The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-26 00:00:00

”1111=1-

MARKET I NEWMARKET RACES.—(This Day.)

THE CAPTURE OF SEBASTOPOL.

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPZ.)

[FROSI A SOLDIER.]

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

501. PLATE. A.P.

Romeo
Ie Juif

E S lisiaTvoirnopbeOenctin Ith.—e
first and during the last, besides two intermediate ones.
EEFOR
The last one it is wholly out of my power to describe to
r haveei ch e s during escaped
thefi e
bombardments,
and I were together in the fifth
yen. Captain M.
parallel (Juries!. the night, with 70 men. I volunteered
to go, as a subeltern had to he there, and he (Captain.
111—) was there as being the junior of the two, and I
was the senior of the snbalteree, the others being mere
boys. We were clout, to the Redan, aed were exposed
to a continual fire of mu, ketrs from the Russians for
about tire hoere, and our fourth parallel opened a fire
from behind us ; thus, being in the dark, thg,fiee was all
chance and hap-haaerd, and ConseqnUntly•Mas were as
much in danger from our own men' as the enemy. The
fifth parallel is too close for the Redan to play upon us,
but they fired grape and bouquets from other batteries.
We withdrew to the fourth at daylight. I judged from
the appearance and air of things that we were in for it
- -that the following day would become memorable.
I judged aright. At six o'clock a terrific volley or
salvos of guns opened on the left by the French.
Imagine, if you can, 200 guns and mortars of
the largest calibre firing as ono gun ; the Eng-
lish in the centre did the same. The French,
again, on the right, the same. This frightful affair
lasted three hours. The Russians applied all their re-
sources, and they also fired fearfully. Fancy, I say, if
you can, having a fire overhead. The men were cleared
from all the parallels except the fourth, which was to re-
sist any attack that might be made—an unwilling sacri-
fice of a few, as was thought by all, for the good
of the
whole. The guns having ceoied, a rocket from the
French, at 12 o'clock, was the signal for a recommence-
ment, and the entire number of guns, French and Eng-
lish, gave a volley, enough to shake the Crimea to its
centre. This lasted about two hours and a-half. At 5
o'clock it commenced again and lasted till 7. Night
closed in before the high wind which was blowing cleared
the earth and heavens fur nines around from dust and
smoke. We miraculously escaped with only about two
casualties, and got out of the trenches by 9_ o'clock. At
10 the following morning every man of the army was
under arms, and the bombardment once more began and
continued throughout the entire day, excepting intervals
of an hour or two for the guns to cool, as on the day pre-
vious. The Third Division was formed in reserve in front
of the 23th camp. Thecorps were the let Royals, 4th, 14th,
18th, 28th, 38th, 44th, 50th, and 89th, and were under
arms till 9 o'clock. The French had gained the Malakhoff
by this, while the French and English had been driven
twice each respectively from the Redan and Flagstaff bat-
teries. By 10 o'clock flames appeared in the town at dif-
ferent points '•by 3 a.m. it was in a furious blaze—a sure
sign that the Russians had evacuated the town and gone
to the north. Never shall I forget the sight that was
presented at daybreak. The rues, guessing that the
town was taken, and knowing the plundering pro-
pensities of our friends the French on such occa-
sions' sallied fortitand brought away whatever theycould
lay hands upon. But the Russians had removed every-
thing of any value, and what they could not remove
they destroyed ; therefore what was captured was only
lumber. Cavalry pickets, French and English, soon formed
a barrier to prevent anything being brought away. The
two chairs I have sent you were taken from sonic one by
the cavalry ; and I happening to be at the spot where
they were just as they were being relieved at night, I had
them brought away under nightfall. I first visited the
town. What a sight ! Every step you took the mind be-
came overwhelmed at what you saw, until one's ideas
were staggered, Here you saw what had been a street
of gorgeous palaces ; there you .:ATT a mighty but solemn
temple ; yonder a ponderous line of classic buildings and
terraces—all in a pile of blackened, srnouldering ruins.
Some houses that I entered presented an appearance
which would almost grieve one to look at, for pity sake,
from their irremediable ruin and desolation. The dwel-
lings of the upper classes appear to have been built and
fitted up to the utmost degree of comfort, convenience,
and chasteness. But the chaos in which everything was
found I cannot describe. In what had been a drawing-
room would lie the broken shaft of a column of polished
marble, the Corinthian capital of which shone with bur-
niehed gold, while the upper part of its fellow still ad-
hered to the ceiling, which it was intended to support, and
the weight of which now brought the ceiling nearly down
to the flooring. Close beside would be a large block of
stone that had crushed to pieces a piano of extraordinary
beauty and dimensions, a shot er shell having shattered
it from the wall of masonry. Fragments of marble
chimneypieces, gilded picture-frames, music, pieces of
polished mahogany of elegant forms belonging to tables,
sideboards, sofas, &e., were everywhere strewn about.
The beautiful places of worship were all ruinous empty
shells, riddled, like all the houses and buildings, with
shot and shell. One thing, however, went to show that
the inhabitants bad long left theirdwellings, probably
as long ago as the first bombarUment, for every house
appeared to have been in occupation of the military from
the debris of chething and appointments everywhere
seen. Those inhabitants, it is probable, too, who had
left with the forlorn hope of ever returning,doubtless,
with a true Russian spirit and feeling, spread about them
what ruin and damage they could before leaving ; and
what they failed to do the colliers did for them before
they left.

