The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-04 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER, 4, 1855.

THE BATTLE OF THE
TCHERNAYA.

( Front a Supplement to Friday's Gazette.)
WAR DEPARTMENT, SEPT. 3.
Lord Panmure has this day received two despatches
and their Enclosures, of which the following are copies,
addressed to his Lordship by General Simpson.
Before Sebastopol, Aug. 21.
My Lord,—ln my despatch of the 18th inst. I was
unable to give as detailed an account of the part taken
by the Sardinian troops, in the battle of the Tchernaya,
as I could have wished. I have since received General
La Marmora's report, of which I have now the honour
to send you a copy.
The killed and wounded of the Russian army exceed,
if anything, the number I originally stated. An armis-
tice was granted, to enable the enemy to bury the dead,
and vast quantities were carried away.
The fire from the batteries of the Allies has been very
effective, and the result attained has been sufficient to
enable the works against the place to progress satisfac-
torily.
I beg to enclose the list of casualties to the 19th inst.
Major licGowan, 93d Highlanders,' who was reported
to me as missing, in my despatch of the 11th inst., I
have since ascertained was attacked whilst posting
his sentries in advance of the trenches, wounded severely,
and made prisoner.—l have, &c.,
JAMES SIMPSON,
General Commanding.
The Lord Panmure, &c.

Enclosure 1.
SARDINIAN ARMY.
Head-Quearten3 of the Expeditionary Forces
in the East, Kadikoi, Aug. 17.

Sir,—The interest which you are so kind to evince in
everything relating to the Sardinian Expeditionary Army
makes it imperative upon me to inform your Excellency
of the share taken by the troops under my command in
the engagement on the Tchernaya yesterday.
Upon receiving the report of Colonel Dessaint, at-
tached to the French head-quarters, which you were
good enough to communicate to me on the evening of the
day before yesterday, and by which we were led to ex-
pect very shortly an attack on the line of the Tchernaya,
I at once gave orders that my troops should be under
arms yesterday morning at an earlier hour than usual.
At break of day our outposts stationed on the Mame-
lon which commands Tchorgoun were enveloped in a
well-sustained fire of artillery, which proceeded from
three batteries posted opposite to the breastworks by
which our outposts were covered, and on the two Mame-
lons further to the right, which form the two banks of
the Souliou. They were at the same time vigorously
charged by three Russian columns, which came on with
fixed bayonets, and attacked our breastworks in front
and rear. The men composing these columns carried
ladders with them to scale the parapets. The precon-
certed signal of alarm was immediately given ; and the
troops took up the positions which had been assigned
to them in anticipation of this attack.

I begged his Excellency Osman Pacha to bring up
the Turkish troops which were stationed furthest off ;
and I ordered the fourth battalion of Riflemen (Ber-
saglieri) to the support of our outposts, which only
consisted of three companies, in order that these latter
might be enabled to hold their ground as long as pos-
sible, and thus give us time to completeour arrangements.
Attacked in the rear by the enemy's artillery, and
charged by three columns of infantry, the outposts, after
an hour's fighting, fell back, the reinforcements I had
sent to them greatly facilitating their retreat.
At the same time I made every effort to silence the
enemy's guns. In this endeavour I was assisted by the
Turkish field-pieces from .A.lsou, and by the English bat-
tery, with whip h you were good enough to reinforce u.
Several of the enemy's ammunition waggons exploded
between seven and eight o'clock.

