The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-23 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 23, 1854.

NAVAL ATTACK ON THE RUSSIAN

FORT OF PETROPAULOVSKI•

CAPTURE OF THREE VESSELS AND
DESTRUCTION OF BATTERIES.
The Allied squadron in the Pacific has attacked
the Russian fort of Petropaulovski, in Kamschatka,
where the frigates Aurora and Dwina had taken
shelter, has disabled the two ships and left them
prisoners to the ice, destroyed two batteries, and
taken three vessels, ono of them the Sitka, a mer-
chantman carrying ten guns, and having on board
six Russian officers and a cargo worth 200,000
dollars. Petropaulovski is situated on the eastern
coast of Kainschatka, near its southern extremity,
in latitude 53 north, and longitude 159 east, from
Greenwich. It is a fortified town of some 2,500
inhabitants, and is one of those advanced posts
which, for the last half century, it has been the
policy of Russia to establish on the frontier of
her dominions, in time of peace, for the conveni-
ence of her commerce, and in time of war as places
from which operations by sea might be supported.
The attack was made under great disadvantage on
the 30th and 31st of August and again on the 4th
of September. The loss of the Allies has been
stated to be sixty-four, but L'Echo du PaGifique,
of Oct. 15, states it thus :—" Total number of men
killed, wounded, and left on shore, belonging to
French squadron, 98 ; of the English squadron,
111 ; total loss of the Allies, 209." Rear-Admiral
Price was accidentally killed by a shot from a pis-
tol in his own hand, and Captain C. A. Parker, of
the Marines, on board the President, has fallen in
battle. The French have lost Lieutenant Lefebvre,
of the Eurydice, and Ensign Gucquel, of the Obli--
gado, left on shore, and Lieutenant Bourasset, of
the Eurydice, killed in attempting to land. The
principal loss took place on the 4th, when the
landing was effected, the force getting entangled
in a shrubbery, where it was exposed to the galling
fire of the enemy's skirmishers.
The following account of the affair is from
L'Echo du Pacifique, of Oct. 6 :
" The squadron sailed from Honolulu on the morning
of the 25th of July, at 5 o'clock, the Eurydice and
Amphitrite leading off, and the Forte bringing up the
rear, by order of the Admiral, and by 4 o'crock'p.m. the
islands were out of sight. The same day the batteries
were loaded and they commenced to exercise the men in
gunnery with the musket. On the 30th the Amphitrite
and Arteiniso were ordered off to San Francisco. On
the 14th of August the Eurydice was lost sight of in
the midst of a thick fog, and did not answer to the guns
of the Forte, which sounded the recall. On the 22d the
President disguised her batteries by a thick coat of paint,
which example was followed by the Forte. On the 25th
the Eurydice was signalised, and took her position in the
rear of the Forte, signalising land 10 miles to the west-
ward. On the 28th land was in sight of the whole squadron
being the peaks of the Mounts Avatscha, Beselski, and
Villenchineki; the sun's rays being thrown on their snow-
clad sides enabled them to clearly distinguish their out-
lines. The vessels hove to, and the English Admiral
boarded the Forte. The Obligado, covered with can-
vas, put into the Bay of Avatscha to reconnoitre, fol-
lowed by the Virago, with Admiral Price on board.
" The preparations for battle then commenced, and
they took down the partitions of the Admiral's quar-
ters in the Forte's battery. The Obligado returned with
the Virago from her expedition, the latter reporting
that she had gone within two miles and a half of the
batteries at Petropaulovski. The following morning
the order to make sail was given, and the squadron
entered the Bay of Avatscha in the following order
—The President, Forte, Pique, and Eurydice, the
Virago taking her position on the left of the Presi-
dent, and the Obligado on the left of the Forte. At
25 minutes past 1 the allied ships hoisted their flags,
and at half-past 2 the squadron was under fair way, the
men at their quarters, matches lit, hospitals prepared,
and magazines opened.
" Whilst anchoring, the batteries, four in number,
opened a fire on them, which proved harmless, as, owing
to the distance, the balls failed to reach them. The
batteries were—
" Ist. The Schakoff battery, situated on the point of
that name, which controlled the entrance of the pert
entering to the left.
"2d. A battery located on the point to the right.
"3d. A battery, flanked with twelve pieces of cannon
elevated on the tongue of land which closes the entrance
of the port.
" 4th. A battery situated on the peninsula, which
masked the western side of the city, behind which the
masts of four vessels, one a merchantman, and the other
three men of war, could be discovered.
"At half-past 4 o'clock the frigate President ordered
the Virago to advance to the peninsula and open her
fire on the Russian forts, which fire was responded to
by the firing of bombs from the city, which did not
roach the vessels, but burst in the air.
"To deceive and annoy the Russian sentinels, lan-
terns were carried about the vessels, and guns were fired
to counterfeit signals. On their side, the Russians kept
up fires in their forts. The following morning they made
ready for hostilities. An officer was detached from the
Forte with orders to make a reconnaissance and to deter-