CITY, Two o'CLocv..

The Liverpool Cotton Market yesterday closed
tamely, but with more steadiness than on Wed-
nesday. Prices were a point in the buyer's favour
in "middling" American, but without change in
other descriptions. The sales were 6,000 to 7,000
bales (1,000 for export), comprising 400 Pernam
anti Maranham, at sid. to 6d. ; 500 Egyptian,
at 51d. to 7d.; and 500 Surat, at 3d. to 4.id.
per lb. Imports for the week 25,000 bales. The
Railway Share Market has been steady, at a slight
advance.

S 4 ran.
HANDICAP SWEEPSTAKES.

Orson

Flacrow

Eight ran.

LATEST BETTING.
NURSERY STAKES, IST CLASS.
4 to 1 agst Blue Mantle (taken)
7 to 1 agst Dresser (taken)
8 to 1 agst Shelah (taken)
8 to 1 agst Staffordshire Man (taken)
9 to 1 agst Maid of Mill (taken)
9 to 1 *gat Manganese (taken)
10 to 1 agst Tug o' War (taken)
2D CLAss.--No betting.

A quieter tone has pervaded the Colonial
Prod uce.Markets this week, and for most staples
rather lower prices have been submitted to
by the importers. Sugar, however, must be men-
tioned as an exception, a. fair demand having
existed for home consumption, and on British
Plantation and some descriptions of Foreign an
advance of 6d. fo ls. per cwt. has been esta-
blished. Grocery kinds of Madras also have
been fully is. per cwt. dearer, and refined
brown lumps have found buyers at 55s
Coffee, both Plantation and Native, has ruled
rather in favour of purchasers. Tea has
been steady though quiet, and rice heavy, notwith-
standing the improvement in corn. Spices have
been at easier rates, and for saltpetre the inquiry
has been limited. Of rum a Government contract
has been taken, and this has constituted the chief
business in the article. Hemp and flax have not
varied particularly, but P.Y.C. tallow on the spot
has risen to 635. 6d. per cwt. Wool at public sale
has gone at the decline noticed at the commence-
ment of the series. The result of the indigo auc-
tions has already been given under this head.
Messrs. D. Bell, Son, and Co. report more acti-
vity during the past week in the market for
American Securities, a reduction of prices having
brought forward purchasers both for State securities
and railroad bonds. The following are the quota-
tions :

MARKET NEWS.—(This Day).

CORN EXCHANGE-.

Fresh up to-day the supply of English wheat was
limited, and the show of samples was trifling. For most
kinds we had only a moderate inquiry, yet Monday's
prices were supported.
Rather over 2,400 quarters of foreign wheat have come
to hand. The demand was wholly confined to retail quan-
tities, at full quotations.
There was a steady business doing in floating cargoes, at
full prices.
The barley trade ruled heavy, at Monday's currency.
The malt trade was far from active, at late rates.
Good sound oats were firm, but not dearer. Inferior
parcels met a slow inquiry.
Beans, peas, and flour were steady, and the quotations
were well supported.

