When I
went over them the dead bodies had not yet been buried.
To judge from those lying there the struggle was not
very fierce. The position there was a kind of forlorn
hope, for there was no retreat, and most of the prisoners
were taken.

The French are hard at work to turn the work against
the harbour and the Strand batteries on the other side
of Careening-creek, both of which will be commanded by
them. In consequence of this success of the French
most of the vessels have moved out of their snug berths.
These works can only be molested by the Inkerman
batteries ; but, as they are nearly completed, the greatest
danger will be soon over. While the French are work-
ing the Turks have occupied the upper works, and form
the covering parties.
The Quarries, not less than the Mamelon, were an-
noyed by the shot and shell of the enemy yesterday as
well as to-day. It requires the greatest heroism to
keep those places, exposed, in a crowded spot, to a fire
which you have no means of returning. In a battle,
where there is a chance of hurting the enemy, where
there is a corresponding excitement, bravery is easier,
but here you have to await with caolness the next shot.
Nearly the whole fight for the Quarries required this
negative heroism, the hardest to practise, seeing man
after man falling around one.
The taking of the Quarries was an affair of an instant.
The Russians did not await the coming of our own sol-
diers, and never thought of resistance. It was only after
it that the fight began, more with an invisible than a
tangible enemy, for the attacks of the Russians were
soon enough repulsed, but the balls were to be met too.

JUNE 10.

The first bombardment last year proved already, after
the first day's fire, that our fire on the whole was supe-
rior to that of the enemy ; the second, from one or other
reason, was not quite so clear in proof ; but the third, I
think, has established the fact clearly enough. From
the first moment there could be no doubt. Even the
enemy seemed to acknowledge it by the comparative
slackness of his fire which followed tbe first fury of it. But
a better means of comparison is the comparative state
of the batteries, In the Mamelon scarcely a gun was
left whole ; in the other Russian works not only were
the guns wholly silent, but the embrasures and the pa-
rapet were knocked fearfully about, while in our batte-
ries scarcely a gun has been dismounted. The loss in
men has been much smaller than on former occasions.
As far as I can ascertain not an officer was killed, only
several slightly wounded.

JUNE 11.
This morning the bombardment had been much slower,
but it is expected to begin as soon as the works on the
Matnelon are finished.

General,Morris with someregituents of French cavalry
has advanced to Baidar, and is encamped. There are
strong cavalry divisions of the enemy there.
JUNE 12.
Nothing new, and scarcely any firing.

THE LIGHT SQUADRON IN THE SEA
OF AZOFF.

The following is a journal of the proceedings of
the first launch of her Majesty's steamer Royal
Albert :

"June 3, 2 a.m.—We roused up, steamers making a
great noise with the steam escaping, all of us taking
either a cup of tea or cocoa and a bite of biscuit, for one
could not eat much at that early hour ; all hands eager
for the fight, boats' crews calculating upon the sundry
sheep they were likely to catch, the Kertch stock being
nearly out. The boats being told off for towing by
the following steamers :—Recruit, Minna, and Da-
nube, we repaired to them accordingly; and at dawn of
day, or 4 o'clock, we might be seen moving on slowly to-
wards Taganrog, accompanied by the Swallow, the Viper,
the Beagle, the Snake, and four French steamers, with
fouo hunches and three pinnaces in tow, keeping rather
in the rear of us.
" 7.30 a.m.—Anchored off Taganrog in 9 feet, and
about 1,200 or 1,000 yards to the N.W. of a low point,
over which evidently was a large Government store ; a
little distance off three schooners aground, and a small
steamer which the recruit had chased on shore two nights
previously, and obliged them to burn and desert. The
town was exceedingly picturesque, situated upon an
elevation of some 120 feet above the sea ; the buildings
exceedingly large, of white stone, roofed with iron, two
storeys high, and those exceedingly lofty. Several large
churches were to be seen, with handsome domes, large
trees and gardens intervening. The ladies came out in
a variety of colours ; horsemen and droskies were to be
seen going the pace, we, in the height of our imagina-
-1 tion, taking the four-horse iroskies for flying artillery.
Mounted Cossacks and LW troops at preigent. The
signal for boats to repair around the Recruit, or senior
officer ; the force concentrated round the Recruit. An
order of attack was issued to the launches ; also orders
. were giyen not to fire without direct orders from Com,

rEticE SD.