In the meantime the Russians had stationed fresh
batteries near the centre of their position, and had
opened a most effective fire of artillery on the tete-de-
pont at Traktir, and on the French portions on our
left. A column of infantry, under cover of this fire,
attacked the Mamelon, which formed the extreme
right of General d'ilerbillon's division. This first
column had crossed the Tchernaya, and surmounted the
steep ascent of the Mamelon in spite of the fire of the
tirailleurs, when it was vigorously attacked by the
French troops in support, and hurled back, broken and
disordered, into the Tchernaya.
As I considered, from the subsequent disposition of
the enemy's forces, that he only intended to make a de-
monstration of artillery before our position, while he con.
centrated his infantry chiefly on the extreme right of the
Third Division (Faucheux's), on which point a second
column was now advancing, I ordered a portion of my
sth Brigade, under the command of General Mallard, to
march to the support of the right wing of the French
and I posted two of our batteries in a position from
whence they could obtain an oblique fire upon the Rus-
sians. At the same time I requested the English
cavalry to move down into the plain to be in readiness
to charge. I had given similar orders to my own
cavalry.

When the soldiers of my 6th Brigade arrived at the
Mamelon they found that the eaeiny's attack had been
already repulsed ; but the fire of the two batteries of the
2d Division (Trotti) appeared to do great execution on
the 2d Russian column, which, checked in front by the
French troops, and harassed in the rear by the fire of
our batteries and the musketry of our battalions, fell
back in the greatest disorder. I then ordered some of
our battalions to advance under cover of the riflemen

(Bersaglieri), but I was requested to countermand this
movement.

The enemy repulsed at all points commenced his re-
treat. One column, which app eared to me to consist of
a division, retreated by the valley of the Souliou.
Another division, the one which had attacked our out
posts and the French right in the morning, fell back upon
the zig-zag Mamelon ; while a third division followed
the road which leads to Mackenzie's Farm.

I took advantage of this state of things to re-occupy

with my troops the zigzag Mamelon ; in which design
I succeeded perfectly, in spite of the imposing force

_ .
which the enemy still retained on that point. I❑ the
meantime three battalions of Turkish troops advanced
into the Vailey of Tchorgoun, to replace the battalion of
Cialdini's brigade, which was occupying the heights of
Karlooka.
Later in the day I crossed the Tchernaya With four
squadrons, and, marching in a parallel line with the zig-
zag Mamelon, came upon the old Rugsllan redoubt,
whence I could easily discern, at a little distance before
us, a very fine array of regular cavalry, supported by
horse artillery. It was distributed in twelve separate
bodies, and must have been composed of at least fifty
squadrons. This cavalry did not fall back on Macken-
z‘e's-road till the whole of the infantry and artillery had
effected their retreat.

The losses sustained by our troops, a portion only of
whom was engaged, were very inconsiderable. They
amount to about two hundred men placed hors de com-
bat; and I impute the fact of our not having lost more
men mainly to the works with which we fortified our
position, and to the batteries of heavy guns which you
were so obliging as to lend us for their defence. It
is, however, my painful duty to announce to your
Excellency that Count Montevecchio, the general
commanding the Fourth Brigade, is mortally wounded ;
a ball passed through his chest.
Pray accept, general, the assurance of my high consi•
deration. (Signed) LA MARMORA,
The General Commanding-in-Chief the
Sardinian Expeditionary Forces.
To his Excellency the General Commanding-
in-Chief of the English Army.

centre, a brigade of the Ist division (Herbillon's) of the
corps of reserve, whilst the other brigade occupied the
plateau of the siege : to the right of the two hillocks

was General Morris's division of African Chasseurs.
At Kamara our troops had entrenched the principal
points of their position, and epened roads of easy com-
munication for artillery and columns. On the right,
near the chapel, was a brigade of Turkish troops who
had a second brigade in front on the heights of Alsou ;
and a third on the rear on the old road to Baidar.
General d'Allonville's division of cavalry and the cuiras-
siers occupied the valley of Baidar.
The position of the Allied troops, though extended,
was strengthened by the course of the Tchernaya ; ford-
able, however, almost everywhere, and furnished with a
stone bridge, covered by a tetc-clepont and a ca, al
branching from it, steep and deep, though narrow. The
Russian army, occupying the entrenchments to the east
Qf Sebastopol, bad on the heights and on the Mackenzie
plateau, as far as Karate near the town itself, the bib,
7th, 12th, and 17th divisions of infantry, and the 4th
and sth recently arrived in the Crimea from Poland,
besides some cavalry.
The enemy entered on his operation with the imposing
force of the sth, 6th, 7th, 12th, and 17th divisions of infan-
try, each 16 hitt tliJns strong, besides 60 squadrons of
cavalry and a numerous artillery. The fourth division
was in reserve on the left wing near Tchouliou, on the
Macker.zie heights, ready to come down with other re-
inforcements.
It is believed that Prince Gortschakoff reserved the
command-in•chief to himself, and the troops were divided,
it is said, into two corps d'armee under the immediate
orders of Generals Read and Liprandi. The cavalry,