Wheat.
1,710

ARRIVALS THIS WISER.
Barley. I Malt.
690 I 1,199
- -

Oats.

Jinglish ..
Irish ....
i
Foreign 1 2,410

Flour.
710

5,19;)

.. 14150 sks
4'330 I —brls

But without this, our projectiles would have destroyed
nearly every stone and stick. Those nobie buildings
which are seen from our heights with smooth, white ex-
terior walls and green roof'etehich smile and look plea-
Nara as a sun-bank in the distance, on approaching them
are found to be cold, forbidding ruins—pierced from top
to bottom in every direction. The effect of our 13-inch
shell can everywhere be seen, weighing as they do 2001 b;
and, falling from an altitude of a mile and a-half, or
about 3,000 yards, their concussion is equal to 70
tons. Large 'gaps or empty spaces in rows or clusters
of buildings tell that a shell has penetrated the roof or
wall, and descended to a depth below the foundations,
and in an instant not a vestige remained-nearly every
atom scattered to the wiads in all directions. The
mind cannot picture anything equal in point of beauty
to what this city has been. It seems to me to have
been a place where one would wish to live and die. The
hills behind, stretching raciius-like for miles, must have,
been a beautiful landscape before we spread desolation
while in front the sun setting in a yellow mellowness on
the watery horizon makes it appear to be a sea of liquid
gold, and the soft richness of the shining waters, re-
flected on a western sky, makes it illusory, and such as
one reads of or fancies only in fairy scenes. But Sebas-
topol has been known and feared more as an arsenal ;
and an arsenal we found it. No one is prepared to hear
of the extent of warlike resources, naval and military.
As you leave the camp and thread your way down the
ravines—the ravines and valleys of death—you enter a
fauhourg or suburban village, most beautifully situated
on the slopes of the opposite hills of the Great Redan and
Flagstaff Bastions; but, now scarcelyonestone remains on
another. Leaving this, you wind at once upon the creek
adjoining the great harbour ; here frowns a formidable
battery of ships' guns. The left of this creek is the
main city sloping up to a height of about 500 feet above
the level of the sea. This is called the " French side,"
as it was commanded Ly the Flagstaff Battery, which
the French captured. The Redan, the most formidable
of all, envered the public work!. and the barracks—im-
mense buildings, plain, but beautiful structures of hewn
stone of marble whiteness. The immense store buildings,
.of the same appearance, form a grand quay not equalled
anywhere. The quay is terminated by Fort Paul, now
destroyed, baying been blown up by the Russians on the
night of the Bth before leaving.

