The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-26 00:00:00

39

THE SUN, LONDON, TU'ESDAY EVENII4-d-,. JUNE 26 1855.

THE CAPTURE OP THE MAMELON.

under the fire of the enemy by a detachment of gunners
commanded by Captain M2-31chior. As regards the arma-
ment of the Ourrages B'ancs ann the Mamelon Vert, it re-
mained in our power, making a total of 73 guns taken
from the enemy.
" While we were taking the White Woiks, and the
Mamelon Vert, the Erglish, with r tre intrepidity, stormed
the Quarries, and established themselves firmly there,
taking thus a glorious part in tl2O d ly's success.
"The Turkish division of Osman Pasha rendered great
cervices. Different battalions, led on by &for PaSha, chief
of the staff of the Turkish army, contributed, under fire
and at the advanced posts, to the consolidation of our con-
quests on Mount Sapouno.
" What shall I say, Monsieur le Mar 6,111.1, of the troops
of the second corps? Facts speak hotter than anything
could write you ; they were admirable.
"Their success was skillfully prepared and assured by
' General Bosquet. I respond to the intentions of the chief
of the 2d corps. as well as to my own, by mentioning here
the names of Generals Cainou and Mayran, who led the
attack, and of Generals Brunet and Dula; who so ably
'seconded them.

The Moniteur of yesterday publishes the following re-
port, addressed by General Pelissier, under date of the
' 11th of June, to the Minister of War :
"Mensier le Marechal,—My two tele,graphio despatches
of the 7th and Bth of Jane, and my letter of the 9th of the
same month, have informed you in a succinct manner of our
brilliant affair of the 7th.
" To-day I received General amp:let's reports, as well as
different information I awaited, and I am now able to give
you a full and detailed account of this combat, which is a
real victory, as much from the glory it throws upon our
arms as from the important results obtained.
" On the 6th, at 3 p.m., as I have had the honour of in-
forming you, the artillery of our right attackcpeued against
the town ; the English batteries opened fire at the same
moment, and they were immediately supported by our bat-
teries of the left attack. This fire of artillery was vigor-
ously kept up during the whole night between the 6th and
7th, and at 3 o'clock of the evening it was completed by
the fire of all our batteries of the left attack; so that,
dating from that moment, the place was'enveloped with a
girdle of fire, which, starting at the east, from our batteries
at Careening Bay, extended to the west as far as gliaran-
tine Bay.
" It was then that the plans for the attack—concerted
between Lord Raglan, Omar Pasha, and myself, and, as
far as we are concerned, carefully studied by General Ma-
gnet—began to be put into execution.
"The plan was to carry on the right, on the spur of
Careening BA. the works called by us Ouvrages Blanes,'
or works of 'ale 22d and '27th of February,' to carry in
the centre the Mamelon Vert in front of the Malakhoff
Tower; while, on their side, on our left, the English were
to storm the so-called quarries' in front of the great Re-
dan. Each cf these attacks was separated from the other
by a steep and rocky ravine ; that of the White Works
was separated from the Malakhoff attack by the ravine of
Careening-bay, and the Malakhoff attack was separated
from the English attack by the ravine of the Carabelnaia.
Those ravines inconveniently isolated the attacks, but
their covered spots enabled us to place numerous and
powerful reserves sheltered from the enemy's fire.
" The 2d, 3d, 4th, and sth Dvisions of the 2d corps had
been selected for the attack. At 4.30 p.m. those four
divisions took up their respective positions, the diviei)tie
lifayran (3d) and Dulac (4th) on the side of Careening-bay,
and the divisions Camou (2d) and Brunet (sth) in the
centre attack.
" General Mayran was to direct the simultaneous attack
against the White Works of the 22d and 27th•of February.
The Ist brigade of his division, commanded by General Do
Lavarande, and consisting of a portion of the 19th bat-
talion of the Chn.sseurs-a.pied (commandant Caubert), of
the 2,1 Zonaves (Colonel Saurin), and of the 4th Regiment
of Marines (Lieutenant-Colonel Cendrecourt), occupied our
trenches of Careening-bay. This column was charged to
attack the works of the 27th of February.
"On the left, of Da Lavarando's brigade was the 2d
brigade of Mayran's division, under the orders of General
De Failly, consisting of the remainder of the 19th bat-
talion of Chasseurs-a-pied, of the 95th of the line (Colonel
Danner), and of the Ist battalion of the 97th. This
column was to storm the work of the 22d of February.
" The Dulac division formed the reserve of these two
attacks. The first brigade of this division, under the order.;
of General de Saint Pol, was to take up a position in the
parallels of Careening-bay after the attack of the first two
columns; and the 2,1 brigade of the same division, com-
manded by General Bisson, formed the second reserve.
"Moreover, the 2d battalion of the 97th of the line,
a battalion of the 61st, under the command of Lion-
tenant-Colcnel Larrouy d'Orinn, of tho 97th, had been con-
centrated in the ravine of Careening-bay to turn the ene-
my, and to cut off his retreat after storming the Ouvrages
Manes

