The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-13 00:00:00

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LONDON, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1854.

At length we are favoured with despatches
from Lord RAGLAN. Even the missing one is
forthcoming. It arrived on Saturday, having
been only twenty-five days in transitu. More recent
events, and the knowledge previously obtained of
the proceedings during the two first days of the
bombardment, had materially abated the interest
that would have been excited in reference to these
important events. The tidings, therefore, natu-
rally were rather fiat. A despatch is not made
of keeping materials, where there are other
sources of information open ; any delay ma-
terially abridges the excitement it is calculated
to occasion. In one point, however, it always
maintains its claim on public attention. The lists
of killed and wounded will be eagerly scanned to
look for names known to the reader, to ascertain
whether friends or relatives are not included in
the melancholy catalogue ; or, if their names
should be found, whether they escaped with
alight wounds only, or had the fatal marks,
"severely," or " dangerously," or " killed," ap-
pended to their names in the Gazette Extraordi-
nary. The despatch of the 18th October, although
late in arriving, relieved the anxieties of many,
and was therefore eagerly scanned. But, in other
respects, the despatches relating to the affairs of
the 25th and 26th absorbed the public attention.
It will be remembered that there were some ap-
parent discrepancies between the statements
emanating from Prince MENSCIIIICOVF and Lord
STItAM* DE RBDCLIFFE, and that attributed to
General CAN-ROBERT, and the most intense anxiety
to ascertain .the true state of the case prevailed on
every aide and
among men of all ranks and classee
in society.

This very natural feeling has at length been
gratified. Yesterday evening two despatches were
received by the Duke of I%TinvcAsms from Lord
RAGLAN, containing three others from Lord
Lue.s.N, Sir COLIN CAIIPEZLL, and Sir DE LACY
EvANs, respectively, from which
we Can very
clearly understand the true state of the
case on
the 25th and 26th ultimo, and •
distinctly know
the amount of loss we have to deplore on these
days--the former of which, we regret to _ say,
proved exceedingly fatal to our light cavalry bri-
gade. Officers and men displayed a daring and
desperate courage, which reflected the highest
honour on those engaged in the fierce encounter.
They must have known the onerous and dangerous
nature of the duty they were ordered to discharge;
they must have felt that many of their number
would have remained on the field ; nay, more,
bat they wereprobably tlae.viutiras Of a mistake(?);

but the noble fellows hesitated not a single mo-
ment. They boldly undertook the desperate ser-
vice, and, knowing that the eyes of their com-
rades and their brave Allies were upon them,
rushed cheerfully to almost certain death, extort-
ing even the admiration of the enemy, who, what-
ever they might have thought of our general-
ship (!), must have applauded the indomitable
pluck and bravery of those actually engaged in
the fearful eonflict.

On the generalship we cannot greatly pride
ourselves. First, there appears to have been a
very unnecessary exposure of our men, the posi-
tion having been too far advanced, and not sup.
ported with sufficient force. It certainly provoked
an attack, which there was not sufficient power to
repel. The points relinquished were not of
much importance. On consultation between
the French and English Generals, it was
determined "to withdraw from the lower
range of heights, and to concentrate the
forces immediately in front of the narrow ♦alley
leading into Balaklava, and on the precipitous
heights on the right, thus affording a narrower
line of defence." Lord RAGLAN also distinctly
and unequivocally acknowledges that " the means
of defending the extensive frontier occupied by
the Turkish troops in the morning proved wholly
inadequate ! ! !"—a fact which will speedily be
recognised when we know that the defence of a
spot repeatedly threatened by the enemy was en-
trusted to some raw Turkish levies, which had
never previously smelt powder, and on whom,
therefore, no reliance should have been placed.
These Ottoman troops garrisoned four small re-
doubts hastily thrown up ; the only British regi-
ment in the plain was the 93d Highlanders—
saving "part of a battalion of weakly men," and a
battery of artillery belonging to the third divi-
sion. On the heights behind were the Marines
landed from the Fleet.