t
ld
ebtr nahoya:
th:thheoareot
doi
oiColes.atvnesyrhnso
should
ndseshrwooe
of
treacheryet
pseoinliiroundetdoti
weresuo
distance
andna oc each
es i;bodoliveanl
nti seedvtleohrae al
nlo
we apprehended our orders fully ; one English and one
f
French boat pulled in with a flag of truce, to demand
the
Gov ernment property, and if any force was in the h-
aj-
strate would be shot. Such is the report.
Ate hour having elapsed, the flags of truce returned
people mostly retired. The boats at, this time were hang.
ing (tie to the Recruit in their stations, according to
seniority ; rocket boats and firing party ahead. .At, 9
a.m. we proceeded round the low point in line. As we
advanced eereral troops were seen failing in on .the top
of the hill. They were very tempting, many wishing to
have a shot. However, it• was against, orders, con-
sequently no one dared to fire. It was the general
opinion that they intended mischief and were going
to oppose our firing the stores obstinately. • After
rounding the point the Government stores were disco-
vered on a low flit some mile in length and 150 yards in
breadth, two tiers, one behind and a little above
the other, with officials' houses between, some 20 small
craft at the north-east end, and hinnense quantity of
spars, partially hauled. up. When the rocket-boats got
abreast of the small craft the boats cast off their painters
simultaneously; put our helms astarhoard, and brought
our guns to bear abont 400 or 500 yards from the shore.
Very few men were to be seen. One or two instances
of great coolness were shown by the enemy. One was
a sentry walking his post sothe quarter of an hour after
opening fire'; vaned' and grape,- spherica'. case, and
Minie were fired at him, without effect. He looked at
us occasionally, as if he would ask what we meant'by it,
and I presume, .by his standing fire so long, he did not
leave until ordered. He was the admiration of every
one. Anothei was a man coolly taking of his clothe;
and bathing. However, he was taken prisoner, I be-
lieve, by the firing party. A few minutes after our
fire opened the firing party landed, commencing at the
N.E. end with the small craft—gun-boats firing rockets,
shells, &c., confining the fire to the stores—and I think
mayl safely say without firing them, the party that
landed only succeeding. • The enemy commenced a fire,
but very feeble, from the height above the atores, con-
cealed in the gardens, in buildings, and behind walls.
Some well-directed spherical case, shell, and grape dis-
turbed them, and several were' seen to fall and limp
away ; it is very strange to say that in so large a town
they did not even get one gun to bear upon us. About
1 p.m. one man in the Princess Royal launch received a
a musket ball in the jaw.
"The Snake, Beagle, and Viper, with a great deal of
manoeuvring, got within range. I have heard since that
she burst one of her guns ; Curlew was out of range ;
the Recruit about 700 yards, having shifted berth, and
one French steamer. Several of the houses in the town
were fired with carcase rockets—l presume from the
Danube. Lady Nancy appeared to be of great service,
and I should say did her work uncommonly well.
About 2 p.m. the fire slackened from the boats having
no one hardly to fire at. The latter part of the day the
Frenchmen landed in a strong party and chased the
pigs and geese ; the Russians did not approve this, and
opened rather a sharp fire of musketry upon them,
which we returned with interest from the boats. Tho
Frenchmen fired volleys of musketry, and the men
ashore were off in a twinkling. I observed our second
launch, with a few others, was ordered off abont 1 p.m.
All our people behaved exceedingly well. They were
tinder a broiling sun pulling their oars nearly all the
time, having a tide against us for some six or seven
hours.. Orders were given not to fire at the hospital or
churches, and they were rigidly adhered to, until the
enemy concealed themselves in a garden around the
church and brought the fire upon it ; it looked afterwards
very much as if it had had the smallpox. At 3.30
p.m., the objeot of the expedition having been ob-
tained—namely, the destruction of Government pro-
perty, the boats hauled off to their respective ships ;
bringing out two Greek brigs that were at anchor,
and arrived at our former anchorage about 7.30
p.m., rather tired, as one can easily imagine.
We bad a jolly good bathe, and dined at 8 p.m. on board
the Danube, had the fight over again, and wondered which
was to be the next. I have not mentioned the Nonsuch,
having lost sight of her. The Recruit gave some Cossacks
a few parting shots. Strange work for Sunday, but war
must be carried on with vigour. Troops having been
seen, by several of the boats assembled in the streets
above, I am rather of opinion that they anticipated our
landing and ascending the heights, where they remained
drawn up ready to oppose us in case we should have
landed.