• The studendous docks I cannot describe, I never saw
anything, the wcrk of men's hands, that can bear the
slightest comparison. There are six capable of receiving
the largest of the collossal ships that float, and they are
as neat as they are large and mighty. The man who
planned these was an Englishman—a Mr. Upton, a
road surveyor and a defaulter. The Emperor rewarded
him with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel ; and I was
told by a Russ—an English prisoner at the Monastery
of St. George—that the Emperor always shook him by
the hand warmly whenever he visited Sebastopol.
These works and buildings are held by the English,
end we have shafts sunk all round the docks to blow
them to destruction whenever instructions arrive to
that effect from home. The guns and ammunition that
have fallen into English hands are almost incalculable.
Around the docks there are not less than 2,000 guns, a
vast number of which are of the largest calibre ; and of
shot there are piles of tens of thousands. The masts of
the thipping slanting upwards above the waters in all di-
rections suggest a train of strangely speculative ideas.
The two Imperial forts (Nicholas and Constantine), now
enemies, frown antagonistically at each other, and the
cross fire from these over the harbour causes a reverbera-
tion that strikes with a mournful cadence upon the ear.
Let this pass, that I may say a word or two upon the
defences of the town. The scientific principles displayed
in them surpass all that ever has been done before at
sieges, and totally eclipses our best engineering tactics. I
hesitate not to say—and I mean it with no disparagement
—but were the Russian engineer officers to see our works
they would laugh at them. The Russian works were ap-
parently formed to meet any and every exigency. Their
batteries were their trenches and parallels, and these
parallels and trenches were their one line of batteries,
forming mountain ranges which had mountainsi for their
base. These were not altogether natural aLvantages, but
they applied such principles of art as were best suited to
whatever advantage nature offered. Our principles dif-
fered in toto. Could cur trenches be faced about we
should then do something near the principles upon
which the Russian works were constructed. A person
walking from the front can walk nicely into our
works by reason of the earth being thrown to the
front, making it a simple incline or small counter-
scarp. The Russians knew better; they., made the
perpendicular towards the enemy, rivetting it with
gabions in order to do it effectually. Behind
they had all kinds of shelter for the men and
gunners, quite independent of, but contiguous to, the
battery, round, square, and triangular—some open, but
most of them bombproof. Behind also lay a large tract of
ground, worked up to be a grand auxiliary to their epe.
rations. Tunnel-formed pits to receive our shell were
numerous. Deep square pits were sunk immediately
behind the batteries and in unlooked-for places to re-
ceive our men in hundreds as they scaled the ramparts
a hill, there a ladder placed here, steppes formed
there. Sharp pointed uprights of gabions and broken
bayouets stared you in the face as you looked down
these pits and hollows. Disabled guns were consigned
to their graves as ours were, but the breech of them
lowered in a bole behind the batteries with the fore
part resting on wood, thus giving them an eleva-
tion of about forty-five
degrees. These they fired with
an overcharge by a train, and these we now discover
sent those numerous messengers to the distance of the
camps. But in front of the batteries of which lam
writing they had another, a little lower down the hill,
and to make this of immense strength the earth was
raised from between the two lines of batteries, both in-
dependent of each other, but of mutual assistance if

THE g Nr, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, OCTTORER 26, 1855.

required--a broad, deep ditch, of 20 feet wide, in some
paces 50, and as many in depth, from the crest of the
second parapet. All these were covered with an abatis
of large branches of trees, with tops outwards, and a
chevattx de friae.
You may now fancy the difference of difficulty in the
attack on their lines an.l ours. The difference in other
things is ii, the sumo ratio. Our men lay in thee:niches
when they were half filled erttli sleet and snow, with
scarcely anything to Cover them=lnotfiing but the.
tagged retnnants of a spongy old greatcat;-ilot fit at best
for hou-,e flannel. The Russian Lad huts ; no, not hots, .
but positively barracks, all along the line of batteries
and under them, and.therefore, bombproof. Here they,
appear to have been very snug and comfortable. Im lei
nients of tailorin,-shoe
.lasts, 'and ottitr'etee'ants, told
that each handicraftsman worked at his leisure hours,
although in, the trenches, call
.toot were plentiful.:
Brittidy tkitties there'Wera plofitlttid from the label_on
several bottles it showed that they had an 'affection for
English " Old Tom." To stand on the summit of the
Flagstaff Bastion you see a sight worth hehording. The
wnole of the works of the English and French left at-
tack-are seen at one view, besides the whole of the
southern Crimea. But a visit to the Russian lines is
offensive to one's feelings and humanity ; you cannot
place your foot upon any loose soil but you may be stand-
ing upon the half-buiied body of a dead comrade or
Russian;and the stifling odour that rises everywhere
makes onealatost shudder.

THE EARL Oh' _ELLESMERE ON THE

WAR.

