The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-21 00:00:00

ODESSA.

A letter from Odessa, of the 9th, in the Patrie,
says :

" Count Strogonoff, Governor-General of New Russia,
was a few days back officially informed by the Minister
of War that the Czar might be expected at Odessa from
the sth to the 10th of October. This unexpected
journey has given rise to a crowd of conjectures amongst
the inhabitants of this place and the garrison. What is
thought most likely is that the Emperor will proceed
hence to the army of reserve which is being assembled
in the government of Cherson, and pass the various corps
in review, in order to inspire them with courage by his
presence, they having fallen off considerably of late in
their enthusiasm. General Luders, who returned here
a few days back, left immediately on hearing from the
Count of the approaching arrival of the Emperor, and
proceeded to the head-quarters of the army of reserve at
Nicolaieff, to give orders for the reception of his Ma-
jesty. Immense quantities of provisions descend the
Dniester every day in flat-bottomed boats. Last week
there were landed from the Liman of that river nearly
3,000 tons of bacon for the Russian troops in the Crimea.
The provisions thus brought are placed on carts drawn
by oxen, and are so conveyed into the interior of the
Crimea. Hundreds of these carts, lam informed, may
be seen overturned along the barren steppes. It is sup-
posed that 4,000 carts are daily employed, amidst the
most extraordinary confusion, in conveying provisions
and materials of war to the army of the Crimea."

The Duc de Grammont, French Ambassador to the
Court of Turin, has sent 500 f. to the committee for the
testimonial to the Piedmontese army in the Crimea.
Prince Napoleon visited Alderney, one of the Chan-
nel Islands, and where a harbour of refuge is forming,
last week.

Dr. Easton, surgeon of the Cossack, is expected in
Edinburgh in a few days, from Odessa.
Sir George Brown has left Elgin for the south.

The Marquis of Bristol arrived at his seat, Ickworth
Park, on Friday last. The Earl Jermyn joined his noble
father on Saturday, from the baths of Homburg.
.._

The Earl and COuntess of Munster have left the St.
George's Hotel for Scotland.
The Viceroy of Egypt, Said Pacha, will, after his
visit to Paris, proceed to London, thence to Vienna,
and will embark at Trieste to return to Alexandria.
SALE OF WooL.—The Earl of Lucan has made sale of
his vast stock of wool, comprising over 3,500 fleeces of
Leicester and Cheviot wool, at 18s. per stone, without
the usual deductions.

Immediate orders have been received by every cavalry
regiment at home to detail a captain and a subaltern to
proceed, by the first week in October, to Scutari, where
a cavalry reserve is to be forted. _

DESERTIONS FROM HER MAJESTY'S SERVICE.—From
an official return made up to the 19th inst., it appears
that the total number of deserters from her Majesty's
regular army was 330. Of this number the Foreign
Legion contributed 11, and the Land Transport Corps 10.