" I must not omit to mention Generals Benret, of the
Artillery; Frossard, of the Engineers; and de Cissey, chief
of the staff of the 2d corps, who supported Generalßosquet
with as much zeal as devotion.

"It would be an omission on my part if I did not men-
tion with praise the two battalions-of the Imperial Gdard,
who fought like picked tro.ps.

" We have fluttered sensible losses ; among others that of
the bravo General de Lavarande, killed by a canuna Ina at
1 o'clqck iu the morning in the work of the 27th, 'whichhe
had captured ; and Colonel Hardy, of the 86th, 'Mortally
wounded at, the head of his regiment. We have to regret
many dashing officers and brave men, but these losscs aro
not so very great when we consider the number of troops
engaged, the length of the combat, and the important re-
sults obtained. , .

"I must not conclude this report without expressing my
satisfaction at the manner in rhich the ambulance duty
was performed. Our medical ollilera wore, as usual, be-
yond all praise. It could not be otherwise under the direo
Hon of Intendant Blauchot, ably seconded by thefunction-
azies under his orders.--I am, &c., "I'ELISHER."

THE SABBATABIANS.

(From the Times of this day. )

Hyde Park on Sunday was the scene of a great act of re-
tributive justice. The rough good sense of the community
between profession and practice. Some way or another, it
was perceived that it could not be right that a Bishop should
roll about on a Sunday in his chariot and pair; that fine gen-
tlemen and finer ladies should make a Mall in Hyde-park for
the sake of displaying fine bonnets and dresses, the marvels
of Parisian art ; that club-houses should remain open, and
Mivart's and Thomas's not closed, while poor me •a were de-
nounced as sacrilegious wretches if they permitted themselves
upon that day to indulge in the luxury of a penny shave, to
purchase a pennyworth of milk, or a stale half-quartern loaf,
or a pound of mutton trimmings, or a pint of questionable
beer. If these poor chapmeu were in the wrong, certainly
the lordly Pharisees could scarcely b 3 in the right. It was
difficult indeed for a poor customer wh3 might be excluded
:from his own peculiar markets to feel that there was not some
confusion of ideas existing in the minds of his superiors, as
he watched the stream of rosy boys, with flannel aprons,
issuing upon the Sabbath morning from the half-closed
doors of the fashionable fishmongers, with trays upon their
heads, or under their arms, as the case might be, well filled
with plalid turbots, beautiful even in death, contrasting
vividly with the bright hues of the ruddy lobsters,
which wore destined to adorn the graceful close of their
uneventful careers ; with whiting which, after life's fitful
fever, awaited the sacrificial bread-crumb with their tails in
their innocent mouths, with soles in pairs, and red-mullet in
their costly simplicity. Nor was the fishmonger's boy the
only Sabbath-breaker in the cause of Lucullu,. Behind him

"In the centre the operations were entrusted to General
Camou. The first brigade of his division, under the orders
or General de Wimpffen, occupied the parallels of the Ma-
lakhoffspur ; to the right the Algerian Rifles (Colonel
Rose) ; in the centre the 50th of the Line (Colonel de
Brandon); to the left tbe‘3d Zonaves (Colonel Polhes).
" The 2a brigade of the Camon division, commanded by
General Verge, was in r servo in the ravine of Carabel-
naia, ready to take the place of the let brigade in the pa-
rallels.

