The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-09 00:00:00

THE S'UN

The fleets landed 1,000 blue jackets, who came to carry off
the wounded, and well they did their work, attending to
their disabled countrymen with a zeal and attention truly
admirable. • T i
he loss of the Russians s very great—l dare not say
how many thousand, and a great many prisoners have been
taken, amongst them two generals, one of whom is on
board the.Agamenmon, where lie expressed himself utterly
dumbfounded at the prodigies performed by the British
and French troops. He said they expected to be able to
hold for at least one month their entrenched position on
.the Alma. It was stormed in three hours. It is, indeed,
a glorious victory.
The Simeon' has come in and two ether steamers. The
wounded have all been immediately transported to hos-
pital at Scutari. Events are hurrying on, and next post
may bring accounts of another action. It is now con-
fidently believed that Sebastopol will fall in a week.
Saturday night the gnus from the Turkish forts in the
Bosphorus and at Tophana continued firing joyous salutes
until a late hour. This gave rise to a rumour that Sebas-
topol itself had been taken. People were collecting in the
narrow lanes of Pera, eagerly questioning whomsoever
they met, and indulging in the most exaggerated and im-
probable inventions.
From the accounts that have been given, it appears that
the Turkish troops which form a part of the expedition
were either not engaged at all or only partially. Tho
next post will tell. Indeed, only about 25,000 men,on
our side were in the battle ; of artillery only a few light
French guns were required ; and the little cavalry we had
on the field was not called into action.
Lord Raglan and his staff were for a long time greatly
exposed to the enemy's fire. It was there that the French
General toy
was wounded. He was speaking to
Lord Raglan, requesting two pieces of British light artil-
lery to storm a position, when a ball struck him in the
thigh and knocked him off his horse.
Some British steam-frigates took part in the action, by
throwing
shells amongst the Russians who were assembled
on the heights.
This victory will be of immense consequence, and may
well persuade Austria to repent her declaration of armed
neutrality in the face of the refusal of Russia to the pro.
positions—a, declaration which was made by Austria at a
time when general appearances were decidedly unfavour-
able to the expedition against the Crimea.

AT ANCHOR OFF CAPE LOUKOCIL, Sept. 22.—The allied
army loft their first encampment early in the morning of
the 19th, and as they advanced the Russians set fire to
the village of Zumruk, on the bank of the first stream
our men could reach. The fleet got under weigh about
nine a.m., and moved along the shore as the troops
marched. Tile cavalry and artillery of the enemy
showed themselves on the northern side of the Alma
in the afternoon ; and when our armies had passed the
stream (Bulgauac), the Russian Lancers rose briskly,
across the plain, and up amongst the uneven ground be-
yond it, towards the French. Their artillery and a good
body of cavalry passed before us in excellent order further
in from the shore. The number of them all must have
have been about 8,000 men. There was a good deal of
dashing about by their officers, and an advance of the ar-
tillery. Some firing took place in a hollow which we could
not look into, and a shot or two was sent from the French
guns full in view. After about an hour the Russian artil-
lery went prancing back again. Forming again, they re-
mained steady for a while, and finished by all retiring to
the other bank. Our troops remained in their position for
the night, and as the English had been obliged to send off
their tents on the night of the 18th, for want of means of
conveyance, they had another night of it literally " on the
field."

On the 20th the allies were on the march early, but a fog
coming on about nine a.m. delayed them. By about noon
they were within a short distance of the Alma. This
stream, an inconsiderable one now say thirty feet
wide, and shallow, with pits in it —for three miles from
the sea runs in the bed of the mountain torrents, which
have worn away about fifteen feet of the soil, and left on
the northern side an upright bank. Its course is from
east to west ; to the north of it there is a gradual rise to
the high ground which the allied army had oacuoied on
the 19th, and on the southern side there is, with an excep-
tion in one hollow, a steep ascent to the elevated plain—
so steep in many places as to require climbing to get up.