THE ITALIAN OPERA IN PARIS.—The Theatre Im-
perial Italien will open on the 2d of October, under the
direction of Signor Colzado. It will be seen from the
following list that the company is strong in old favour.
ites :—Mmes: Boccabadati, De Roissi, Fiorentini, Grisi,
Penco, Pozzi, and Mine. Borghi-Mauro. MM. Carrion,
Mario, Mongini, Salvi, Everardi, Graziani, Angelini,
and M. Zucchini.
CAUTION TO RAILWAY TRAVELLERS.—At the Sheriff-
court, Glasgow, last week, a man was convicted of hav-
ing, near Stow, leaped from a train while in motion,
and at considerable speed ; he was fined 405., with 17s.
costs. Another individual was fined 205., with 16s.
costs, for leaping on to a train while in motion, near the
Edinburgh station of the North British Railway, and
also for travelling without previously obtaining a ticket.
THE CITY ORTHOPCEDIC HOSPITAL.— The anniversary
dinner of this admirable institution, situate in Hatton
garden, and established in 1851 or gratuitous surgical
treatment of poor persons of every nation suffering under
clubfoot, contractions or distortions of the limbs, cur-
vatures of the spine, or other bodily deformities, without
letters of recommendation, was held yesterday, at the
London Tavern. The chair was taken by Alderman and
Sheriff Sir Henry Muggeridge, and about fifty gentle-
men sat down to a very elegant repast, served by Messrs.
Bathe and Co, A subscription list, amounting to nearly
6007., was announced.
MURDER AT lIORSLEY.—DERRY, Thursday.—Yester-
day Mr. Whiston, the coroner, held an inquest at Hors-
ley Woodhouse, on the body of James Ratcliffe, a stock-
ing maker, 22 years of age, whose death, it was alleged,
had been occasioned by a wound inflicted by the violence
of William Clarke. The jury, after a careful investiga-
tion .into the whole case, returned a verdict of wilful
murder against Clarke, who is in custody charged with
cutting and wounding with intent to murder.
MURDER OP TWO MALE CHILDREN AT PlMLlCO.—Yes-
terday afternoon Mr. Langham, the deputy coroner for
' Westminster, opened two inquests at the Prince of Orange
Tavern, Brewers-green, Pimlico, on the bodies of two
full-grown male children, one found against the private
residence of Mr. Elliott, the brewer and the other in
the stone yard of Mr. Chadwick, the contractor, of Mill-
bank. The jury, in one case, returned a verdict that the
child had died from compression of the lungs, but
whether the result of accident or design there was not
sufficient evidence to show ; and in the other the inquiry
was adjourned to afford the police time to discover the
unnatural parents.
NEW FOREST.—Ten thousand acres of land in various
parts of the New Forest are about to be planted. About
70 acres of the New Forest were sold last week by the
Government, and fetched about 23/. 10s. an acre. The
land sold is on the outskirts of the forest, and is covered
with furze. It has to be fenced by the purchasers.
Captain Parker, of the 77th Regiment, who was killed
at the capture of Sebastopol, has left a widow and three
children, residing at St. Helier's, Jersey. Lord Pan-
mure, by a kind and considerate letter, communicated
to Mrs. Parker the news of the death of her husband
before she should see it in the public prints. Captain
Parker fought in the battles of Alma, Balaklava, and
Inkerman.
EXTRAORDINARY DIVING.—The smack Nancy, of
Whitstable, Mr. G-. Hall, submarine engineer, arrived at
Christiansand on the 13th inst., having been diving near
the coast, and recovered from the galiot Johan Auguste,
lost in the year 1849, 11 tons 7 cwt. of copper, also 45
easks of crones talc, in 23 fathoms water. Two years be-
fore our engagement with Mr. Hall two Danish divers
made a trial during two summers, but could not recover
any of the cargo, and we have never beard of any property
being recovered in 23 fathoms water until the present
case. Mr. G. Hall was formerly one of Col. Pasley's
principal divers employed in raising the guns and clear-
ing the wreck of the Royal George in the year 1840.
ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF THE ALHA.—LIVER-
rooL, Thursday.—The peals of the various church bells
in this town announced this morning the anniversary of
the glorious battle of the Alma. Liverpool is proverbial
for its apathy in getting up any particular demonstra-
tion upon any particular event, yet to-day the inhabi-
tants made a display of enthusiasm which was quite ex-
hilarating to behold. Every street throughout this
great town was ornamented with flags and banners of
the allied nations. The monument of Lord Nelson on
the :Exchange flags was ornamented with the union-jack,
the Fronchtri-colour, and the Turkish standard—the
crescent and the cress ; but though this loyal exhibition
was gratifying to all, universal regret and disappoint-
ment were exhibited at noticing the absence of the
Sardinian flag. During the day, the band of the Lan-
cashire Artillery, with a large number of soldiers, came
upon the Exchange flags and played some excellent
music, Crowds of people assembled to do honour to the
occasion, and many cheers were given for the happiness
of our gracious Queen and the troops who have behaved
so gallantly abroad.
THE MAILS.—SOUTHAMPTON, Sept. 20.—The Penin-
sular and Oriental Company's steam-ship Nubia, Captain
Brooks, sailed this afternoon for Gibraltar, Malta, and
,
Alexandria, with the India, China, and Mediterranean
mails, 141 passengers, 460,047/. 4s. lid. in specie for
India and China, 36,050/. for Alexandria, and a full
general cargo. Among the passengers are Ladies Caro-
line Fox and Paget, Colonel Macedo, Generals Vascon-
cellas, Vancourtlandt, and Scott, Major-Generals
Hearsay, Majors De Butts, Brito, Methuen, Cunha,
Sousa, Ross, and Whetmore ; Captains Kireman, Scott,
Vale, Campbell, and Douglass ; Lieutenant Heckford ;
and Ensigns Du Jardine and Synott. Among the
freight the Nubia has a large quantity of seed potatoes
and other vegetables, forwarded by Messrs. Bridgewater,
Page, and Co., of Southampton, to his Highness Ilhama
Pasha, for farming purposes at Alexandria and Cairo. '
The Ave, Captain Field, with the next homeward por-
tion of the India, China, and Mediterranean mails, is
,exuected about the 26th instant. The Madrid, Captain
Cock, with the mails from Vigo, Oporto, Lisbon, Cadiz,
and ,Gibraltar, is looked for on the 24th. The Tagus,
Captain Weeks, will convey the outward portion of the
Peninsular mails on the 27th instant. The United
States' mail steam-ship Hermann, Captain Higgins,
with the German, French, and English mails, and dates
from New York to the Bth instant, is expected to arrive
off Cowes to-morrow, em route to Bremen. The North
Star, Captain Wamack, of the Vanderbilt line of steam-
ships, will call of Cowes either voyage from Havre_ to
New York on Saturday next. The steam-ship Ericson,
to run from Now York to Southampton and Bremen in
conjunction with the mail steam-ships Washington and
Hermann, was to leave New York on the 15th instant,
and may be expected off Cowes at the latter end of next
week.

