The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-27 00:00:00

Labourers posted on the different points designated were
t) br ready to prepare r for the artillery.
" In order to be prepared against all chances, the Ist
brigade of the divisicn d'Aurelle was posted in a manner
to repel, with the assistance of the batteries and redoubts
existing in that direction, all attempts of the enemy on
the counter-fort of Inkerman.
"On the side of our lines General Herbillon was or-
dered to guard the positions on the Tcbernaya by keep-
ing under arms his infantry, mounting his cavalry, and
harnessing his artillery at the hour fixed for the attack.
I had, besides, sent to him the brigade of Cuirassiers of
General Forton. General Maraiora, was acquainted with
these dispositions. As to General d'Allonville, he was
ordered, in the night from the 7th to the Bth, to enter
the valley of Baidar to take a position near the bridge of
Kreutzen—this position offering an advantageous Con-
centration in case of the succouring army of the Russians
menacing the outworks.
" In common accord General Simpson and I agreed
that mid-day should be the time for the assault. The
hour chosen had many advantages ; it offered favourable
chances for surprising the enemy, and in case the Rus-
sian army outside should make a desperate attempt to
succour the place, it would be impossible to adopt before
the close of the day a vigorous measure against our
lines ; such was the result of our attack, and we bad till
the following morning to consult.
"On the morning of the Bth the artillery of the left
attacks, which, from the sth at dawn had carried on a
violent fire, continued to crush the enemy with projec-
tiles ; from the right attacks our batteries fired vigour-
ously, but carefully continuing the artifices of which
they had made use in view of what was to take place.
"Towards eight o'clock the engineers launched on
the Central Bastion two projecting mines, each charged
with 100 kilogrammes of powder ; and at the same hour
they caused to play in advance of our covered way, on
the front of the Malakhoff, three projectiles, charged
altogether with 1,500 kilogrammes of powder, in order
to break the lower galleries of the Russian miners.
"The possession of the system of the Malakhoff being
decided to be regarded as the fruits of our labour for the
day, the other attacks were subordinate, and it was
understood between General Simpson and myself that
the English should not fall upon the Great Redan until
he received a signal which I should give him that we
were assured of the Malakhoff. In the same manner,
General de Salles should not put his troops in motion
until the moment he should receive a signal from me.
"A little before twelve all the troops were perfectly
in order at the points indicated, and the other disposi-
tions had been punctually executed. General de Sailer/
was ready ; General Bosquet was at the post. of combat
which he had chosen in the 6th parallel ; and I had
arrived, with Generals Teiry, of the Artillery ; Niel, of
the Engineers, and De Martimprey, my chief of the
staff, at the Redoubt Brancion, which I had taken as
my head-quarters.
" The watches were regulated. At mid-day exactly
all our batteries ceased to fire, to take a studied aim at
the reserves of the enemy. At the call of their chiefs
the divisions of M`Mation, Dulac, arid Motterouge,
started out from the trenches. The drums and trumpets
beat and sounded the charge, and with cries of Vive
l'Empereur a thousand times repeated along the whole
line, our intrepid soldiers threw themselves into the
trenches of the enemy. It was a solemn moment,
" The let division of the brigade of M`Mahon, the Ist
Zouaves at its head, followed by the 7th of the line, hav-
ing on its left the 4th foot chasseurs, darted against the
left face and the salient of the Malakhoff work. The
breadth and depth of the ditch, and the height of the
escarpment of the talus, rendered the ascent extremely
difficult for our men ; but at last they gained the parapet,
crowded with Russians, who suffered themselves to be
killed on the spot, but would not yield, and, in default
of muskets, fought with plough coulters, stones, and, in
short, with whatever they could lay their hands on.
Here was a struggle of hand to band, one of tee combats
in which nothing but the intrepidity and valour of our
troops could gain them the victory. They sprang at
once into the works, trampling the Russians who con-
tinued to resist under their feet, and in a few moments
after the colours of France were planted on the Mala-
khoff, not to be pulled down again.
" To the right and to the centre, with the same spirit
that overcome all obstacles and drove back the enemy,
the divi,ions of Dulac and Motterouge, beaded by their
chiefs, seized the Little Redan of Careening Bay and the
curtain, and even pushed forward into the second work in
construction. Everywhere we were in possession of the
works attacked. But this great and shining success
could not fail to cost us dear. Struck with a piece of
shell from the right, General Bosquet was forced to quit
the field of battle. I confided the command on this oc-
casion to General Dulac, who was perfectly seconded by
General de Liniers, chief of the staff of the 2d corps.
"The engineers, who had marched with the storming
columns, were ready at their post, working vigorously;
they filled up ditches, opened passages, and erected
bridges, The 2d brigade of General M'Mahon advanced
rapidly to reinforce him in the Malakhoff. I then made
the signai agreed upon with General Simpson for the
attack on the Great Redan, and a little afterwards for
the attack on the town

