The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-21 00:00:00

of pain to an old and gallant officer now no more, and
to his relatives and friends. In his anxiety to screen
himself, and throw the odium of what has occurred upon
me, Sir James Graham has riot hesitated to state calmly
and deliberately that which he ought to have known of
his own knowledge to be absolutely false.
Against Captain Christie I had no personal feeling
whatever. I knew him, and bad every reason to be-
lieve him to be an amiable, deserving, and gallant man.
As to his fitness for his post I had formed an unfavour-
able opinion ; but to that opinion I'bad not given pub-
lic expression until after Sir James Graham had directed
Captain Christie-to- be superseded. -If any injustice,
therefore, has been-done to Captain Christie, it has been
done by Sir James Graham, who sacrificed a public ser-
vant to what he terms public clamour. He alone is,
consequently, answerable for the results.
I am informed that Mrs. Boswell wrote more than
one letter to me regarding her brother.- I can only say
that I have no recollection of having received any com-
mnnication from her on the sutject, nor was I acquaint.
ed with her name until Mr. Fergus mentioned it, after I
had spoken last night. I truct that no one will suppose
me capanle of a want of' courtesy in a matter of this kind.
I confidently leave this statement to the calm judg-
rnieenntt
sa:nrdv a
nt, A. H. yu
justice of the public.—l am,
LSiAr,yrrpo.be-
d9, Little Ryder-street, May 19.

THE...NIGHT CONFLICT ON THE Ist,
GENERAL CANT OBERT'S REPORT.

The Moniteur contains the following report
from General Canrobert, addressed to the Minister
at War, and dated May 4:—
Monsieur le Marechal—My telegraphic despatch of
the 2d gave you the account of the taking by main force,
and the occupation by our troops, of a work of counter
approach which the enemy had raised in front of our
left attacks. This work, which was of very considerable
extent, was composed of trio broken lines, separated by
an interval of 40 metres, and the extremities of which
were supported by some natural obstacles of the ground.
It was in communication with ,the lunette of the Central
mortars, the
trench,the fi r
e fraonndl
whichitad been
seriously
omuosul
yn
annoyedted wit h
rßdausetibdoann by a
our works. This advanced position was of very great
importance to the enemy, as from it they could perhaps
have destroyed one of our recently-completed batteries,
as well as the works around it, and would have had a
cross fire on our attacks on the Fiat Staff Bastion.
It
sians fwarom s therefore necessary for us to prevent the Rus-
shing themselves definitively in this
place d'arraes, and an attack on it was resolved on, as
soon as the works should have reached a height sufficient
to protect us from the fire of the place, or at least should
do so partially.
According to orders received from me, General Pelis.
sier prepared the general arrangements for the attack,
the execution of which was confided to General de Salles,
seconded by Generals Bazaine, de la Motterouge, and
Rivet, and Lieut.-Colonel Raoult, Major of the trenches.
'At ten o'clock on the night of the Ist, at the moment
when a very bright moonlight enabled a movement to be
made in order, the troops, formed into two columns, left
our parallels. The left columns,composed ofsix companies
of the foreign legion (Ist Regt. Col. Vienot), eight com-
panies of the 43d, under Commandant Becquet de Son-
nay, and ten companies of the 79th, under Colonel
Grenier, were ordered to turn the work by the right,
which was defended by several battalions. These troops,
which were led on by Gen. Bazaine with much skill and
vigour, rushed on the enemy with an irresistible impe-
tuosity. Col. Vidnot also led on the foreign legion with
remarkable gallantry. A ball has deprived the Emperor
of this brave officer, who fell, sword in hand, at the head
of his men. •

The centre column, under General de la Motterouge,
whose name has already-figured in the most honourable
manner in the operations of the siege, was cot posed of
two battalions of the 46th, under Colonel Gault. One
of these battalions, once led on by the colonel himself,
advanced without firing a shot on the frobt of the work,
and resoliitely rushed on the enemy at the point of the
bayonet. The other battalion, following close, imme-
diately crossed over the first inclosure, and the whole
regiment then advanced on the second, which it carried
with a courage of which its colonel set the highest ex-
ample.

The 98th, 4a3arching in support of the 46th, rushed in
its turn on the enemy, and gave btilliant proofs of valour
under the orders of its colone►, de Brdgeot. The right
.!olumn, formed of one company of the 9th battalion of
Foot (Masseurs, under Capt. de Villermain, an officer of
tried bravely, and two companies of the 42d, under
Capt. ita,goo, carried the work on the left.