" 4 a.m.—Having expended our ammunition, thought
it advisable to replenish from the Medina ; did so ac-
cordingly.
" B.3o.—Squadron weighed in two lines, French on
our left, shaping a course for ,Marioupol, the stores of
that place being the next object in view to'destroy.
" 4.30 p.m.—Anchored off Marioupol about two miles
and a half to the S.S.W. of the town, which appeared to
be about one-third the size of Taganrog ; sent a return
of men employed at Taganrog to Captain Lyons ; boats
ordered to be in readiness for active service, and to as-
semble round the Miranda at 5 a.m.

" JUNE 5.

" 5 a.m.—Launehes, paddle-boats, and our amiable
companion Lady Nancy assembled, according to orders,
round the Miranda at sa. m. Shortly afterwards she and
the squadron shifted berth to between 1,500 and 2,000
yards off the town, to convenient shelling distance, boats
forming in much the same order as the day pre-
vious. A very useful addition was included in the
expedition—viz., about 120 marine artillerymen, to act
as a covering party to the fire brigade, under Lieut.
Swinburne. A boat with a flag of truce had been sent
in previously, which, I believe, returned without a satis-
factory answer. Many lookers-on from the shore were
to be seen, and a few mounted Cossacks, who, I under-
stand, met the flag of truce, and were on the point of
firing upon it, until waved to from the boat. The inter-
preter, when ashore, explained to them the nature of the
flag of truce, which they appeared to be ignorant of,
and begged pardon for putting themselves in a menacing
attitude. No satisfactory answer being given to the flag
of truce, the boats formed line abreast, under the direc-
tions of Lieutenant M`Kenzie, of the Miranda, pulled in
for the beach, and took up the relative positions assigned
to them 200 or 300 yards distant from the beach, upon
the west side of a small river, running N.N.IV. and
S.S.E. along the line of storehouses for some 500 yards,
and then branching off to the east and west. On the
west side, for 500 yards adjacent to the stores, was a
well-built bank of stone, similar to the bank at Chatham,
for confining the river and preserving the depth of the
water, which was about five feet, upon which was a good
macadamised road leading into the centre of the town ;
here there were a few sentry-boxes, and large stores
of corn and various other goods in well-built brick
buildings, some 120 feet in length, the walls of
which were some 14 feet high. The fire-brigade and
marine-artillery men landed upon the south extre-
mity of this road, under cover of the boats' guns, the
St. Jean d'Acre's boats, and one or two others, having
shifted berth up the river, taking up a commanding posi-
tion in the fork of the river, and covering the party, if
necessary, in their advance up the main road. After the
boats had taken up their positions, making a very for-
midable appearance, a man on horseback was observed
galloping down with what was supposed to be a chemise
to the southward point of the river, near a flagstaff,
where several people of all grades had assembled, inno-
cent spectators ; our flag of truce met him, and I have i
been nfornaeclvsince that the gentleman on horseback in-
formed them that there were no Government stores, but
that it was all private property ; the magistrate was not
forthcoming ; and that he was a deputy for the towns-
people in general, and that they desired him say 600
Cossacks were in the neighbourhood, and they had re-
tired, hoping we would spare the town, since, whatever
we thought proper to do, they would trust to our tender
mercies. He and his townsmen were recommended to
retire, which they did, very wisely ; a few shots were
fired, more for a moral effect than anything else. Shortly
afterwards the fire brigade and marine artillerymen
landed, and then the scene of destruction commenced ;
some of the houses filled with fine wheat were rather
difficult to open, but, somehow or other, in cases of
emergency Jack overcomes all difficulties, and nothing
stands in his way when his mind is bent upon one ob-
ject—especially that of destruction. The blue-jackets
chiefly fired the stores near the river ; and a paty, accom-
panied by the marine artillerymen, marched to the town,
some half-mile distant, fired suspicious-looking build-
ings and stores, sparing what they took to be private
property, without any resistance. Many people had
deserted their houses, and some of the scoundrels be-
longing to the town were observed in a state of intoxi-
cation, appropriating to themselves the property of
others. Some shook their fists at our people—a harm-
less amusement. People and horsemen could be seen
upon the summit of the hills looking at the scene of de-
struction.