according to snore of the prisoners, was under the com-
mand of a Prince of the Blood.

Having received information of an approaching attack
late in the evening of the 15th, though the day was not

named, I repaired on the 16th to the camp at Kamara.
I arrived there at break of day, at the moment the
enemy opened his fire.
Among the entrenchments that protected our position
must be named an epaulement, behind which was shel-
tered an advanced post placed on the Tchorgoun heights,
in readiness to fulfil his duty, which was to cover the

ground in advance of the Tchernaya lineg, and to give
timely notice of the enemy. The latter, in effict, before

advancing on our positions, was obliged to place three
batteries in position, and to envelop our epaulement in a
line of fire front and rear, occupied as it was only by
three companies of the 16th Regiment.
The fire of the enemy having been heard at daybreak,
and the signal of alarm given in the camp, I warned
General of Division Osman Pacha, commanding the

Turkish force in the absence of Omer Pacha, to concen-

:rate the force spread along the 0 d Baifar road, and

ment the 4th battalion of Rifles to the assistauce of our
advanced post, so as to enable the latter to prolong its
resistance till we had completed our defensive arrange-

tnents.

It was not till after three-quarters of an hour's
fire from his artillery that the enemy advanced his

columns of infantry against our feeble epaulement. His
columns were furnished with ladders in case of need.
The 6th battalion of Chasseurs and the Bocudinski regi-
ment, preceded by volunteers, attacked the front, while
the Tarutenski regiment, of the same (2d) brigade of the
17th Russian division, turned the right by a ravine and
debouched in the rear.

Our advanced post did not abandon the parapet till
,he Russians had crowned the ridge, retiring till the

Rifles came to their support. This reinforcement served
to render the retreat of the advanced post easier a•Lod

inure regular. After leaving the plateau the detachment,
still covered by a line of riflemen, rejoined the battal►on,
and occupied the other entrenchment on a rock to the
right of the rchernaya, so as to strengthen it for the re-
pulse of the attack expected from the enemy's infantry.
Our batteries of heavy calibre, the 7th field battery,
and four pieces of English artillery that had come up,
placed on an eminence, with the Turkish artillery on the
neights of Alsou, replied successfully to the enemy's
artillery. Several of his ammunition waggons soon
blew up from the effects of our shells. But the 6th di-
vision of Russian infantry confined themselves to watch-
ing our positions, without attacking them.
All this was passing to our extreme right. On the
left and centre the Russians soon crowned the Tchorgoun
heights with their artillery, and opposed numerous bat-
teries, but lower in front, to all the French positions,
whilst the infantry rushed on to the attack, furnished

with bridges and planks to cross the river and the canal.
It was scarcely seven o'clock when the fog dispersed,

And we could see their columns advancing against the
French positions. On the extreme left the 7th Russian

division attacked Camou's division ; but, after having
passed the canal, it was vigorously repulsed with consi-
derable loss. On the centre, two divisions—the sth,
leaving the great Simpheropol high road to the left, and
the 12th, leaving it to the right, after having vigorously
attacked the Traktir tete-de pont, rushed impetuously
under the protection of their batteries on the hillocks
occupied by Faucheux's division, and almost reached
the summit of the height near the bivouacs. The French
sentinels posted on the Tchernaya retired to their posts
at the tete-de pont and the canal. These posts disputed
the ground inch by inch, and rejlined the main body.
The latter, having got under arms and formed in line of
nattle, then began a fire of musketry supported by the
batteries.