The places for crossing the river were—one at the beach,
whence there is a pathway up through a hollow in the hill
side; another a mile and a half from the beach, where the
northern bank is broken, and such a path leads from the
village there as admitted the passage of artillery. At 4
miles up the stream there is a second village, through
which the main road from Eupatoria passes ; there
is a small bridge across the Alma, and in its neighbour-
hood, though there are pits in the stream, the banks are
lower, and the place better suited for the passage of troops
either above or below it. Before reaching this second vil-
lage, the elevatedground on the southern side of the stream
recedes from it, and the ascent 'there is a gradual one of
about a mile in length. There is steep ground on the east
and west of this slope, and a hollow goes out of it in a
south-easterly direction. Further up the river the south-
ern shore is still steep, though not so steep as below the
gentle slope across which the main road passes from the
village. The height of the land on the southern bank of
the Alma is above 100 feet.
In the advance of the allied army on this position the
French with the Turks were on the right, and had to
cross the river at two places, and pass up through the two
steep hollow's which I first mentioned. The English were
on the left., and had to cross at the bridge or in its neigh-
bourhood. To oppose the progress of the French there
was no apparent preparation, but where our army crossed
there were about 20 pieceslof artillery in the open ground,
a breastwork with ten 32-pounders a short distance up
the hill on their left, and another battery behind a breast-
work on its summit. Further on in the hollow there were
several battalions of infantry on the same hill-side; whilst
away at some miles on the left of the English a large force
of Cossacks is said to have been posted. The Russian ca-
valry and horse artillery were in great numbers on the
left of the French or our right, and their number of all
arms was between 40,000 and 50,000 men.
About 1 p.m, the Zouaves had crossed the stream at
the first village, and were moving up through the gully
opposite ; and for us in the ships this began the excite-
ment of the day. It was clear that a couple of
pieces of artillery at the top could destroy them all;
so we were delighted to see the first of them on the plain.
They threw themselves out as skirmishers till more
crowded up, and then formed in a body as a regiment of
enemy's cavalry rode towards thorn. The Russian artil-
lery soon made their appearance from the valley on the
other side of the plateau, which is narrow there, and then
began the confusion of the fighting. The French horse
artillery went up the hill-side at a gallop, and I won't
attempt to describe what took place, but simply say that
the French steadily advanced. They crowded up by
the path near the beach, and climbed the hill-side on
their left in skirmishing order. A body of Russian artil-
lery came away from their right to attack the French;
there was a stand made near a look-out place by some of
the Russian infantry, but at three p.m the Zouaves had
stuck up their flag on the most conspicuous position of the
field, and the Russian left flank was well turned. Some
French steamers and the Vesuvius threw shells into the
valley from which the Russian artillery came, the latter
with considerable effect.
Whilst this was being done, and after, our troops were
engaged in a far more terrible combat. The Russians had
set fire to the haystacks and houses of the village in their
front, and while the smoke blow into the eyes of our men,
the enemy opened fire and sent grape and round shot
amongst them, and our popguns could give them nothing
in return. Our men were being killed in numbers, when
the order was given to advance. Up went the 7th, 23d,
and 33d, followed by the 42d and Grenadier Guards, in the
face of everything. The 7th led, and soon 11 officers, 9
sergeants, 3 corporals, add 206 of its men were knocked
down ; the next two regiments, 23d and 33d suffered fear-
fully; but they all went on together, and, with the 42d
and the Grenadiers, drove the Russians from the battery.
More of our soldiers pushed up on the ground, and then
came the stiuggle with the masses of Russian infantry. I
saw them charge down the hill at one time whilst
our line was advancing ; they were in masses again
for a moment, and then I saw them scattered on
the hill-sides like (sheep. Behind them a regi-
ment of Lancers made a movement to check the Eng-
lish advance, but a shell from our guns was burst
amongst them, and they were off in another direction.
The breastwork battery on the top of the hill still kept up
its fire, and it was only when our mon had reached its
plateau on the right of them that they scampered of, and
the position was won. There was hard fighting for the
English elsewhere, but none like that on that part of the
hill.