followed the greengrocer's familiar imp, laden with the spoils
of early spring, or rather of spring ithposed by the art of the
horticulturist upon our wintry June. Surely it must strike
as somewhat strange upon a mind unimbued with the niceties
of Parliamentary theology that sins incurred for the satisfac2
_ _

tion of the epicure wore venial, while the culinary transgres-
sions of the poor man, who, in his most Apician flight, never
soarel upon tho wings of fancy beyond a Sunday shoulder of
mutton, resting upon an iron triangle, immersed in savoury
potatoes, were to be visited with the severest indignation of
every " well-regulated mind." If you set about it in the
right manner you may ride human nature pretty hard.. As
long as the stomach is filled, and the back not too ragged, it
is possible to persuade one's follow-creatures to acquiesce to
a certain extent in your own superfluities, but a limit
must be drawn somewhere. The contrast must not be too
vivid nor too startling.

" Tho Division Brunet, under the orders of its chief, was
also stationed in the Carabelnaia ravine, to aot as a second

reserve.

" Two battalions of thTlmperial Guard, ono of Grena-
diers the other of Gendarmes, were placed at the disposal
of Central Canton for thefitttack.l
" This ensemble was colapleted by the Turkish division
of Osman Pasha which the Generalisvimo Omar Pasha had
detached from his army on the Tchernaya, and which took
up a position on the Inkerman heights.
" At half-past six o'clock Lord Raglan was at the Eng-
lish observatory. I myself proceeded to the trench in front
of the Victoria redoubt, whence, as agreed upon with his
lordship, I sent up rockets as the signal for the attack.
General Bosquet, who was at the battery next to the Lan-
caster Battery, had just received his last reports. Every-
thing was ready; the troops were burning with ardour,
and perfectly confident of success.
"As the first rocket went up, the Lavarande Brigade,
headed by its general, rualled forth from the second paral=
lel of Careening-bay, awl: at a running charge, carried the
works of the 27th of February. Despite the fire of grape
and musketry it had to face during the 200 yards it had
to cross, and which caused considerable loss, the column
penetrated into the batteryby the embrasures and breaches.
A hand-to-band struggle ensued on every point; a num•
ber of the defenders were killed on the spot, and wo were
soon masters of the intrenchment.

The fact is, this Sunday Trading Bill of Lgid Robert Gros-
venor in its present form won't do. It meanreither too much
or too little. We fully grant that it is most highly desirable
that any kind of traffic during the hours consecrated to Di-
vine service upon each returning Sunday should be absolutely
prohibited to the rich as well as the poor—to the poor as well
as to the rich. The public opinion of the country will sup-
port a prohibition of this kind. In point, of fact, as far as
our own sphere of observation has extended—and we know
something of London—we should be inclined to say that dur-
ing the hours consecrated to so righteous an end little or no
traffic actually takes place. There may, for aught we know,
be a Thieves' Bazaar in one remote quarter of the town—say
in Houndsditch; and an unseemly damaged-vegetable Rialto
in the purlieus of the Commercial-road; but, substantially,
throughout London there
.is no traffic during the hours of
Divine service. If such exists- it is easy enough to put it
down, but when we go one step further than this we at once
stumble upon the difficulties' of class legislation. With all due
respect for Lordi*Ebrington and Robert Grosvenor, and for
other magnates of the Sabbetarian movement, we doubt their
power of compelling observance of the Sabbath by the more
opulent classes. Sumptuary laws were found to be a failure
250 years ago, and there is not much probability that they
can be revived in our own time. If, then, it be im-
possible, as we believe it to be, to put an end to Sun-
day entertainments among the rich, to shut up the
clubs, to stop all save strictly necessary traffic along the
streets on the Sunday, of what avail is it to commence a
crusade against the sparse enjoyments and little comforts of
the poor? If the law can have universal application, and If
public opinion sanction it, it is well. Nothing could be more
sublime than the spectacle of a community such as is com-
prised in the England of tho I9th century which should
really, with one heart and one mind, give up one day in seven,
in good portion, to holy thoughts and earnest prayer, and
the rest to innocent enjoyment and relaxation. All men of
serious minds, who look a little beyond the present hour, are
agreed upon the end, but differ sadly as to the means. Some
oven are bold enough to say the end in view can never be
reached by a legislative thunderclap, If the object is to be
attained at all, we must look to the lianal agencies of enlight?
enmeut and education. The England of 1855 presents a most
favourable contrast to the England nf 1755. If this country.
continues to progress during the next fifty.ycars as during the
first halfof the present century, there is every reason to hope
that among the middle and loalveruclaSset"th'e Sutiday will be
observed in a manner which, would satisfy. any, oeic, save a
hypocrite or a fanatic. Whether the upper classes will have
ceased to give Sunday dinner parties, to take their carriages
to church, and their pastime in tlici,Park, is really more than
we would venture to say. _ _ _

