The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-11 00:00:00

THE BOMBARDMENT OF ODESSA.

We published yesterday a detailed account of
the bombardment of Odessa, as given by the special
correspondent of the Times. The subjoined ver-
sion of the affair is supplied by the correspondent
of the Morning Chronicle :
" Her Majesty's ship London, off Odessa, Saturday,
April 22, 1854.—Wind S.S.W. to S. and S.E. 5 a.m.
—Admiral made signal for steam squadron to proceed
in execution of their orders. Sampson, Tiger, Vauban,
and Descartes, stood round the bay towards the Im-
perial mole-head (that mole alone holding the Russian
vessels), having rocket-boats in tow. These were fol-
lowed by the Sanspareil and Highflyer, which anchored
in shore out of gun-shot, and to which vessels were at-
tached launches from the Vengeance and Bellerophon, with
stream anchors and cables. 6.3s.—Sampson commenced
firing on Imperial mole-head fort, which was imme-
diately returned ; and shortly after the other three
steamers, composing the first division, opened on it also.
At 6.45, signal made for the Furious to proceed, when
the second division, consisting of Furious, Retribution,
Terrible, and Mogadore, proceeded and took up station
outside first division, which was then hotly engaged.
At 8, Sampson made signal (Vauban disabled by red-hot
shot), and shortly after she returned to the fleet. 8.15.
Arethusa stood in shore, and exchanged several shots
with the batteries till recalled by signal. 9.22.—Signal
made for second division to proceed, which was imme-
diately complied with, and they commenced their fire.
Fury made her number. Coming in from southward,
on nearing the fleets, she fired a shell at the outside bat-
teries, but was immediately recalled by signal. 10.30.
Fury anchored, and Vauban returned again to the first
division. 12.25 p.m.—Observei some of the ships in
the mole on fire. 12.45.—Observed fire on the inner
side of the mole-head, which rapidly extended towards
the extremity, causing a total cessation of the
enemy's fire ; and at 12.50 the magazine in that
battery exploded, blowing up the entire works
there. Observed some storehouses at the inner end
of the mole to be on fire. Steam squadron slackened
fire, and shortly afterwards had ceased. 2 o'clock.—
Admiral made signal, " Can you destroy any more ?"
which was answered by Sampson in the affirmative.
2.40.—50 me guns opened on the Sampson from the
inner or north-western side of the bay, which she imme-
diately returned, and the first shell she threw appeared
to have set some buildings in the vicinity of the enemy's
guns on fire, as shortly afterwards an immense volume
of flame was observed in that direction. All the steam
squadron now opened on the Russian shipping in the
Imperial mole, and at 4.20 the greater part of them and
some storehouses were on fire. 5. —Admiral made a
general recall, and the steam squadron returned to the
fleet. Arethusa anchored. Midnight.—Russian ships
burning rapidly. The Russian shipping continued burn-
ing for 48 hours, when all were destroyed, together with
the forts, but the town was spared. The French had
two men killed and three wounded. The English bad
only one man killed by the recoil of a gun, and three or
four wounded. The fire in port lasted 48 hours."

LIST OF VESSELS EMPLOYED.
English Steamers.---Sampson, 6 ; Retribution, 26 ;
Tiger, 16 ' • Terrible, 21 ; and Furious, 10.
French Steamers.—Mogador, 24 ; Descartes, 16 ; and
Vauban, 16.

The Sampson led in at six o'clock. The first division
consisted of the Sampson, Mogador, Vauban, and Tiger.
The second of the Terrible, Retribution, Furious, and
Descartes. The first division began firing at six a.m.,
on the 22d. The second relieved them in two hours'
time ; and their fire was so heavy and well directed that
the batteries on the Imperial mole-head were soon
silenced. The Terrible fired red hot shot from her ten-
inch guns, and it is thought that it was from her that
the shipping was set on fire, and the magazine blown
up. She was also much closer in than the others.
The firing was kept up with spirit, until the batteries
were silenced, the shipping on fire, which lasted 48
hours, their guns silenced, and magazine blown up.
A. large Russian frigate lying there was also blown up.
The firing ceased at 5 p.m., when the signal was made
to return to the anchorage. The squadrons were ad-
miring this brilliant action from 5 miles distance. They
were all to leave for Sebastopol on the 26th, and a
division under Admiral Lyons was to go to Circassia.
The English and French fired red-hot shot, shell, and
rockets, and the Russians returned them.
The Terrible fired 44 rounds from her guns-542 shot
and shells altogether.
The Arethusa blew up a Russian barracks at a short
distance from Odessa on the sea-coast. This also took
place on the 22d of April. On the 20th the Tiger cap-
tured, in the vicinity of the island of Serpent', about 90
leagues from Odessa, 12 Russian vessels (transports).
They are on their way to Constantinople, where two of
them have already arrived. Two others are anchored
under the batteries at the mouth of the Bosphorus.

THE RUSSIAN ACCOUNT.
[(From the Invalide Russe.)

ST. PETERSBURG, April 12.—The extraordinary sup.
plement of our number of April 18 (30th) communicated
to the public the report of Aide•de-Camp General Baron
Osten-Sacken, which gives an account of tha attack di-
rected against Odessa by the Anglo-French squadron.
As our enemies founded this aggression upon an incident
which they represent in a very false light, we think it
right to mention the exact facts. On the 27th of March
(Old style) the steam-frigate Furious approached towards
Odessa. Two guns without ball were fired from the land,
the frigate arrested her course without casting anchor,
hoisted the English flag, and sent out a boat with a flag of
truce, which came to demand whether the English Con-
sul was still in the town. The boat returned, an answer
having been given that the Consul had left. The boat
with the flag of truce had got beyond the reach of cannon
when the frigate advanced towards the mole. Faithful
to his orders not to allow a vessel of the enemy to come
within reach of cannon shot, the commander of the
battery fired, not upon the boat with the flag of truce,
but upon the frigate, which had already received orders
to stop. The frigate, however, sailed off as rapidly as
possible upon the first shot.