mine a position for the frigate which would enable her
to cannonade the fort of Schakoff and the flanked bat-
tery, without being exposed to the fire of the Russian
frigate.
"A cutter, commanded by an officer of the Eurydice,
co-operated in this reconnaissance, in which the com-
mandants of the Eurydice and Pique took part. It was
thus ascertained that Fort Schakoff was manned by five
pieces of cannon of strong calibre, that the battery which
flanked it was fortified with twelve 36-pounders, and
that the battery on the right, less dangerous, was shel-
tered but by feeble fortifications. The English Admiral
gave orders to the master gunner of ale Pique to fire
upon that battery and endeavour to dismount a piece of
ordnance ; the ball, well-aimed, struck the piece, which
stood upright on its carriage, which, being shivered,
placed it hors de combat. The flanked battery was evi-
dently the one most difficult to subdue, being constructed
with fascines of a little over 12 feet in thickness. On
the receipt of the report of the officers charged with the
reconnaissance, the bombardment commenced. The
Pipne was made fast to the starboard of the Virago,
and the President was placed in the rear of the
steamer; the Forte took a position on the larboard
of the Virago, the side on which they found the
vessels ; they easily distinguished the Russian transport,
broadside to, in the rear of the frigate Aurora ; of the
latter they could only see three of her middle port-holes,
the residue being hidden by a hillock. The Virago ad-
vanced within reach of the cannon of the beacon. A
ball from that quarter having struck the water a short
distance from her, the Virago responded with a shell,
which struck the lower framework of the beacon. At
this moment (quarter past 1 o'clock) a cutter from the
Pique boarded the Forte, and the commander of the
Pique, accompanied by his aide-de-camp, with the
French Admiral and the Surgeon-General, boarded the
President, as Admiral Price had fallen mortally wounded
by the explosion of a pist6l in his own hands, the ball
of which had entered his heart, in consequence of which
the drummers beat the retreat, and hostilities were sus-
pended.
"An hour later, two cutters from the President cap-
tured a Russian launch, cutter-rigged, manned by nine
sailors.
"On the morning of the 31st of August Fort
Schakoff opened its fire, which was answered by the
guns of the Pique. The Forte brought her broadside
to bear abreast against Fort Schakoff and opened upon
it a continuous fire, and the President opened upon it a
cross fire ; the Virago disembarked a body of troops a
short distance from the right hand battery. The Forte
thundered away at Fort Schakoff, whose fire percepti-
bly abated. The landed force rushed upon the right
hand side battery ; the Aurora opened upon them a
tremendous fire, which for a moment checked their
headway. A loud hurrah welcomed it, and when
the smoke had dispersed the force was master of the
battery, demolishing the gun carriages with axes,
breaking the caissons and spiking the guns. From
the ships a body of abont 200 Russians were dis-
covered, advancing to retake the battery. The Pique
and Forte protected the re-embarking of the force,
which was done in good order by their guns. The
Forte commenced then to fire grape and canister upon
the flank battery, which bad begun to increase its fire
and had sent four balls into the hull of the frigate,
and as many ihto the upper works as high up as the
poop or quarter deck—the netting (combing) of the
fifteenth gun having been completely carried away,
the repairing of which was immediately taken in
hand. The Forte bore up to within about eight
cables' length of the battery, but not being able to
reach it except by firing ricochet shot, it took half an
hour to silence half the Russian guns. The Forte re-
doubled her efforts, and seconded by the guns of the
President, the battery ceased its fire at half-past two,
the Russians evacuating it and joining the force on board
the Aurora and Dwina frigates. The cannonading
ceased oa all sides, and night was passed in repairing the
havoc of the enemy's guns.
" On the Ist of September the Virago proceeded to
the b:ty of Tarinaki, where the remains of Admiral
Price were interred, and came back with three American
sailors, deserters from whalers, who communicated hu-
ge
or dn
thet t3hde
oft ospeopgt re amp
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ei cra
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vnoaknrie.board the Forte, and a second
is:a
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rr
d foreintwraa°t Pst
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ensuing day. To disembark seven
hundred men of both nations, the English marines,
and the French reserve forming a special force of one
hundred and sixty riflemen. The greatest activity pre-
vailed on board the men of war. Sixty cartridges were
distributed to each man, and orders were given to
place in all the boats an extra supply of ammunition.
Capt. De Grand
was appointed to the command
of the French, and Capt. Burridge of the English force,
the marines being under the order of Captain Parker,
their commanding officer. M. de la Combe, of the Eury-
dice, led the French reserve platoons ; M. Thomas, the
Forte's crew, having under his orders Messrs. Gauvain
and De Kersaint. The general command of the boats
was given to N. Boarasset, and the hospital staff and