" 1.30 p.m.—Party embarked returned to our respec-
tive ships without any casualty.
" 4.15 p.m.—Weighed, with a strong breeze from the
S.W., steering for Gheisk Spit.
" 9.10 p.m.—Anchored in four fathoms.
" .Tune s.—At daylight observed the land to the
southward, about 18 miles. Squadron weighed and
stood towards Eisk. 7 a.m., squadron came to an
anchor as convenient for shelling and covering the land-
ing, should it be disputed. Miranda anchored one and
a half miles off the town of Eisk. Lieutenant Horton
went ashore with a flag of truce, accompanied by one of
the French beats with a similar flag. Ahout 10 a.m.
the flag of truce returned, with intelligence that the
Governor had surrendered the town and Government pro-
perty according to terms, they not having any artillery,
but only a few troops to oppose us ; but it was the wish
of the Governor that the boats should pull in close to the
shore and form order of battle in line abreast, making an
imposing appearance, so as to justify him in his conduct,
which we did.

"12.10 p.m.—Boats take up their position line
abreast, anchoring by the stern, offa low spit, upon which
was part of the town, about 300 or 400 yards off. The
marines and firing party landed, and were received by
the Governor and colonel, providing the officers with
mounts. One party proceeded to the westward, and
fired some mile and a half of stacks, consisting of hay,
rye, and straw, in places 0 and 8 deep ; others to the
town to fire a quantity of grain that the Governor had
taken out of the stores to prevent the town being burnt,
which they were in great fear of. The Governor requeoted

us to pia!' the bay over the cliff in lieu of setting t. 41
to it—a modest request rather, to pitch a mile and a- N.
half of stacks over it would have taken our party
about two months." The parties having destroyed the
grain and stacks, which they took to be Goverment pro-
perty, re-embarked; but previous to their leaving the
beach the Governor begged their acceptance of a quan-
tity of stock, which be had ordered down to the beach,
which we politely deolined. Compliments passed—suc
as they hoped they would meet each other under more
favourable auspices in lieu of such painful circumstances.
The Governor and inhabitants were thankful for our
leniency in sparing the town. About this time one dozen
champagne came down very apropos in a drosky, which
seemingly our friend the Governor had ordered, and
which he insisted upon our opening and drinking each
other's healths. Two very swell Greeks, dressed gaudily
in their war costume, were not content with drinking
healths only, but drank success to the expedition in
French. I suppose our friend the Governor did not
understood them. Thus eads the destruction
_of Go-
,
buildings were in the
voe
lr.onnTmyhe,en
ittzotproperty
ties Eisk.tkuph.n y
ase appearance of a young
c
mcourse of co
sonaD.l3tsritetriuOnlln?
illlngosot
uo them
tf
some
five
wooden. It
orBix
miles com-
the E.N.r., gradually rising to the westward until the
cliffs attain a height of some 4i) feet to the extreme right
or west of the town, and on the edge of the cliff were
the identtcal stacks of some mile and a half in extent.
I should from the number of houses-estimate the popu-
lation at; about 7,000; some 20 or 30 windmills were
were ha sled up on the baebriocuht.
Azlff the, abounds in windmills ; and a few long
evaisigibtilee.:ol!:kifnigLt,bo7leeee we have been in the Sea of
to the eastward of the spi.t to explore Gheisk Liman (a
twoTh
eorptahnreuebetown
want
burden,
!noon or lake) ; got within about two 'miles of the towns
Gheirk sd Sherbitto, situated on the river Gei. They
appearcdto be towns of some considerable extent, many
stores and windmills ben visible. No doubt the town
of Eisk has, sprung
silting up, and the situation being much more at hand
ring
e
oriy et
awrdsrnytesaap.nrowodtaastay.wl 3f:amr.t.;trElhoc iehmosi
pkese,taohGuG:ne
abbeeer.iisu.
sakskt
u in consequence of the Lake Liman
for the shipment of goods—not only on account of the
Cau-
casusaarEl
nneiddsplttshhtbhbeeeryafral
lboht
branching
tvtloieenGrag,
ritleweot
f.ghos the ice
great
large
ctNatevi
hese
and Sher&ino are reserved.forsome future occasion.
"The Admiral being desirous of having the boats
back upon the 71h. the fleet being about
.to bombard
Anapa by land and sea, the services of the launches bein,
required to embark troops, I hear that Capt. Lyons 17);
letter reqttested he might retain• us till the evening of the
Bth, wishing to destroy a depot at Tenirouk, some 30
miles tote eastward of Yenikahl Straits, on the southern
side of Temronk Lake.