On the 2d of April three war steamers—two English
and one French—presented themselves before Odessa to
ask why they had fired upon the boat with the flag of
truce. An explanation was given, but, as the chief of
the squadron wished to have an answer in writing,
Aide-de-Camp Baron Osten-Sacken sent to him the fol-
lowing, which we give i❑ its exact terms :
" ODESSA, April 14, 1854.—Aide-de-Camp General
Baron D'Osten Sacken thinks it right to express to Ad-
miral Dundas his surprise at hearing that shots were
fired from the port of Odessa upon the frigate the Furi-
ous, bearing a flag of truce.
"At the arrival of the Furious two guns were fired
without ball, in consequence of which the vessel hoisted
its national flag, and stopped her course beyond the
reach of cannon shot. Immediately a boat was sent
out with a white flag in the direction of the mole,
and the officer on duty, in answer to the question
of the English officer, said that the English consul had
already left Odessa. Without further question, the
boat took the direction of the ship, when the frigate,
without waiting for it, advanced towards the mole,
leaving the boat at its left, and approached the batteries
within cannon shot. It was then that the commander
of the battery of the mole, faithful to his order
to prevent any vessel from coining within reach of the
guns, thought it his duty to fire, not upon the flag of
truce, which had been respected to the end of its mis-
sion, but upon a vessel of the enemy which had ap-
proached the land too nearly after having been twice
fired upon without ball, the signal to stop.
"This simple explanation of facts, as they have been
related to the Emperor, ought of itself to destroy the
supposition otherwise inadmissible, that in the ports of
Russia there is no respect paid to the flag of truce, the
inviolability of which is guaranteed by the laws common
to all civilised nations.

" Baron OSTEN-SACKEN,
"Aide-de-Camp General to his Majesty the Emperor."
This reply did not content the allied admirals. On
the Bth of April the Anglo-French squadron, composed
of 26 ships, anchored before Odessa. In order to com-
plete the information we have already given, we publish
the letter addressed to the Governor of Odessa by Ad-
mirals. Dundas and Hamelin, summoning him to deliver
up the English, French, and Russian vessels in the port.
This letter is dated from before Odessa, April 21, and
states that the batteries of the town having fired several
balls upon the frigate and the boat at the moment the
latter left the guns of the mole, where it had arrived in
all confidence, the commanders of the combined squa-
dron required, as a reparation, that all English, French,
and Russian ships in the harbour of Odessa should im-
mediately join the combined squadron, and, that if this
were not done at set of sun, recourse would be had to force
to avenge the honour of that squadron from the insult offered
to it, a resolution which would be adopted with regret, and
the responsibility of which would rest upon those who had
incurred it. This summons, as will be seen, is based upon
a completely false assertion with respect to which Baron
Osten-Sacken had already given a most complete ex-
planation. Without paying any attention to those ex-
planations the admirals assert that an English
‘frigate
and its boat, with two flags of truce, was fired 'upon,
although, as above explained, the boat's flag of truce
was respected, and the frigate vias not fired upon until
it refused to confer to the notice not to approach the
batteries. Nevertheless the admirals made this the pre-
text of their insolent summons, to which General Baron
Osten-Sacken did not think it proper to give any answer.
They even did not blush to make a parade of their sen-
timents of humanity, and their regret at being forced
to adopt the resolution of bombarding the town. In
order to place the matter at the full height of derision, and
as if they desired to place in its true light the character
of the war which the Powers of the West are waging
against us, by allying themselves with the most invete-
rate enemies of Christianity, they chose Holy Saturday
(Saturday of Passion week) to destroy a Christian town.
The thunder from thousands of cannon, carrying death
and destruction, was contrasted with the hymns which
resounded in the churches, where the people, full of
fervour and piety, joined in prayers at the touching

funeral of Him who died upon the cross for the safety of
the human race.

Iu spite of all the hypocrisy of the phrases with
which the maritime Powers seek to disguise the part
they are playing, by ranging themselves on the side of
the crescent against the cross, the facts exhibit the con-
trast which exists between the philanthropic doctrines
they profess with so much emphasis and the manner
in which they carry them into practice. The allied
admirals made a false pretence for -an imperious
summons, in which they dare to speak of sentiments
of humanity, and hasten to test their sincerity by an
odious act of barbarity—indeed, of sacrilegious profana-
tion, when it is considered what pious recollections the
church of Christ maintains in regard to Holy Saturday,
which they chose to carry ravage and death into a Chris•
tian town. It is, however, consolatory to us to know
that they had not the satisfaction of disturbing divine
service, which, in spite of the bombardment, which
lasted during 12 consecutive hours, was proceeded with
and finished in the temples with that calm and devotion
which faith and resignation give to the disciples of
Christ. The inhabitants and such of the troops as did
not take part in the combat surrounded the churches
and formed part of the procession of the day. As soo❑
as the cannon had ceased to resound, the bells of all the
churches pealed in celebration of the solemnity of the
Resurrection.

A second extraordinary supplement to the St. Peters-
burg Journal, dated April 30, gives the following, under
the head of St. Petersburg, of the previous day :—" A
fresh report has been received from Aido-de-Camp Gen.
Baron Osten-Sacken, announcing that the combined
English and French fleets, which had attacked Odessa
on the 10th (22d), had not renewed their attempts upon
the town, but that on Easter-day a French steamer had
made an inspection of the batteries, during which a shell,
which was fired from the latter, struck the steamer and
carried away a boat which it had in tow. Two days
afterwards the enemy's fleet resumed their first po-
sition."