arrangements were under the superintendence of M.
Reydan,l, surgeon in chief of the Eurydice. The day
was passed ire these preparations, and both officers and
sailors were eager for the combat. On Monday, the 4th
of September, at 3 a.m., the drum called every one to
his post. The disembarking troops were sent on board
the Virago, which proceeded to the lower portion of the
peninsula. The fort opened the first fire, and the ball
striking the upper works of the Virago, the Forte
responded, dismounting one of the guns ; the guns
of the fort, almirably aimed, redoubled their fire on
the Forte, the balls whistling over the frigate ; one
went through and through the main mast about fifteen
feet above the deck, another hedged in the middle of the
inizen-mast. The President laid to at the side of the
Forte, and the two vessels protected the disembarkation
by their guns, which took place at about eight o'clock,
and the two batteries silenced. The commander of the
Forte pointed out to the gunners an oil storehouse, and
promised promotion to the one who could set it on fir. ;
the first shell struck on -the top thereof, setting it in
flames; and it continued to burn six hours. The troops
landed and marched to the batteries, the English marines
leading, followed by soldiers and sailors of the expe-
dition, when on their arrival they found the guns-aban-
doned and spiked. The riflemen, without stopping at
the battery clambered up the height and forced their
way in the mass of shrubbery which covered it ; the
re,idue of the force quickly followed, and the whole
body was received with. a galling fire, to which they
responded. The firing came from all sides of the heavy
thicket and impenetrable underbrush. The Virago,
leaving the land forces, proceeded to the northern point,
from whence a heavy fire proceeded, unmasking a horse
battery of five guns, on a little stream at the entrance of
the city, which she silenced. During this time the be-
sieging force met with an energetic contest from the
Russian skirmishers—the fire resounded on all sides of
the height. Exposed to a terribly galling fire the sailors
fought manfully ki4clAppepOselY, engliged in their im-
petuosity in an inextricAble shrubbery, pursuing an in-
visible enemy whose fire was decimating their ranks ;
their superhuman efforts could not overcome the
natural obstacles of their position. Captain Parker
fell at the head of the English marines the moment
they met with the enemy ; at his side M. Bour-
asset fell. M. Lefebvre, lieutenant of the Eury-
dice, was killed ; Mr. Howard, aide-de-camp to
the English Admiral, had his arm fractured by a
ball. In face of so disproportionate a combat, no-
thing was left but to order a re-embarkation. The
great object of the enterprise, however, was attained,
the fort was evacuated, the Russian gunners were dead
at their.pieces, and the guns spiked. They were unable
to push forward without exposing themselves to great
peril, and the dislodgment of the Russians would sacri-
fice too many lives, situated as they were in a wood, of
whose size or paths they were totally ignorant. The
troops retired in order, under cover of an ambuscade of
one hundred men, who, behind the ruins of the fort,
kept the Russians at bay by a sharp fire, conveying to
their boats their' dead and wounded, and they put off
under the escort of the Virago. On board the Forte
the carpenters were at work repairing the damage ; the
wounded acre conveyed to the hospitals, and all busily
engaged in removing the traces of the fight.
‘• The ensuing day (the stb) they interred the remains
of the dead at Tarenski, the Abbe Ricardi performing
the religious ceremonies. On the fith the squa,lron re-
fitted, and on the 7th they set sail from Petropaulovski.
O❑ this cruise they fell in with two vessels, one a three-
master, seemingly a man-of-war, in pursuit of which the
Virago was despatched ; the second proved to be a
schooner, which was captured and taken in tow.