On Tuesday night the opening lecture for the season of
,he \Vorsley Literary Institution was delivered in the
Court House, Worsley, by the Earl of Ellesmere, who
chose for his subject " The Present War." The room
was crowded.
The Noble Lecturer, on commencing, said that in pro-
posing to endeavour to illustrate his lecture on the war
in the East, he should have some apology to make for
the selection, because he was sure there could be no
assemblage in this country to which the subject was not
in some degree familiar, and he felt that, whatever
might be the merits of the subject, some excuse was
necessary for any one who proposed to instruct others
respecting it. Now, if the question was asked him,
whether he was able to tell them anything that they had
not learned themselves, his best reply must be with
Shylock in the play, "11l not answer that." But having
more idle time than most of those present, there might
be sourced of information—French and German more
particularly—to which he and not they had hal access.
He was inclined to look upon the war from a military
point of view ; but with respect to the origin and nature
of the war he might touch so far upon its political
aspect as to say that there never was a war more essen-
tially national. There had been wars attending on the
wills of statesmen, of kings, and even of kings' mis-
tresses ; and he gad lived in a time when one man, con-
trary to the advice of alt surrounding him—of his most
confidential and faithful advisers—could launch the whole
of France into wars that overwhelmed that country. But.
this was emphatically the war of the people, as fir as this
country was concerned. It was curious to ascertain what
had been the cause of this. It was very natural that a peo-
ple in great sacrifices or great struggles should be influ-
enced either by fear or by revenge. But neither of these
influences had hed any particular effect on the present
struggle. We were actuated by a sentiment against the
oppression of the weak, and by a feeling of indignation
at the breach of that peace under which Europe was
prospering; and these were the motives that had led us
to this contest. Russia had thrown down the gauntlet of
defiance to Europe, and Europe would have been die-
graced if she had not taken it up. The prevention of the
extension of Russia was only a provident step on our
part, and on looking at her past history he thought it
wise to check her progress towards becoming a great
naval and- military power. His lordship pointed out
the length of time that Russia had had designs upon
Constantinople, and alluded to the fact of her having ex-
acted tribute from the Greek empire in the ninth cen-
tury, when the Anglo-Saxon rule was established in this
country ; and this war might have taken place, he said,
after the congress of Vienna but for Napoleon's return
from Elba—when that general, on reaching France,
found the secret treaty iramed by Lord Castlereagh,
and entered into against Ruoda by England, France,
and Austria, and sent it to the Czar. He thought we
were perfectly right in net being alarmed by the
sight of the Russian army on paper. In time of war
it was said Russia could raise a million of men ; but
she could not move any considerable portion of that
army to any frontier that was threatened, and still more
difficult would she find it to advance on Turkey or any
other power. But she was formidable in a strictly de-
fensive war, from her inaccessibility, as was experienced
by Charles XII. and Napoleon. On commencing the
war we were too sanguine, and overlooked the fact that
for 40 years Russia had been making ready for the
struggle, and had carried her military preparations as
far as she possibly could. But Russia herself was not a
warlike nation, and he doubted whether the Emperor
could get a single volunteer soldier out of all his people.
His lordship, however, acknowledged the stubborn bra-
very of those Russian soldiers engaged in fight, and spoke
in terms of admiration of their officers, who, he said,
were highly instructed and able generals. At the time
when the Russian fleets and our naval operations most en-
gaged our attention, there wore great expectations raise
and it was said that great improvements had taken
place, particularly in our naval gunnery. The range of
our guns had been vastly increased, and we had the
screw applied to our vessels : and so we were to destroy
those great fortresses, Cronstadt and Sebastopol, and
put an end to the naval power of Russia for ever. Now
he thought this increase of range of no moment ; for
against a fortress the fire of heavy guns required to be
near to have effect, whilst a shot from the fortress might
easily get into the magazine and blow up a ship.
However, it had been said that though we failed in our
naval attack at Sebastopol we hal succeeded at Bomar-
sund. But Bomarsund was not taken by naval, but by a
land attack. There were three towers, one of which was
taken by our marines with three heavy guns ; another
by the French ; and the last fortress, though it had been
battered by our guns, fell in consequence of the others
being taken. He thought the attacks that had been made
on our admirals, for not making mere havoc, were unrea-
sonable and unjust. His lordship then proceeded to give
an historical sketch of the war, in the course of which
he spoke with some warmth and admiration of ourachieve-
tnente, and particularly of the late Marshal St. Arnaud
and Lord Raglan, of the conduct of the officers Butler
and Nasmyth at Silistria ; and of that of General Scar-
lett at Balaklava. The war had been very generally
called "the soldiers' battle." If it was meant by that
that the victory was owing to the bravery of the Eng-
lish soldier, the definition was good ; but if it meant. that
he was not well led by the English officer, it was a libel,
The English army had borne a distinguished, if not a
successful share, in the last great action, resulting in the
fall of Sebastopol ; and he regretted to see the state-
ments which had been made in the Times, statemeuts
which, even if true, should not have been, promulgated by
an English newspaper. It had been said thatthe dietance
in the army between the officers and the men was too
great ; but there was not an army in the world in which
there was such attachment between officers and men. He
would give an instance. A young man, wounded, was
lying in his tent during the dreadful hurricane in the
Crimea, and the tent was threatened to be blown down;
but eighteen men turned out of their own tent, and re-
mained out in the cold all night in order to keep the
poor boy's tent from falling. It had also been ob-
jected that officers were too young ; but he would
ask--where would a well-grown and well-educated boy
not go, and where would not men follow him ? His lord-
ship then proceeded to give instances of the bravery of
young officers during the campaign. In conclusion he
might proceed to suns up, or, in commercial language, to
take stock of the costs and the assets of the war, and he
might say that, though our expenses had been vast, our
returns had been somewhat in proportion. We had
everywhere been successful ; and, though we had had
great losses in killed, he shuddered to think how much
even in that respect the balance was in our favour. Ho
had heard the Russian loss stated at 400,000 ; and lie
himself was inclined to estimate it at 3C0,000. The
latest telegraphic despatches brought us accounts of suc-
cesses at Rare, and in the Sea of Azoff, and lastly, of
the capture of that fortress on the mouth of the Dnieper,
Klnbourn. These were advantages ; but he should
deceive his hearers if he said they were sufficient to
induce Russia to make offers of peace that should
be accepted by the allies ; and, till such offers were
made, he trusted this country would persevere in the
struggle. No one could be more anxious than he was
for the return of peace, and he hoped the path to it
would not be impeded by any unreasonable demand from
ns. He would not talk of the humiliation and degrada-
tion of Russia. He hoped that peace would be eventually
effected on terms that would give it. the chance of being
permanent ; but he feared it would only be the fruit of
further and considerable efforts in the war. He would
conclude by saying, "St. George for England, God
defend the right !"—The noble leoturer was listened to
throughout with marked attention, and many of his re-
marks elicited considerable applause.

