The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-18 00:00:00

THE WAR IN DENMARK.

(From the times Special Correspondent with the Allied
Armies.)

BPOACKER, April 12.

Yesterday's fire from the Prussian batteries was
at times brisk, but, upon the whole, not nearly so
sustained and heavy as on the previous day. There
has been a good deal of firing during the night,
doubtless with the object of preventing the Danes
from repairing their forts. The same was the case
the night before. I need not tell you that when a
number of batteries are firing at once, some of them
at objects not within one view, it is impossible to
reckon the shot and shel's directed at each particu-
lar target. By remaining in one battery you may
count the projectiles sent thence and ascertain at
what they are aimed, but then you are less acquainted
with the general proceedings of the whole line than
if you moved about or occupied a more generally
commanding position. There may have been mis-
takes made on both sides with respect to the num-
ber of shells thrown into Sonderborg, but I do not
see that it mattersmuch whether 1,500 or 250 were
thrown, those being the highest and lowest esti-
mates I have heard of as made by the Danea and
Prussians respectively, According to the view which
has been taken of it in England, and which proba-
bly will be taken in Europe generally, the real ques-
tioe to be answered, the only one effecting the
character of the Prussian commanders for humanity
and for observance of the rules of civilised warfare,
is whether a sufficient warning was given to the in-
habitants of Sonderborg to enable them to depart
frcm the doomed town before the bombardment
commenced. I perceive that the attention of our
Government has been called to the reported loss of
life, end that inquiries were being made at Berlin,
where probahly a more explicit declaration will he
procured than I have been able to obtain here. All
that I have been able to obtain in the way of answer
to inquiries addressed to the most authorised quar-
ter is the statement that the few ehells thrown
into Sonderborg two or three weeks ago consti-
tuted a sufficient warning to the inhabitants,
and should have led to their departure;
also, that particular reasons prevented another kind
of warning from being given before proceeding to the
bombardment of the 2d inst. Had the bombardment
been suspended on Sunday morning, when the pro-
ject of a landing at Hardeshoi had broken down, I
should have felt pretty sure that it had been in-
tended to distract the attention of the Danes and
favour the intended crossing of Alsen Sand ; but as
we are informed from the other side that it was kept
up for 48 hours, and was resumed on the afternoon
of the 6th inst., I confess my utter inability to ac-
count for the proceeding, and must leave its expla-
nation to those to whom it is more important that
one should be given clearing them from the charges
of inhumanity and breach of civilised usages now
brought against them in the English press and
Parliament.

The troops in the trenches are now relieved every
24 hours instead of every 48. With respect to what
passed in the night of the 10th to the 11th, there
was, in the first place, as already mentioned, a good
deal of firing from the besiegers' batteries. It is
believed in this camp that the Danes, expecting an
assault to follow the bombardment of the 10th,
brought up strong bodies of infantry to the forts.
If this was the case, they are likely to have suffered
from the cannonade. Early in the morning a small
infantry fight took place, in which, however, as I
am informed, only two companies of Prussians were
engaged. The Danes showed a battalion in support
of the smaller body actually fighting. The Prussians
had 2 killed and 10 or 12 wounded—one of these,
an officer, having received two shots, one through
his hand and the other through the upper part of the
same arm. The Prussians made 12 prisoners. The
affair lasted but a short time. The Prussians have
advanced their outposts a little at one part of the
sine. The third parallel was traced and partly cut
the night before last, and was to be dug out last
night. There seems no doubt that the Danes have
dismantled the forts of the most valuable portion of
their artillery, which we must suppose they destine
for the defence of Alma. Some persons believe
they have taken all their good guns away, and have
left only a few old fines for show. If this be the
case, and they yet intend to stand an assault, it
seems not improbable they will bring up field-pieces
to the open ground between the forts, and thence,
and from the few big guns they may have kept, fire
grape upon the attacking party. It seems hardly
credible that after all this great show of defence, in
the way of strengthening and repairing their works,
they will stealthily evacuate them without a fight.
If they did so, the inference would bo that their
army is very dispirited, and indeed, whatever may
be said to the contrary, there are strong reasons for
supposing this to be the case. You will have ob-
served that Prussians and Dines never meet, even
in small encounters, without the former bringing
beck prisoners, mid officers assure me that by far
the greater part of these are men who willingly
allow themselves to be taken—not Schleswigers
only, but also Jutlanders.
It is reported that during the heavy fire on Sun-
day, and favoured by the fog and smoke, two Prus-
sian soldiers made their way up to Fort No. 1,
which lie's close to the shore, and after watching it
a little, and perceiving no sign of life, actually got
into it and found it deserted.
The Prussians are preparing themselves in all
ways for the assault. At Sehmollehn, a small
hamlet just off the road from Broacker to Nubs),