"The President was sent in chase of the ship, on
whom she gained rapidly. At 12 o'clock she fired a
gun to bring her to, which failed to accomplish the ob-
ject, and she then beat to quarters and prepared for bat-
tle ; but at one o'clock the Russian struck her flag and
the President took possession of her. She proved to be
the Sitka, merchantman, of 800 tons, frons:A.ya,n, in the
Sea of Oohotsk, with stores for the garrison at Petro-
paulovski. Her cargo is valued at 200,000 dols. The
Sitka carried ten guns, and besides her crew of captain,
four officers, and twenty-four sailers, had eleven pas-
sengers, six of whom were officers. On the Bth of Sep-
tember, the schooner was fired and abandoned at sea.
On the Bth of October, at 9 a.m., the French men-of-
war arrived in our port, having left the English squa-
drOn, taking the Sitka into Vancouver's Island.
" Such is the detail of this combat, one of the bloodiest
folght between the Allies and Russia. If the combined
spuadron did not reap a victory, it has nevertheless suc-
ceeded in gaining important advantages. The Rus-
sians have lost a considerable number of men, whom it
will be difficult to replace ; they have lost quite a number
of guns, spiked and destroyed, and moreover they have
ost stores and articles of subsistence which the city is
sensibly in want of. Remote from all reinforcements,
without hope of procuring provisions, the garrison of
Petropaulovski is at the same time zut off from the rest
of the world fir the season, An isolated fortress, cen-
tred amidst impenetrable ice, they are only able to de-
stroy without anything to conquer. It was not Petro-
paulovski, but the Russian frigates that were attacked,
and if they have not captured them they have disabled
them. The Aurora's masts were shot away by tile
broadsides of the Forte, her hull riddled with balls,
her sails torn to shreds, her armament partially de-
molished, and, more than all, she is retained a
prisoner by the ice in a port where it is impossible
to repair damages in order to go to sea. The dangers
which our ships have braved have not weakened in
the least their equipments, nor diminished the en-
thusiasm of their crews. Superior to the enemy, they
were obliged to stop lit:f,re obstacles which their
courage could have overcome ; but then the con-
quest exacted sacrifices which were far from being
in proportion to the results that they have proposed to
attain, the more se as the vessels were short of provisions
and stores. They only attempted a coup dt main, and
not a regular siege.
" Throughout the entire duration of this expedition
and the voyage which preceded it, the most perfect har-
mony has reigned between the English and French. On
land and on sea, at anchor in the Sandwich Islands,
before the fire of Petropaulovski, the officers and sol-
diers of both nations have made themselves acquainted
by a long contact only to love and esteem each other ;
the two nations, previously rivals, friends to-day, yield-
ing to the same thought and mingling their blood upon
samee)ast fieldofi3 ofo
alsu battle.n(l
the n
stahme
eP
soyl Polar
pSaet ah sy eafn Ad sei
ma
ua nlad.
thethe
tion reign. It was side by side with our soldiers that the
gallant Capt. Parker fell, whose last cry was a rallying
one. It was at his side that our officers and sailors fell,
lin r edecimatedsfor mutuale bveyes esteem an invisible
einvisible enemy. A friendship founded
0
anduni cementedunion
of
the
two by like
greatest memorialsnation s
as-
-Bof
the earth."

NATAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

The Royal Albert, 121, Captain Sir T. Pasley, re-
ceived a supply of coals at Spithead yesterday, and will
be ready for her troops to-morrow.
The Prince Regent,
DO, Captain Henry Smith, C. 8.,
discharged her powder and shell on Tuesday, and was
towed into Portsmouth harbour yesterday afternoon.lt is supposed she will be put out of commission, and
her crew appropriated for a screw ship.
The Calcutta, 84, Captain J J. Stopford, which ar-
rived at Falmouth, on the 17th inst., and will be sta-
tioned there for the winter, is short of her complement
a good many men, which they hope to procure on the
influx of merchant shipping by volunteering. The bat-
teries and other new works
at St. Mawe's Castle, me the
right hand entrance of Falmouth, are progressing rapidly,
and these at Pcndennis Point,
on the left, will be soon
commenced ; in the meantime the earth and stoneworks
of the citadel are put in good order by contract masons,
so that the artillery in quarters are in practical effi-
ciency.

The Ajax, GO, Captain Warden, refitting at Ports-
mouth, will be paid wages to-day, and her crew will be
granted leave of absence.
The Dauntless, 33, Captain Ryder, left Spithead yes-
terday morning, at half-past 9, for the Crimea.
Orders have been received at Devouport to expedite
the fitment of the Cornwallis with a screw, and the men
employed on her accordingly work extra hours.

Rear-Admiral 11. B. Martin, C. 8., is expected to re-
turn to Portsmouth this day, and rehoist his flag on
board the Leopard.

ROYAL MARINES.
The following appointments have been made in the
corps of Royal Marines, consequent on the promotions
announced in the Gazette on Tuesday evening :
Captain and Brevet-Major Thomas Holloway, of the
Artillery Companies, to be Lieutenant-Colonel, and ap-
pointed to the Portsmouth division, vice Fynemore, re-
tired on full-pay.
Captain and Brevet-Major John Charles Grey Courtis,
of the Portsmouth division, to be Lieutenant-Colonel,
and appointed to the Plymouth division, vice Buchanan,
retired on full pay.
First Lieutenant Henry John Tribe, of the Woolwich
division, to he Captain, vice Holloway promoted, and
appointed to the Portsmouth division.
First Lieutenant and Quartermaster John William
Coltman William., of the Portsmouth division, to be
Captain. vice Courtis, and appointed to the Artillery
Ccmpanies in the vacany treat~ d by Captain Tate, ap-
pointed Itstructor of Laboratory.
Second Lieutenant Richard Augustus Fitzgerald
Studdert, of the] Chatham division, to be First Lieute-
nant, and appointed to the Woolwich division, vice
Tribe, promoted.
Second Lieutenant Harry Boscawen Savage, of the
Chatham, division, to be First Lieutenant, vice Williams,
promoted and appointed to a division. which will be
hereinafter named.

MARINES FOR THE EXMOUTH.
The complement of Royal Marines for service in the
Exmouth, 90, screw steam-ship, commissioned by Cap-
tain the lion. Frederick T. Pelham, at Devonport, have
been selected from the Chatham, Plymouth, and Wool-
wich divisions, and the Artillery companies at Ports-
mouth. From the Chatham division 30 privates. From
the Plymouth division, 1 subaltern, 1 sergeant, 1 cor-
poral, 1 drummer, and 53 privates. From the Woolwich
division, 1 captain (Captain Henry William Brooker), 1

subaltern (Second-Lieutenant James William Vaughan
Arbuckle), 1 sergeant, 1 corporal, 1 drummer, and 30
privates. From the Artillery companies at Portsmouth,
1 subaltern, 1 sergeant, 1 corporal, and 25 gunners ;
making a total of 1 captain, 3 subalterns, 3 sergeants,
3 corporals, 2 drummers, 113 privates, and 25 gunners ;
in all 150. The whole are to be armed with the rifled
musket, pattern 1842 ; and the privates from Chatham
and officers and men from Woolwich will leave the dock-
yard station of the North Kent Railway on Friday
morning next, and proceed by railway from London to
Devonport.