" At the same signal and with the sams itnnetnosity,Di
Failly's brigade rushed upon the work of the 22d of Feb.

The distance is double, die ground to cross more difficult,
with a murderous flank fire from the other work; nothing

stops this gallant brigade. It arrives in a dense,bpdy at
the battery, scales the parapet under a rolling fire, and,
jumping into the work, overcomesthe'desperate resistance
of the enemy.

" Driven 'back on these two points, and hotly pressed by
our men, the Russians fly in disorder, some towards a
little battery constructed since the 2d of May to defend
the entrance to the Careening-bay ravine, some towstds
the bridge crossing the bay by which the ravine debonches
into the great port of Sebastopol.
" Some of our men, carried away by the pursuit of the
enemy, seize upon the battery of the 2d of hay and spike
the guns. As this battery, however, is 500 metres beyond
the work of the 22d of February, the most distant from

our lines, and placed under the double protection of the
works of the enceinte and of the forts to the north of the

roadstead, it is impossible to think of occupying it as yet.
"General Mayran, perceiving a Russian column advanc-
ing to retako the battny of the 2d of May, ordored his men
to charge with fixed bayonets, drove back the column into

le town, and took 60 Prisoners, including three officers.

He rallied his advanced troops and led th;rn back to the
works of the 22d and of the 27th of February, which re-
main definitively in our hand-.
" Meantime the two battalions concentrated in the ravine
of Careening-bay, under ho orders, of Lient.-Col. Larrouy
d'Orion, were anything Wo.t idle. Descending the ravino
at the moment the attack was taking place on tho ridge,
they pushed on as far as the aqueduct bridge, climbed up
the right bank, and cut off the retreat of the enemy

driven from the first two works. This movement, exe-
cuted with as much vigour as skill, and which procured us
400 prisoners, including 12 officers, does the:highest cyedit
to Lieutenant-Colonel Larrouy d'Orion, and deserves
that I should particularly recommend that officer to your

Last night Mr. Otway, relying, no doubt, upon the support of
Hyde-park, asked Lord Palmerston if he did not intend to take
some stops to induce the great author of the Sunday Trading
Bill to withdraw his measure from the further consideration
of the house. The bill has, we believe; 'passed through com-
mittee, and stands now for its third reading. Mr. Otway's
question was received with general cheering, and of this cir-
cumstance Lord Palmerston, with his usual tact, took advan-
tage. "If my noble friend," says he, " hears that cheer, he
will attend to it." We sincerely trust that the First Minister
may have interpreted aright the feelings and views of his
" noble friend," for such a measure of organised hypocrisy as
his can only be attended with evil consequences. The grand
result of the Sunday Trading Bill will simply be, that half-a-
million of lilingrY, unshaved, discontented people will, with
the most perfect propriety, occupy their leisure hours every
Sunday in groaning and hooting at the more opulent trans-
gressors of the law which they are compelled to observe. If
Lord Ebrington objects to shaving himself, he should have
forbearance for the opposite opinion. If Lord Robert Grosve-
nor desires to see the Sabbath duly observed, let him not pro-
voke the people to riot by making ono Sabbath for the rich
and another for the poor.

Excellency.
"While this was taking place on the side of Careening-
bay the battle was waging with still more exciting inci-
dents around the Marnelon Vert.
"At the same signal of rockefs from the Victoria re-
doubt General do Wimpffen, with his brigade, left the
trenches which, on our side, encompass the base of the
Mamelon Vert—that is to say, of the place d'armcs on the
left, and of the 3d Victoria parallel.
"Three columns rush forward at once on the enemy's
works, and carry by storm two advanced cuttings and in-
termediary ambuscades. A fire 4lf grape from the redoubt,
the combined fire of the great Redan and of the batteries

to tho left of the Malakhoff Tower, does not impale their
advance.