PROROGATION OF CONVOCATION.—ShortIy after nine
o'clock yesterday morning, the Vicar-General (Dr.
Twiss), Mr. F. H. Dyke, the proctor for the province
of Canterbury, and other officials, attended at the Jeru-
salem Chamber, adjacent to Westminster Abbey, and in
the name of the archbishop prorogued convocation until
the 12th of December. No beFines4 will be transacted
in Convocation until after the meeting of Parliament.
COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS' SCHOOLS.—His Royal
Highness Prince Albert has graciously consented to
open in person the new building recently erected for this
institution at Pinner, near Harrow. The ceremony will
take place at one o'clock on Saturday, the 27th instant.
After the ceremony the company will sit down to a col-
lation in the dining hall. The Right Hon. the Lord
Mayor, supported by the sheriffs of London and Middle-
sex, will preside.
PARISH EXCURSION TO THE CRYSTAL PALACE.—The
Rev. Joseph Brown, the benevolent and active rector of
Christ Church, Blackfriars, was on Tuesday enabled,
through the kind subscription of friends, to treat about
1,510 of his poorer parishioners to an excursion to the
Crystal Palace. The Rev. gentleman himself headed the
miscellaneous company, including 150 of the inmates of
the workhouse, all the parish and ragged•school children,
and a contingent of 50 from the Orphan Home atHam-
common.these
It is hardly necessary to say that all
poor awl generally-neglected childrea of
humanity
were
weel
highly delighted with their trip, but have.
add—
what perhaps will not be so generally • -pated—that
the strictest
grati
they ono and all conducted thekosefveswith
propriety, and by their demeanour indicated
tude to the kind friends who had subscribed to give them
a holiday. At 4 o'clock they were all supplied with tea
in the south transept, the worthy rector presiding, and
immediately after returned in their excursion train to
town,