The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-30 00:00:00

GJNERAL PELISSIER'S DESPATCH.

Grand Heal Quarters before Sebastopol,
August 18, 1855.
Monsieur le Marechal,—You have learned by my
telegraphic despatches of yesterday and the day before
the general results of the battle on the Tchernaya ; I
hasten to-day to forward to your Excellency my detailed
report concerning that day so glorious for our arms.
For some days previously, although the enemy ab-
stained from any apparent movement, certain signs in-
duced us to think that he would come and attack us on
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tb,

,he line of the Tchernaya. You are acquainted with
iese positions, which are excellent, and protected
throughout their entire extent by the Tchernaya it-
self, and by an aqueduct flowing from it which forms
a second obstacle. The Sardinian army occupies the

whole of the right, opposite Tchorgoun ; the French
troops hold the centre and the left, which is con-
nected, after a depression of the ground, with our
plateaux of Inkerman. Independently of a few fords,
not very numerous or good, two bridges keep up the
communication across the Tchernaya, and the small
canal ; the one being rather lower down from Tchorgoun
is covered by the Piedmontese guns ; the other, called
the Traktir bridge, is beneath
at the centre
of the French positions.
If from these positions a person looks before him to
the other side of the Tchernaya, he sees towards the
right the heights of Choulion, which, after extending
in undulating tablelands, fall rather abruptly towards the
Tchernaya, below Tchorgoun, in front of the Picdmou-
tese. These heights decline opposite our centre, and
from this point, as far as the rocky sides of the Mac-
kenzie table lands, there runs a plain from three to four
kilometres in breadth. It is along this plain that the
Mackenzie road runs, then crosses the Tchernaya at the
Traktir-bridge, and having traversed our position, opens
into the plain of Balaklava.
A good look out was kept along the whole of our
line. The Turks, who occupy the hilly eminence of Ba•
laklava, were on the alert, and watched Alsou ; and
General d'Allonville, who had been also warned, re-
doubled his vigilance in the lofty valley of Baidar. For
the rest, I felt easy about the, whole of that extreme right;
it is one of those mountainous regions where it is impos-
sible to manoeuvre masses; the enemy could only make
feints in that direction. This is what, in fact, happened.
In the night between the 15th and 16th General d'Allon-
ville sent word that a force was in his front, but that he
should be able to confront and keep in awe the enemy,
who made no attempt on that side, and did not dare
attack him.
During this time the bulk of the Russian troops, hav-
ing descended the Mackenzie heights, or issuing through
Ai-Tudor, advanced under cover of the right towards the
Tchernaya ; on the right, the 7th, sth, and 12th divi-
sions crossed the plain ; and on the left, the 17th Divi-
sion, a part of the 6th and of the 4th, came along the
tablelands of Choulion. A very strong body of horse
and 160 guns supported all this infantry.
A little before dawn, the outposts of the Sardinian
army, stationed as scouts along the heights of Choulion,
fell back and came to announce that the enemy was ad-
vancing in conciderable farce. Very shortly after, in
fact, the Russians placed their position guns in a row
along the heights on the right bank of the Tchernaya,
and opened fire upon us.
General Herbillon, who commanded the French troops
at this point, had made his arrangements for the fight ;
to the right of the Traktir road, the Faucheaux
with the 3d battery of the 12th of artillery ; at the
centre, his own division with the 6th company of the
13th ; to the left, the division Camou with the 4th bat-
tery of the 13th. On his side, Gen. de la Marti:lora had
ranged the troops of his army on their fighting positions.
At the same time, General Morris's fine division of
African chasseurs, rapidly joined by the numerous
and valiant English cavalry of General Scarlett,
posted itself behind the mounds of Kamara and
Traktir. It was intended that this cavalry should
fall on the enemy's flank in case he should succeed in
forcing his way through one of the outle s of Tchorgoun,
Traktir, or the hollow that lies to the left of General
Camou.
Colonel Forgeot, commanding the artillery of the
Tchernaya line, kept in readiness to act a reserve of six
horse-batteries, two of them belonging to the Imperial
Guard.
Six Turkish battalions, from the army of Osman Pacha,
commanded by Sefer Pacha, came to afford us their

assistance.
Lastly, I had brought up Levaillant's division of the
Ist corpQ, the division Dulac of the 2d corps, and the
Imperial Guard—imposing reserves, capable of repairing
any accident, however unfavourable.
The tbiek haze that enveloped the low grounds of the
Tchereaya, and the smoke of the cannonade that had
just commenced, prevented my distinguishing the point
against which the enemy depended on making an
effort, when at our extreme left the 7th Russian divi-
sion advanced to attack the division Camou. Re-
ceived by the 50th of the line, the 3d of the Zouaves—
who charged them with the bayonet—and by the 82d,
which attacked them in flank, the enemy's columns were
compelled to wheel round, recross the canal, and could
only escape the fire of our artillery by rallying at a great
distance off. This division did not make its appearance
again for the day.
At the centre, the struggle was longer and more des-
perate. The enemy had brought up two divisions (the
12th, supported by the sth) against the Traktir-bridge.
Several of his columns pushed on at once across the
bridge, and also across passages contrived on the spot
by means of ladders, flying bridges, and posts ; those
columns crossed the Tchernaya, then the aqueduct, and
lastly advanced most gallantly against our positions, but,
met by an offensive movement, under the direction of
Generals Faucheux and deFailly, they were overthrown,
compelled to recross the bridge occupied by the 95th, and
were pursued to the other side by the 2d Regiment of
Zouaves, the 97th of the line, and a part of the 19th
battalion of the foot chasseurs.
However, while the guns were continuing their dis-
charges on both sides, the Russians re-formed their at-
tacking columns. The haze bad cleared up, and it was
easy to see their movements. The sth division rein-
forced the 12th that had just given way, and the 17th
was preparing to descend the heights of Choulion for the
purpose of supporting those two first divisions.
General Herbillon then reinforced General Faucheutx.
with Cler's brigade, and gave the 73a as a r!'s,e,r_v_e
this
osed
General de Failly. Moreover, Colonel Forgeot
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four horse batteries in position, which Feasvthu eh
a the second
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front a collective strength of seven 133tteri_T
use against the masses of the assailant. s
effort of the Russians, however energetic it may have