" To the right, Colonel Rose, at the head of the Algerian
Rifles, carries a battery of four guns annexed to the re•
doubt.

" Colonel do Drancion, in the centre with the 50th, and.
Colonel de Polhes on the loft, with the 3d Zouavcs, reso-
lutely attack the redoubt itself, throw themselves into the
trench, scale the parapet, and cut down the Russian artil-
lerymen at their guns. _ _

"Colonel do Brancion, who had the honour of being the
first to plant his `eagle' on the redoubt, fell in this attack
under the grape of the enemy, gloriously enwrapped in his
triumph.
" Strict ordors had been issued not to go beyond tho
gorge of the works, and to form at once a lodgment against
the fire and attacks from the town.

"But, carried away by their ardour, our soldiers pursued
the Russians into the ditch of the Malakhoff battery, 400
metres beyond the redoubt, and tried to enter the enceinte
with them. The natural consequence was that they were
obliged to fall back under the violent point-blank fire of
the enemy's reserves that manned the ramparts. The two
wings of the French lino threw themselves back, while the

besiegers sent out a powerful column of fresh troops to
attack our centre.

" The redoubt of the Mamelon Vert could not, as yet,
offer any shelter, The fire had either blown up amino laid

by tho enemy, or a powder magazine, which hal seriously
scorched Commandant Tinier, of the 3d Chasseurs-a-pied,

and a number of men. Planks, beams, and burning ropes
gave rise to fears of another explosion. The interior of the
work was not tenable. Instead of supporting itself on the
redoubt, our lines crossed the summit and forms a semicir-
cle round the Mamelon.

" There was not a moment to be lost. General Camou
ordered General Verge to leave the trenches; General
Bosquot ordered the sth division to advance, which was
immediately obeyed by General Brunet.
"The movement of this division was imposing; the Ist
brigade, commanded by Colonel Duprat de la, Roquette, of
the 100th of the line, occupied the parallels behind the
Mamelon, and the 2d brigade, under the orders of General
Lafent do Villiers, advanced the left in the rear under
cover of some rising ground.
"The Verge Brigade formed in columns at the same mo-
ment under the enemy's fire, and, with the drums beating
the charge, ascended the hill, and reinforced General Wimp-
flan's brigade. The position was carried and the enemy
driven back a second time into the town ; we were defini-
tively masters of the Mamelon Vert, which our troops
triumphantly occupied, amid shouts, enthusiastically re-
peated, of " Vice l'Empercur."
" It was half-past 7 o'clock, and dusk Was coming on ; as
I had foreseen, we had established ourselves in the con-
quered positions at the moment that darkness would allow
our engineers to commence operations to consolidate our-
selves there.
" These works were directed by General Frossard, with
Chef de Bataillon Chareton, of the Engineers,
as com-
mander Careening-bay
side, and De
intelligence, and
Prdserville on the Mamelon Vert. These works, executed
during ofthe y
t he
nig
lt attack
wi o
th
great
e Ca
intrepidity,roeei
remarkable coolness, were solidly constructed by daylight,
and enabled us from that moment to resist every attack of
the enemy.
" All assaulting columns were accompanied by brigades
of Sappers, commanded by Engineer officers. These de-
tachments all fought valiantly. Captain de la Boissiere, of
the Engineers, was seriously wounded, as, one of the first,
he scaled the parapet of the work of the 27th of,February.
The artillery, which plays so important a part in this
siege, contributed in a great measure to the day's success.
As soon as the assaulting columns had started tho aim of
all the batteries of the Careening-bay side and of the Vic-
toria parallel was changed and turned against the body of
the place. During the night a great number of the batte-
ries were restored.
" Moreover, six detachments, consisting each of 15 gun-
ners, commanded by captains of artillery, marched with
the first battalions of the columns to turn the guns of the
works taken against the enemy, and to ascertain what work
was necessary. All these operations were carried out
under the immediate direction of Lieut.-Colonel de La
Boussiniere, whose devotion and activity are beyond praise.
A " The guns et' the battery of the 24 of May wore spiked