After having stopped the advance of the compact co-

lumns of the enemy, the French made him give way,
and soon charged along the whole line, crossing bayonets
at several points. The Russians recrossed the Tcher-
naya canal in great disorder, leaving several hundred
prisoners in the hands of our Allies, and the ground
strewn ,with killed and wounded whom they could not

carry away.
These columns were already brilliantly repulsed, when
the troops of the 17th division descended the Tchorgoun
heights in several lines, and advanced in compact
columns on the extreme right of the French, crossing
the Tehernaya, and the canal above the bridge of Trak-
tir, and near our positions.
Seeing that the enemy was directing his principal ef-
forts on this point, whilst he confined himself to direct.
ing a sharp fire of artillery against us, I ordered the 2d
division (Trotti's) to descend to the lower ground, be-
yond the French cavalry bivouac, to take up a position
on the canal, and to detach the disposable force to the
right of the French hillock, whilst the artillery should
take the Russian columns in flank and rear. I, at the
same time, warned the English cavalry, that had come
up from Balaklava, to advance on the Tchernaya, where
they would find our squadrons. The French horse were
there already.
The two batteries of the 2d division opened a smart
fire against these last-named caluinna of the enemy
with success. Met in front by the French troops, and
thus taken in flank by the artillery and platoon fire of
the rest of the battalions of Millard's brigade, and by the
riflemen lining the canal, these columns soon gave way,
and were completely put to the rout. Twice that they
attempted the assault they were driven back on the plain
before the battalions detached from the sth brigade could
arrive to the assistance of our Allies.
Then the French Chasseurs al d some of our battalions
of that brigade crossed the canal and the Tchernaya, and
pushed forward in line-of-battle, but they were ordered
not to abandon the position behind the canal. The
enemy was repulsed at all points, and General Pelissier,
the Commander-in-Chief of the French troops, gave
orders for all the cavalry to charge into the valley of the
Tchernaya, and begged our infantry to push forward to
the heights that command Tchorgoun.
General Trotti, after having made his arrangements,
advanced the 4th Brigade (which had already lost its
commander, General Itiontevecchio) with Rifles in front,
towards the height before-named, ordering the sth Bri-
gade to be thrown forward on the left to protect the
movement. In the interval the enemy had rapidly
abandonedtheAllied tbceapvlaalirlyi, without allowing time for the mass
to charge. He then reoccupied the
of
heights on the right bank of the Tchernaya, and die
played a very imposing force of cavalry and artillery near
the Mackenzie high-read.
Up to this time the three incomplete French divisions,
with sixteen battalions, bad repulsed the formidable at-
tack of Russian columns three or four times more nume-
rous, and their reserves not having yet arrived from the
Sebastopol plateau, they did not think fit to assume the
offensive against fresh Russian masses of reserve, placed
as they were in a strong position, covered with artillery,
and flanked by cavalry. For this reason my corps
(farmer was invited to suspend its onward move-
ment, although Trotti's division, with the 4th Bat
talion of Rifles and the battalion of the 9th Regiment,
which moved forward with the greatest ardour, had
already re-occupied the epauleoient abandoned by the
enemy at the advance of our troops, who came on in
spite of a battery of eight guns firing at five hundred

paces, and imposing masses of infantry. Three Turkish
battalions under Sefer Paella soon after occupied a height
to our right.

The remainder of the despatch describes the route
taken by the enemy in his retreat, when General La
Marmora advanced to the front to look at the enemy's
cavalry, which he estimates at 60 squadrons cr more.
The loss of the enemy he reckons at 4,000 or 5,000
killed and wounded. His own loss was not more than
200 killed, wounded, and missing ; of the latter very
few, as he had but one division engaged.