The Russians moved off, under prOteetion of their ca•
valry and artillery, in good order, as they had fought all
day. They were followed for some miles by the allied
army, which in the evening returned to the position it had
won—a position, the strength of which has astonished
every ono who has looked at it. Menschikoff's carriage and
some of his servants were captured; and from despatches
of his which have fallen into our hands, we learn that he
has assured the Emperor that he could hold the position at
the Alma for three weeks. He must quake a little now
that he knows he lost it in three hours, for by half-past
four the fighting was all over. I can give you no account
of our loss which you may rely on, but 2,600 men killed
and wounded in the allied army is the number most be-
lieved in. In the 33d there were 8 officers killed and 10
wounded, 8 sergeants and corporals, and 206 soldiers dead
and wounded. In the 33d, 5 officers killed and 8
wounded, 2 sergeants, and 305 men dead and wounded.
Of the other regiments I have not heard particulars, but
our share of the loss is above 2,000. The Russian killed
and wounded is estimated at near 5,000.
Nothing could have been more gallant than the conduct
of the English soldiers, and that theyshould haveadvanced
in spite of such a fearful shower of balls must bo recorded
as one of the bravest things any army ever did. Men who
went through the Peninsular campaign say that they never
saw more dead in so small a space, except on the night
before Talavera. I was on the ground. early next morning,
and it was indeed a sickening sight to see how thickly the
dead were strewn, seine lying on their faces, others with
their arms raised in the air. The Russians who were
lying there wounded were attended by our men, just as if
they had been our countrymen • and this, too, notwith-
standing that some of them had so devilish as to take
the water that had been given them, and then to shoot two
of their benefactors ! It was owing to this that all the
Russian muskets had their stocks knocked off on the night
of the battle.
23d.—On the evening of the day after this fight the
Turkish admiral saw three Russian liners being totted out
of Sebastopol by three steamers, and there was a general
stir amongst our steam force, but on the 22d it *NI fennel
that a new arrangement had heed niadn el° the Russian
fleet. Instead of being in their harbour as before, there
are now five liners and two frigates connected with chains
and moored across the port to prevent our entrance; they
reach from Fort Constantine--one of them being en the
shoal off it—towards the forts on the other shore. It is
thwhoioelphudbraoerftbathsrorieyedardeuwriintghitnhelodnagy.range of the steamers; that
A Polish seaman, who deserted from the fleet at filebaS4
topol yesterday, tells, us that "the Russians have laid
their ships across the harbour, with the determination to
sink them if necessary ; that the array was the whole gar-
risonmuebryaasbtt
coogpnaocnl
e, withits 1,500 men, and that if Ng could
have pushed on we might have had the northern part of
this morning, awl -L'arZl towards the Katcha river
steamers betwea- no Russians can be seen by our
u this and Sebastopol,
IN DATES OF POST•OFFICE
Pal7-B"si("saat of this river without tae
lelxpthecetvtiolltaTteees
ass the banks have been burnt by the enemy.
is to be fed in case of bad weather, and I trust that at the mistake of placing. thing which gives me she greatest anxiety is how the army any of your correspaowndroenngts
fiegvnerre
innott
l hi h I received
iheeedstatmhep
Katcha we shall land enough to keep them in case of post Office cuofriotiuise
I each " Se. 56, 1854," for " Se. 26, 1854," and
accident. myself,
ERRORS
The Mauritius arrived from Corfn last evening with the which, as I consider
57111-770 men, and 100 Sappers and Miners. This is aaxalmitepraers; wcuricosity, I have
valuable addition to the force. The Scots Greys will behenianteh them.
it Hinowa
to
ij
'lry more besides myself have got t addition
Offi I inclose
thtwemoe
preserve
to
the
here in the Himalaya during the day, and they are much
wanted. It is to be hoped that the next fight will give us intend
should any of the envelopes or
impressions Tiaste:ofotnhea
incaeridit,hl and
afford such victories as that of the 20th.
the place, for what With cholera- and. fatigue we cannot cenyturystoonrstbwoo
thenhe" in existence and noticed 7—Xote4
such
that a mad bo !rat to Odtga 500 and gong •