The enemy, driven from every part, and pursued at
the point of the bayonet, abandoned the work and re-
tired in disorder, strewing the ground with their slain,
And leaving a number of prisoners and a quantity of
arms in our possession. The loss of the Russians was
very considerable. We took possession of the nine band--
mortars, which had been placed in position.
As soon as the work was occupied, the engineers com-
menced operations to turn the parapets, in order to se-
cure the position from the fire of the town, and to unite
it by a communication with our parallel in the rear.
Thee works were executed in the manner agreed on be-
forehand, but under such a fire of artillery as certainly
never before proceeded from any place. The officers Of
engineers, and particularly Lieut.-Colonel Guerin, dis-
played a , coolness, an energy, and a skill, which were
the admiration of all ; they were seconded with the
4reatest devotedness by ,he sub-officers, the sappers,
and the workmen of the different corps, among whom
those of the 14th Regiment of Infantry was specially
pointed out to me.
Scarcely had 'the Russians re-entered the place when
the violent _ cann made which I have-before-ettudect te.-

commenced frncr, every peinii;? the fortifications. The
workmen, the troops, and• the treuches in the rear, re-
ceived a complete storm of projectiles of every kind ;
but our artillery, Fkilfully directed by General Lebeuf,
opened a fire from such batteries as could be brought to
oear on the spot. Toe works were thug continued until
daylight, when the enemy's work was definitively in our
possession.
At about three o'clock in the afternoon of the 2d, a
Russian column of about 3,000 men made a sudden
sortie on the work which we had taken from them, and
the defences of which were still in an imperfect state.
It was guarded by two companies of the 2d regiment of
the foreign legion, one company of the 43d,, a weak bat-
talion of the 46th, and a still weaker one of the 98th.
These battalions, which remained on duty during the
day, had suffered severely in the combat of the pre-
ceding night. The assailants commenced by a sharp
fire of musketry, and some of the most daring of them
scaled the parapet and threw themselves into the work,
where they were killed or taken prisoners.
While the foreign legion, the 98th, and the 46th, ener-
getically commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Martineau Des•
chesnez, were repulsing the enemy, two companies of
the Ist regiment of voltigeurs of the Imperial Guard,
who were in reserve in the second parallel, resolutely
rushed forward, under the command of Capt. Genty, and
threatened the right sank of the enemy. A company of
the 10th battalion of foot chasseurs, and two companies
of the 80th regiment of the line under Chef de Bataillon
de Courson, joined in this movement, which so nobly
marked the debut of the Imperial Guard amongst us. A.
battalion of the 43d, under Commandant Jeanningros,
stepped another Russian column, which was endeavour•
ing to descend from the Flagstaff Bastion.
The artillery of the place supported the assailants by
a continued fire, but our batteries opened in their turn,
and, in the end, prevailed over the fire of the enemy.
At length, after several vain and fruitless assault'', the
Russians decided on making a retreat, which they effected,
leaving the ground covered with tlitkr dead. This bril-
liant affair confirmed our possession of the work. Our
losses in the 24 hours amounted to 11 officers killed,
aniongst whom, in addition to Colonel Vienont, was
Commandant Julien, of the 46th, an officer much dis-
tinguished iu the army for his bravery ; we bad in all 2Z
officers wounded, and 158 men killed, and 600 wounded.
A. short suspention'of hostilities, the conditions of which
were previously agreed on between General Count
Osten-Sacken, the Governor of Sebastopol, and myself,
took place yesterday, in order to bury the dead.
This double combat, of which I now furnish you winth.
the details, is characterised in the most satisfactorya
honourable manner by the qualities of ardour
did they
r and cope.
d
tuosity which are peculiar to our troops.
Never
give more striking proofs of courage._i owe particular
With
praise to the generals and superiorcharged
the direction of these brilliant
affairs,ffiers c
orders of General
Pelissier, prepared during the particularly to
General de &lies, who, underi the
with much skill and
o clay
in the night.
precision the operation Which be a
e iyardsrre
The sanitary stateof the troops..
is perfect in every
itua ion
influencen
wTahrids t
oh ne successct the
enb
tasrspai
idtva of Bastion,ctehde utawsnoc at
hsrinseepsbr.
lied • their s
ergy is unequalled
Accept,re,-pect teen! they well supplied withcelxv erßyotßhEinEgT..
excellentudnadc e:dsthoB