On the 17th the following order of the day was issued
to the Sardinian troops :
" Soldiers ! Yesterday, for the first time you encoun-
tered the enemy which we have come to these distant re-
gions to combat ; your conduct was such as I hoped ; it
has merited the approval of our gallant Allies. The tele-
graph has announced to Europe that you have contri-
buted to the victory on the Tchernaya. The King will
be satisfied, and the nation filled with joy. I thank you
for your gallant behaviour on this glorious day.

" ALFONSO LA MARMORA,
The General-in-Chief."

RUSSIAN OFFICIAL DESPATCH.

The following report (says the Russian Invalid) has
been transmitted to the Minister at War from Aide-de-
Camp General Prince Gortschakoff :
After the arrival of the 4th and sth Infantry divi-
sions at Sebastopol, I deemed it indispensable to make
a movement on the Tchernaya to reconnoitre the posi-
tion of the enemy's troops covering the siege of Sebas-
topol, and if possible to drive them back from the Tcher-
naya on Mount Sapoune.
Having learnt that the Allies were receiving reinforce-
ments, I ordered on the night between the 3d and 4th
(15th and 16th) of August the troops which occupied
the position at Mackenzie to descend into the plain
situate between these mountains and the Tchernaya, and
in the so-called Mokraia-lougavina meadows, in advance
of the village of Schoulu, leaving, moreover, a sufficient,
number of troops for the defence of the town of Sebas-
topol and of its north fortifications, and for the defence
of the Inkerman position.
According to the arrangements made, Lieutenant-
General Liprandi had orders with the left wing to
rout the Sardinian avant-garde posted on the right
bank of the Tchernaya, in advance of Tchorgoun,
and then to prepare to attack Mount Hasfort, and
Aide-de-Camp General Read, who commanded the
right wing, had orders to draw up his troops in line of
battle beyond range of the enemy's guns, to throw
forward a strong body of artillery to sweep the Fedu-
khine heights, and to be prepared to attack them ; but
these two Generals had strict orders not to commence
the attack until they had received express orders from
me to that effect. My object was, after defeating the
Sardinian avant-garde, and having taken a closer recon-
naissance of their position, either to attack them with
General Liprandi's infantry, supported by that of Gen.
Read, and of the reserves (leaving only the artillery,
supported by a strong body of cavalry, before the Fedu-
khine heights) ; or, if the attack on Mount Hasfort
should appear too hazardous, to attack the Fedukhine
heights with General Read's troops, supported by Gen.
Liprandi's infantry, and by the general infantry reserve ;
or, finally, to limit myself to a strong reconnaissance
should either attack offer too many difficulties.
The 4th (16th) of August, at 4 a.m., General Read,
according to the given plan, drew up in line of battle,
opposite the Fedukhine heights, and opened a heavy fire
of artillery against them, and Lieut.-General Liprandi
advanced his troops in two columns. Lieut.-General de
Bellegarde, with the left column, turned the telegraph
hill to the east, and having established two batteries on
the heights, which run parallel with it, he opened fire
against that bill, which was then attacked by Major-
General Vess4litzky with the right column.

The redoubt on the telegraph hill was soon carried,
with little loss, by Major Vess6litsky'a troops, who took

somo prisoners.

I then proceeded to that redoubt to examir.e the
ground in person, to give my final instructions for the
operations of the troops, when I was startled by a vio-
lent platoon firing on our right wing. General Read, with
his two divisions, had attacked the F6dukhine heights.
It is impossible for me to explain the motive which
determined that General to make the attack contrary to
the adopted plan without having received my orders to
do so, for very soon afterwards he himself and the chief
of his staff were killed.
The attack was made as follows :