" The English had 200 yards to cross under a terrible
shower of shot. This space was soon covered with
dead ; nevertheless these losses did not arrest the march
of the attacking column, which arrived, directing its
attack on the capital of the work. They descended into
the ditch, which was nearly five yards in depth, and in
spite of the efforts of the Russians, they scaled the
escarpment and carried the salient of the Redan. There,
after a desperate engagement, which cost dear to the
Russians, the English soldiers found nothing before
them but a vast unoccupied space, riddled with the balls
of the enemy, who were sheltered behind distant tra-
verses. It was only after having sustained for two
hours the unequal combat that the English decided on
evacuating the Redan, and they did this with so firm a
countenance that the enemy did not dare to follow them.
"In the meantime, on the left, at the signal agreed on,
the division Levaillant, commanded by Generals Coustou
and Trochu, precipitated themselves on the left flank of
the Central Bastion and the lunette of the left. In
spite of the shower of balls and projectiles, and after
an ardent combat, the spirit and vigour of these brave
troops triumphed over the resistance of the enemy, and
in spite of the accumulated difficulties before theta they
penetrated into the two works. But the enemy, falling
back upon successive traverses, still fought with firm-
ness. A murderous fire issued out from all these covers ;
masked pieces were opened upon them every moment,
and field pieces vomited showers of balls, decimating
our men. Generals Costou and Trochu, who were
wounded, had to give up their command ; Generals
Rivet and Breton were killed ; several mines exploded
by the enemy produced a moment of hesitation in our
men. At last, a reinforcement of Russians, made by
numerous columns, forced our troops to abandon the
works which they had carried, and to retire into our
advanced works.

" Our batteries from that part of the attacks, skil-
fully directed by General Lebcouf, to whom Rear-Ad-
tniral Rigault de Genouilly rendered, as he always does,
his devoted and enlightened aid, managed their fire so
well that the enemy were forced to take shelter behind
their parapets. General de Salles, causing the division
d'Autemarre to advance, prepared this time a second
and redoubtable attack, but we were assured of the Ma-
laklioff, and I told him not to proceed.
" The possession of this work was, notwithstanding,
energetically disputed.

"By means of the batteries of the Maison-en-crox, the
artillery, field pieces brought to the most favourable
points, and batteries from the north of the Roads, the
enemy inundated us with shot, and projectiles of every
kind, and carried ravage into our ranks, and the powder
magazine of the Russian battery Potorne exploded,
augmenting our losses, making our men fly off at an
angle of 91 degrees. A great number of superior and
other officers were killed and wounded. Generals St.
Pol and de Marolles fell gloriously, and Generals ➢Telli-
net, de Ponteves, Bourbaki, were wounded at the head
of their troops.

"Three times the divisions Dulac and Motterouge
took possession of the Redan and the curtain, and three
times were they obliged to fall back on account of a
dreadful fire of artillery, and before the vast masses who
stood before them. Still the Lanoaster field batteries in
reserve descended at a trot, cleared the trenches, and
audaciously established themselves within half-cannon
shot, effecting the defeat of the enemy's columns, and
driving off their steamers. A part of these two divisions,
supported in this heroic struggle by the troops of the
Guard, who covered themselves with glory on that day,
established themselves on the left of the curtain, from
which the enemy drove them no more.

"During the renewed combats on the right and in the
centre, the Russians redoubled their efforts to retake
the Malekhoff. This fortification, which is a kind of cita-
del of earthwork, 350 metres long by about 150 broad,
armed with 62 pieces of different calibre, surmounts a
hill which commands the whole interior of the Faubourg
de Karabelnaia, and takes in reverse the Redan attacked
by the English, is only 1200 metres from the South
Port, and menaces not only the sole anchorage for yes-
sells, but also the only passage of retreat open to the
Russians—the bridge thrown by them across from one
shore of the stream-roads to the other.
" During the first hours of this struggle on the part
of the two armies, the Russians constantly renewed their
efforts, but General M'Mahon had received successively
to resist these continued attempts, the Viuoy brigade'
of his division, the Zouaves of the Guard, the reserve of
General Wirnpfen, and a band of Voltigeurs of the
guard, by which means he made head against the enemy,
who were always repulsed. The Russians, neverthe-
less, endeavoured to make a last and desperate effort ;
formed in deep columns, they assailed three times the
breach of the fortification, and three times were obliged
to retreat with enormous losses before the compactness
of our troops.
" After this last struggle, which terminated about five
o'clock in the evening, the enemy apparently decided to
abandon that course of action, and the batteries alone
continued till nightfall to send some shots amongst us,
which did not do much harm.

...;"The detachments of the Engineers and of the Artil-
lery which during the combat were either bravely beaten
or actively employed on their special mission, applied
themselves quickly to the task, under the direction of
their officers, to execute the most difficult and urgent
part of the work in the interior of the fortification.
"According to my orders, Generals Thery and Niel
instructed Generals Beuret and Prossard, commanding
the artillery and engineers of the seceud corps, to take
the necessary measures to consolidate ourselves in the
Malakhoff, and on the portion of the curtain in our
hands, so as to be able, if necessary, to resist a noc-
turnal attack from the enemy, and to be in a position
to make them on the morrow evacuate the Little Redan
of Careening-bay, the Cross-house, and all that side of
their defences.

" These measures Were rendered unnecessary. The
enemy, despairing of retaking the Malakhoff, took a
great decision—they evacuated the town.
" Towards evening I had a suspicion it would be so.