The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-06 00:00:00

•THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 6, 1854.

.ilackened a good deal; and the siege operations

were pursuing their course iu the most favourable

manner.

A Russian despatch, received via Warsaw, an-
nounces that on the 27th and 29th the relative
posi Lions of the besieged and the besiegers remained

lie same.

The siege works were pushed on, but the most
advanced batteries had not yet been armed with

guns.

A second Russian despatch, dated Odessa, Nov.
1, asserts that up to the 29th nothing decisive
had occurred.

On the 27th the Allies attacked General Li-
prandi's corps without effect.

Omer Pacha is ordered to send a reinforce-

went of 20,000 to the Crimea.
It is stated, on the authority of a Russian de-
spatch, that on the night between the 28th and
29th ult., tho weather in the Black Sea was ter-
rific. The Allied ships were obliged to run out

;o sea ; and the besieging armies, drenched by
he rain in their trenches, were unable to keep up

,heir fire.

BERLIN, SUNDAY, Nov. 5.

Advices from St. Petersburg, dated 4th Novem-
ber, give news from Sebastopol of the 29th Octo-
ber. They state that the enemy. (the Allies) had
completed their second parallel and advanced their
batteries.

General Danneberg's reinforcements were cx
petted to join Prince Menschikoff on the 3(.1
November.

These same advices announce: that General Ni
colai had defeated Sehamyl near Grosnaja.

PRUSSIA AND RUSSIA.

The Fronden-Blatt of Vienna publishes a letter
from St. Petersburg, in which it is stated that on
the 27th Oct. the Czar refused an audience to the
Prussian Ambassador.

OPENING OF THE SIEGE.
( From q Second Edition of the Morning Post.)
The arrangements under which this important opera-
tion took place are minutely described in the following
GENERAL ORDER.
lfith October, 1854.
MEMORANDUM FOR GENERALS OF DIVISION, THE COM-
MANDING OFFICER OF ARTILLERY, THE COMMANDING
OFFICER OF ENGINEERS.
The fire upon Sebastopol will commence to-morrow
morning, about half-past six, from the French and
English batteries, in co-operation with the c,mbined
fleets.

The precise moment of opening the fire, however, will
be indicated by the successive discharge of three mortars
from the centre of the works of the french army.
The troops off duty will remain in their respective
camps, ready to fall in at a moment's notice, without
their knapsacks, greatcoats, or blankets.
The horses will be attached to the field batteries.
There will be with each division parties of sappers,
consisting of 20 men and an officer of engineers ready to
carry picks and shovels, crowbars and sledges, bags of
powder prepared, felling axes, and scaling ladders.
Each division will also have with it a detachment of
20 artillerymen under an officer of artillery, with rock-
ets and spikes for guns. (The latter are only to be used
in the event of the troops having to retire from a bat-
tery.
The arrangements for the collecting the several arti-
cles above enumerated will be carried out by the officer
of engineers and the officer of artillery.
The generals of divisions will make every arrange-
ment for the ready communication of the troops with'
the reserve ammunition, which, however, need not be
placed upon the horses until ordered.
Previously to the opening of the fire, all advanced
picquets, with the exception of the men selected to fire
into the embrasures, will be withdrawn under the direc-
tion of the general officer on duty in the trenches, and
retire under cover to their respective•camps.
The covering parties in the trenches will be kept
clear of the batteries, and such of them as cannot find
cover in the trenches will be moved to such positions in
the rear or the flank as will insure their being at hand
to protect the batteries, whilst they will be themselves
screened from the enemy's fire. These covering parties
will be moved as the commanding officer of the party
may see occasion, in consequence, of the fire of the
enemy. When the whole trench is occupied by guns,
the covering parties must be placed as above stated,
under adequate cover in the neighbourhood.
The working parties will remain in the trenches, or
be withdrawn, according to the judgment of the com-
manding engineer.
As it is probable that the field batteries may be re-
quired to move, the senior artillery officer of the division,
and the officer commanding each battery, will make
themselves acquainted with the communications to their
right and left.
The cavalry; under Lieutenant-General the Earl of
Lucan, and the troops of all arms under Major-General
Sir C. Campbell, British and Turkish posted for the de-
fence of l3alaklava, will be held in readiness throughout
the day, to act on the shortest notice.
The meat for the men's dinner will be cooked as early
as possible to-morrow. morning, in case of the army
having to move forward.
In the event of an' advance, the Commander of the
Forces particularly requests the general officers com-
manding &visions and brigades, tho commanding
officers of regiments,— and the officers commanding
companies, to impresS upon the men the great neces-
sity of maintaining their formation and keeping their
order. The success• of any operation they may be
called upon to undertake, their honour, and, inde6d
outheir
recroonmwo
emn
pa
linei
tdei:ioenidu
resistance
control,
eafteht
readyya
t,
mtoa
y dependrepelu uponany attack, or to
y
their being
in
Opposedfrontto
of
fhetmhe
third.
will be at the quarries
ha England's).rd
aeau bn the left of
the British line, and on the right of the French position.
(Signed) RAGLAN.
oe
rnddei
General
Raglani
isi
eo n
an r (Sir
o b a
t the iaO

The siege commencelathalf-past six o'clock, and was
carried on with great vigour for several hours. The
range of the Russian guns was discovered in a very
shoi t time, and before:lo o'clock a gOund Tower battery
in advance of the maia, works.was silenced.
Two French and one English powder magazine ex-
ploded during the morning. • They Nyere not of great im-
portance, but merely trench Magazines.
A most shameful piece of neglect on the part of the
home authorities was discovered soon after the siege
commenced. The shells for the Lancaster guns are too
large for the bore, and every shell costs immense labour
in filing down before it can be used. • -
One of the English. Lancaster guns was dismounted
early in the day, but spoil put right again.
A French battery of 14 guns was dismounted, and
their works considerably injured.
A Russian steamer stationed in the harbour, which
had annoyed the British lines very much hitherto, was
sunk at her moorings on the 17th.
Sebastopol has suffered greatly, and about mid-day a
magazine of considerable magnitude in the centre of the
town was blown up.
Our sharpshooters, with their Miuiti rifles, have been
most successful in picking off the Russian artillerymen.
A Russian officer, who has been taken prisoner, re-
ports that tile whole_glaeis of the fortifications of Sebas-
topol can easily be blown up by the enemy, as it is all
hollow, and full of powder.
On the 14th of October, the Russians fired 1,300 shots
from their batteries, and only wounded one man.-
The same extravagant expenditure of shot and shell
was continued on the 16th, with very trifling damage to
the works in progress; but on this day Captain the Hon.
Hercules Rowley, of the Grenadier Guards, brother of
Lord Langrord, was killed by a spent shot, which
struck him in the back, while in command of a covering
party in the trenches.
On the 16th, the 03rd Highlanders were added to the
garrison at Balaklava ; and the whole of this division
of the Allied Forces was placed under the command of
General Sir Colin Campbell, •
Major-General Sir De Lacy Evans has been very ill,
but is recovering,
The French have presented the English army with
20,000 loaves of bread, weighing 34lbs. each, from their
bakery at Varna. Our own Commissariat is much con-
demned for not being able to supply the men with bread
instead of biscuit— especially at a moment when so
many are suffering from eating nothing but salt provi-
sions.