•

GENERALSHIP OP PRINCE
GORTSCHAKOFF.

The Journal des Debats contains an article on the in-
cidents of the battle of the Tchernaya, which contain
appreciations of a certain interest. As a general rule,
we value very lightly the speculative observations of
these self-constituted strategists, who in robe-de-cham-
bre sit down at their ease at home to show how the
battles of the Alma, or of Inkerman, or of the Tcher-
naya shculd have been fought and won. In most cases
such writers expose alike their presumption and their
ignorance ; but the article in the Debats is more modest
in its pretensions, as the writer bases his remarks and
reasoning strictly on what has taken place, and conse-
quently is entitled to a certain attention. The follow-
ing passages appear worthy of extract :
" Prince Gortschakoff throws all the blame of his
want of success on Gen. Read, commander of the 3d
corps d'armee, who was killed, and cannot now defend
himself. According to the General-in-Chief, General
Read ought to have established a numerous artillery be-
fore the bridge of Traktir, to command the Fedukhine
Hills, whilst an attack was made on Tchorgoun, and to
have deployed in line of battle under the protection of
his artillery, but not to attack the positions before re-
ceiving orders. Could, however, Prince Gortschakoff
reasonably imagine that on hearing the cannonade the
French and Sardinians would remain in their tents ?
Has all initiative been ever interdict to the general of a
corps d'armee of from 25,000 to 30,000, who, when
in a situation to appreciate favourable circum-
stances, can seize on them and profit by them ?
Moments are precious in war. Prince Gortschakoff
was then at a distance of two kilometres (2i miles) to-
wards Tchorgoun ; Gen. Read considered the moment
opportune for attack, before the French were fully pre-
pared ; and, besides, by marching on the Mamelons, his
attack accorded with the plans of the General-in-Chief.
Read, in fact, might evidently have possessed himself of
the Mamelon, since he obtained the summit of it. It
was for the General-in-Chief to support that attack,
which was a brilliant one, although repulsed by the im-
petuous bravery of our soldiers. Read returned to the
charge, and the General-in-Chief did not cause him
to be supported with sufficient forces. Gen. Ouscha-
koff also redoubled his efforts against the other
Mamelon, but there also the General-in-Chief adopted
no decisive measure. Instead of making a diver-
sion on our right, by throwing the corps d'armee of
Gen. Liprandi against Tchorgoun and Hastert (the key
of the battle), he allowed, it is not known why, his left
to remain unprotected, in order to send, but too late,
one of the divisions of Gen. Liprandi to the support of
the attacks on the centre. Disposing of a reserve of
30,000 men, be made no use of it, though the moment
was one of those critical crises which serve to decide
victory, or to disengage compromised troops. Finally,
Prince Gortschakoff possessed an immense artillery, but
he only made use of it as a demonstration, and it was
the artillery of the allies which horribly decimated his
columns. By his indecision he left them to be crushed,
losing more than 5,000 men killed or wounded, amongst
whom were 8 generals, 3 of whom expired on the banks
of the Tchernaya. The general, in fact, showed himself,
as it were, completely disconcerted on seeing the affair
take what he calls an unexpected turn, as if a general
could always count on infallible success, and as if it were
not the duty of a general-in-chief to provide for unfore-
seen incidents. He triumphs at the French not having
gone to attack him on the other side of the river, where
he awaited them, he says, for four hours ; but he feigns
to forget that we have another task to fulfil—the siege
of Sebastopol. It is for him to cause us to raise the
siege, if he can, with his relieving army. The day will
arrive on which the allied army will be free in its turn
to give him battle in the heart of the Crimea."

The Debats estimates in the following terms the cha-
racter of General Gortschakoff as the Commander-in-
Chief of a large independent body of troops :
" The not very brilliant campaign of this general in
the Danubian principalities against the Turks, and his
sad battle of the Tchernaya, do not permit him to be
counted amongst those captains who are inspired on the
battle-field with sudden illuminations. He may be rather
classed amongst the exact, and even learned tacticians,
who know perfectly well the military chess-board and
its rules, but to whom nature has refused the inspira-
tions of genius. His instructions found on the body of
General Read are a chef d'ceuvre of prudent prevision ;
but we remark in them a spirit of detail and minute-
ness calculated to shackle the talent of those who were
to execute them, by restricting them to petty combina-
tions. This spirit of exactitude and detail does not, it
is true, always prevent a general from conceiving ex-
tensive plans ; but there is a wide difference between
calm calculation and vigorous execution. In the field
of battle the presence of mind of the moment is the most
precious quality, and Marshal Soult said truly that in-
spiration is nothing else than calculation instantaneously
made."