The 12th Infantry Division, under Major-General de
Martinau, advanced rapidly on the Tchernaya, seized
the tete-de•pont, crossed the river and the canal of the
aqueduct on pontoons hastily thrown in, stormed the
western summit of the Fedukhine heights, drove back
the enemy there, and following on his heels penetrated
into the eight-gun battery erected on the incline of the
mountain, and took possessio❑ of it.
The 7th Division, under Lieut.-General Ouschakoff,
advanced almost-0 the same time on the right of the
12th, also crossed the Tchernaya and the canal of the
aqueduct below the stone bridge, and, driving back the
enemy, took possession of the first incline of the central
portion of the Fedukhine heights.
Meantime the number of the enemy's troops beyond
the Tchernaya increased gradually by the continual ar-
rival of reinforcements of Mount Sapoune. I saw at
once that the affair vas taking an unexpected turn, and,
giving up the projected att•tick with the left wing on
Nfount Ilosfort, I ordered the sth Infantry division to
the stone bridge, and on my left I sent three regiments
of the 17th Infantry division, who had previously occu-
pied the telegraph hill, against the eastern summit.
These troops did not reach the Tchernaya till the
enemy, who had attacked the 7th and 12th divisions
with very superior forces, had already forced them to fall
back across the river.
The sth division drove back the assailants from the
bridge, and pursued them to the extremity of the first
incline of the mountain. As regards the three regiments
of the 17th division, who had rapidly advanced beyond
the river and the canal, they routed the enemy's troops
near the last eastern ramification of the Fedukhine
heights, but, seeing the retreat of the 7th and 12th divi-
sions, they also recrossed the Tchernaya.

During these operations General Read had been killed.
Taking in person the command of the right wing, and
perceiving that the enemy bad more than 50,000 men in
line on Mount llosfoit and on the Fednkhine heights,
and in the space which separates them, I did not think

advisable to renew the attack, and I drew up the

troops in line of battle at short range from the cannon of
the Tchernaya ; my left wing resting. on dui Telegraph-
hill, and my right wing, consisting of cavalry, at the
foot of the last incline of Mackenzie heights.
I remained there four hours, hoping that the enemy,
who had called in his troops, would cross the Tchernaya
and attack us in our position, where I would have opened
a heavy fire of artilery upon him, and then charged
with infantry and cavalry ; but he dared not attempt it;
and as want of water did not allow me to remain longer
on the spot, I ordered back the troops to the position at
Mackenzie.
During this retrograde movement the enemy remained
inactive, being satisfied with occupying the banks of the
Tchernaya with his riflemen, and re-occupying the re-
doubt we had stormed on the Telegraph hill.
Thus finished the battle.
The impetuosity displayed by all our troops would,
doubtless, have obtained a happy result if General Read
had not prematurely made a partial attack instead of the
simultaneous attack I bad proposed making with his
troops and with those of Lieutenant• General Liprandi
immediately supported by the principal reserve.
The greater portion of the infantry and a portion of

the foot artillery alone took part in the combat ; ths
cavalry, owing to the nature of the ground, could not
act ; a small detachment only was exposed for some time
to the fire of the enemy's artillery.
The troops fought with exemplary bravery. The in-
fantry fought on this occasion with brilliant courage ;
they surmounted a double obstacle (the river and canal)
under a murderous fire, and repeatedly at the point of
the bayonet drove back a superior number of the enemy
from strong positions, defended by entrenchments care-
fully erected to suit the ground.
Despite the relative disadvantage of its position, our
artillery acted with great success ; more than once it
silenced the enemy's batteries situate in positions which
commanded it, and which cruelly cut up our infantry.
All the officers, from the highest to the lowest grade,
gave the example of the greatest intrepidity and dis-
regard of danger. Unhappily, a great ❑umber have
fallen victims to their noble devotion. Among the
slain the army has to regret the loss of Aide-de•Camp-
General Read, Commander of the 3d Corps of Infantry;
lAide-de Camp-General Baron Wrevsky, killed at my
side by a cannon ball, and who had previously re-
ceived a contusion, la horse baying been shot under