"5 p.m.—Boats returned, our launches and Princess
Royal's being turned over to the Miranda.
"5.30 p m.—Weighed, steering westerly, with a mo-
derate breeze from the westward. Received news from
Kertch ; granted permission for the launches to remain,
which we were all glad of. Heard also that the Admiral
was highly delighted with our proceedings. Fine night.
Anchored 11.30 p.m. in 53 fathom. 3. 3.30, weighed
course, S.\\T. ; fresh breeze from ; boats towing
heavily. Had casualties, such as hawsers carried away,
&c. 8 a.m.—Hove to ; out guns from boats, and majo-
rity of the men. 7.30. p.m.—Anchored in 31 fathoms;
strong wind from N.E. ; received a mail by Banshee.
9.3o.—Observed a large fire on chore.
"June. B.—Wind too strong for boat operations ;
everything at a standstill.

".Tune7-9.—Wind moderated a little ; observed a large
body of cavalry, about 2,000, and troops busy throwing
up earthworks to the left of the town, for defending the
stores, apparently. • Princess Royal's boats left Miranda
for Snake ; Royal Albert's for Danube.
" 10.40.—Weighed for Bertch.”

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCA.

Letters from Malta to the 20th of June announce the
departure from that island on the 15th of her Majesty's
steam-frigate Malacca for the Black Sea, having in
charge the Fancy, Clinker, and Boxer steam gun-boats,
followed on the 17th by the Jasper, Grinder, and
Cracker, vessels of the same class, in charge of the steam-
frigate Gorgon.

Her Majesty's steam•frigate Odin arrived at Malta
from Portsmouth (in 20 days) on the 10th, having in tow
the cater-rigged mortar- ressels Flamer and Firm, the
Hardy having broken adrift off Cape Bon. She, how-
ever, arrived all safe on the 19th, when all three, under
the escort of the Odin, took their departure for the Black
Sea with a fair wind.

The Robert Lovie screw-steamer, from Gibraltar, hay-
ing on board the 13th Regiment, arrived at Malta on the
13th, and left on the same day for the Crimea. The
Thames steamer, from Valencia, with 200 mules and
horses, passed Malta for the same destination on the 17th.
Accounts have been received of the arrival at Malta
on the 18th, in tow of the Candia steamer, from Constan-
tinople, of the Greek brig Painaja Drapanistis (108 tons)
in charge of Mr. Chown, R.N., in ballast, detained by
her Majesty's ship Niger, off Odessa, and the lonian brig
Santa Ellena (240 tons), in charge of Mr. Paul, R.N.,
of her Majesty's ship Albion, laden with paving stones,
detained at ConstAntinople by Admiral Grey, under sus-
picion of being in reality Rusisian property. Three more
Greek vessels detained by the Niger under similar cir-
cumstances were hourly looked for et Malta.
The Rhadamanthus steam-transport arrived at Ports-
mouth on Saturday from Plymouth, whence she con-
veyed supernumeraries and stores, and after landing them
left in the evening for Woolwich. The Diligence naval
transport arrived at Spithead on Saturday with stores for
the dockyard at Portsmouth. The steam-transport Vic-
tory left Spithead for the Thames on Saturday. The
ships at Spithead yesterday were the St. George and the
Neptune, three-deokers ; the. Imperieuse frigate, the
Cruiser screw sloop, and the Prometheus paddle-sloop.
The Alban, 4, paddle-wheel steam-vessel, Lieutenant
Commander W. E. Fisher, on Friday evening took the
gun-boats Swinger, Lieutenant C. J. Nelson, and the
Jackdaw' Lieut. L. A. Whimper, in tow, and proceeded
to the Nore. Early on Saturday morning she' left for
Elsinore, iwith both gun-boats in tow. Weather fine ;
wind moderate, W. by N.
The Horatio, 24, screwsteam-ship, Capt. the Hon. A.
A. Cochrane, left Sheerness on Saturday evening direct
for Heligoland.

The hired steam-transport Rob Roy arrived at Sheer-
ness yesterday morning from the Baltic. She has brought
home invalids from the fleet, some Russian merchant
seamen prisoners, and the mails, despatches, &c. After
communicating with the Port Admiral, the invalids were
put on board the steamvessel Fearless for immediate
conveyance to Melville Hospital. The prisoners were
sent on board the receiving ship Devonshire, Lieut.-
Commander J. H. Lloyd, and, after landing despatches,
she left Sheerness at 1.45 p.m. for Woolwich and
Deptford.