Such was the position of the Allies when, on
the morning of the 25th, the Russians marched
on to the attack. The Turkish recruits speedily
yielded—a semblance of a struggle was maintained
in one of the batteries, but those by whom the
others were held, terrified by the fate of their
companions, fled without a blow. As Lord RAG-
LAN tells us—the Russians " were opposed only
in one, and that but for the very shortest space
of time." " The farthest of the three forts
they did not retain, but the immediate abandon-
ment of the others enabled them to take posses-
sion of the guns in them, amounting in the whole
to seven. Those in the three lesser forts were
spiked, by the one English Artillery man who was in
each !"

Such was the state of affairs when, encouraged
by the first success, the Russian cavalry advanced,
supported by artillery, in very great strength.
The 93d were at once attacked, but they found in
the gallant Highlanders a very different class of
opponents from the untried Moslems, whom they had
previously put to flight. Lord RAGLAN tells us that
they were instantly driven back by the vigorous and
steady fire of that gallant regiment. Another
portion were " delivered into the hands" of the
heavy cavalry, from whom, although far superior
in numbers, they received a most decided and
signal repulse. Lord RAGLAN describes the charge
of the brigade as one of the most successful he
ever witnessed, and. was never for a moment
doubtful.

Then came the deplorable part of the transac-
tion, arising mainly from a misconception (! ). It
appeared that after the decided check given by
the gallant 93d and the heavy cavalry, who
charged in the enemy's columns and drove them
into ignominious flight on every side, orders were
given to follow the enemy in their retreat and
prevent them from carrying off the guns they had
taken. Unfortunately it was supposed that the
order was to attack at all hazards, and it was
boldly and energetically obeyed. Lord CARDIGAN
made one of the most dashing charges on record—
attacked and turned a battery that had been firing
upon the advancing squadrons, and followed
into the thick of the Russian cavalry in the
rear. Here, however, the men found themselves
opposed by overwhelming numbers—artillery,
cavalry, and infantry were all at the same time
falling on our gallant light division. They re-
tired, however, in good order, having inflicted
very serious damage on the enemy; but, unfortu-
nately, sustained terrific loss themselves, which
dimmed the triumphs of the day. We have
a melancholy list of killed and wounded. The
cavalry are the chief sufferers, there being no
less than 13 officers, 16 serjeants, 4 drummers,
142 rank and file, 381 horses, killed ; 27 officers,
21 serjeants, 4 drummers, 199 rank and file
wounded—while of the infantry there were 1
officer, killed ; 9 officers, wounded ; 3 serjeants,
wounded ; 1 drummer, wounded ; 14 rank and
file, killed ; 101 rank and file, wounded.
These included, however, the loss during the
brilliant repulse by General EVANS, and the
troops under his command, of the Russian sortie.
Lamentable as it is to recount this loss, we must
perceive that it does not in any degree
affect our ultimate prospects, which are at this
moment as high as they have ever been. We
have suffered severely, but we have shown that
our brave fellows were, as they have ever been,
nulli secundus.

We have still later news from the Crimea, and
some of a very important character. We had
always believed that Sebastopol could not be
taken until another regular battle had taken
place with the enemy, and we had again proved
our decided superiority in the field. This con-
flict is now decided. On the 4th instant all was
ripe for storming Sebastopol. The French and
English batteries were only 150 metres from the
point of attack, when the Russians made another
effort, which, as might have been anticipated, has
completely failed. We hear from a despatch of
the 6th inst., just received from General CAN-
ROBERT, by the French Government that the
Russian army, swelled by reinforcements from
the Danube and the Southern provinces,
and in presence of the Grand Dukes Michael
and Nicholas, had attacked, on the sth
November, the right of the English army before
Sebastopol.

The English army, however, sustained the fight
with remarkable firmness, and, supported by a
portion of General Bosquet's division, fought
with admirable vigour ; and eventually the
enemy, far more numerous than they were,
beat a retreat with enormous loss.
The Russians must have lost 9,000 men.

This stubborn battle lasted the whole day.
Nor have our gallant Allies been idle.
At the same time the dirision of General Forez
repulsed the enemy.

The French troops, energetically led by him, re-
pulsed the enemy with a loss of 1,000 men.
This brilliant victory has not been achieved
without loss by the Allies, on whose arms it re-
flects the highest honour.
We could not hope for a bloodless victory
under such circumstances. But we may, on the
failure of this last attempt, look forward to
speedy intelligence of the fall of Sebastopol, and
the fiuAl, triumph of the Allied AMIN

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