The Centaur, 6, paddlewheel steam-frigate, Captain
William .J. C. Clifford, arrived at Sheerness at 9 a.m
yesterday, last from Elsinore. It is reported that she is
to assist in convoying the floating batteries Trasty, Me.
teor, and Glutton out to the Baltic. The Glutton has
been again taken into the fitting basin for alteration.
She is being fitted with a bow and quarter leeboard of
considerable dimensions on each side, to insure better
steerage and staying. She is to have another trial im-
mediately she can be got ready. The artificers are work-
ing extra hours morning and evening to expedite both
the Glutton and Trusty.
The Calcutta, 84 guns (sailing-ship), Captain James J.
Stopford, is under sailing orders to proceed to the Baltic
with a portion of the armament of the floating batteries,
&c., she has now on board.
The Powerful, 84 (sailing-ship), Captain Themas L.
Massie, remains in harbour at Sheerness.
Draughts of merchant seamen-volunteers for general
service in the navy, are daily arrivint, at Sheerness from
the Crocodile receiving ship off the Tower.

The following appointment€ were made on Saturday at
the Admiralty :—The Rev. Walter B. Arthy, chaplain
and naval instructor to the Horatio ; the Rev. H. J.
Clerk, chaplain to the Castor ; John H. Bond, naval
instructor to the Castor ; William B. Fegen, surveyor
to the Transit.

A telegraphic announcement was received by the
owners of the Cunard steamers at Liverpool on Saturday
that the Arabia left Malta on the 16th inst., at 2 o'clock,
direct for Spithead. It is supposed that she has invalided
and wounded soldiers on board. On arriving at Spithead
she will embark additional troops for the seat of war.
A military camp is about to be formed at Arrow, near
Birkenhead, for the reception and drill of militia, artil-
lery, and other regiment 9.

Major General Sir John Campbell, Bart., was son of
the late Lieut.• General Sir Archibald Campbell, Bart.,
by his marriage with Miss Helen Macdonald. He was
born in ISO 6, entered the army in 1821, and, as aide-de-
camp of his father, he served throughout the first Bur-
mese war. He became lieutenant-colonel of the 38th
Foot in 1840, and was one of the original staff of the,
army sent last year in aid of Turkey, being appointed tq
command a brigade. He was made a Major-General ha
December, 1854, for services at the storming of the
heights of the Alma, the battle of Inkerman, and the
siege of Sebastopol. He has left a widow, the only child
of Colonel John Crow, and is succeeded by his son Sir
Archibald Ava Campbell.
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL SRADFORTH, 57TH REGIME NT.
—Lieutenant-Colonel Shadforth obtained his ensigney
April, 1825 ; lieutenant, October, 1826 ; captain, April,
1831 ; major, March, 1844 ; brevet lieutenant-colol,
June, 1854 ; lieutenant-colonel, November, 1854. This
officer was beloved by all who knew him. Lord Raglan
ap
sl nuine
nn
nt e
tdhhe i
gmr
eaast waenl lx
ioentythheneffinocniesm
thought very highly of him, and more than onceclm-
tloyf
manifestedhis regimenin
providing for the comfort of his men, of whom he wast
the pride. Mrs. Shadforth resides at Rochester, and
only on Friday morning her four daughters received a
parental letter, stating how well their father was. Dur-
ing the day Mis. Shadforth went to town, for the pur-
pose of staying with her brother previ"s to her second
daughter;
going to France to be educated, when a tele-
graphic message reached the house where she was an
nouncing that her husband was no more.
Co'onel Yea of the 7th Regiment, entered the army
in 1825, As lieutenant-colonel he commanded the Royal
Fusiliers throughout the Eastern campaign of 1854. It
outerribly his corps suffered at
the Alma. H
will not be forgotteng how e
*as made Colonel in December last:
Colonel Yea bad lately been commanding the first
gads of the Light Division.
ACCIDENT AT
CHESTER CENTRAL RAILWAY S.
—Liverpool, Saturday.—The ten o'clock train fro In
Shrewsbury arrived at the usual hour this morning, an d
wasrebein, pushed up to the station at the moment agoods train from Holyhead happened to be crossing th e
line. A serious collision was the consequence. Sever al
carriages were badly damaged, and one female passenger
bad her ankle crushed, but providentially no lives we re
lost. Considering the nature of the accident, it is sur-
prising the amount of personallinjury sustained was so

'AC
4r4 •