The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-16 00:00:00

TEE CAPTURE OF BOArA.RSUND.

The Invalide Russe gives the following, under
the head of additional details respecting the defends
of the fortifications of Aland :

"In completion of the details already given relative
to the the capture of the fortifications of Aland, an
ac-
count has just been received from Lieutenant-General
Rokassovsky, commander of the troops in Finland, con-
taining a detailed narrative from the Honorary Coun-
cillor Westerius, formerly superintendent of the maga-
zine cf provisions of Aland, who was at the principal
island during the whole time of the siege of the fort.
M. Westerius was sent by the commander on the 7th of
August to purchase from the inhabitants of the neigh-
bouring village forage and provisions for the support of
the place. In returning on the next day to Skarpans,
he perceived that the route to the forte had already been
intercepted by the enemy, and, wishing at all events to
avoid being made prisoner, M. Westerius concealed
himself until the 19th of August, in the villages

and woods of Aland, and ultimately succeeded in
reaching Finland, having passed across the lines of the
cruisers in a fishing boat. Having on the 28th August
reached Helsingfors, he gave to the authorities the fol-
lowing account of the siege and defence of the fortifica-
tions of Aland :—ln consequence of the bombardment
of the principal fort of Aland on the 21st June last by
three English ships of war, the commanaer of Aland
ordered the construction of a fresh land battery on the
south-west coast of the bay of Lumpar, which was
effected in the course of the month by the soldiers of
the garrison of Aland, under the command of Captain
du Kransold, chief of the detachment of artillery of the
island. At the same time there were sent from the fort
five guns of the rampart, for which the workmen had
made new carriages, under the orders of Sub-Lieu-
tenant Pistchouline, of the artillery garrison of Aland,
and in accordance with the directions of Captain du
Kransold. When this battery was ready, a certain
number of picked men, taken from the Finland batta-
tion of the line No. 10, from the garrison of artillery
of Aland, were ordered to work the battery, under
the command of Lieutenant Schimanovsky and Sub-
Lieutenant Pistchouline. Detachments of the 3d and
4th companies of the battalion of Grenadier Riflemen,
under the command of the Guard do Eurnjelm, Adju-
tant of the Governor of Abo, were ordered to defend this
battery. Ultimately, after the entry of the Anglo-
French fleet, to the number of more than 30 vessels, in-
to the bay of Lumpar, it was demolished, the guns were
destroyed, and all the men were sent to the principal
fort, and a portion of the riflemen were stationed in the
three towers. All.this was entirely completed on the
th of August.

" According to the statement of M. Westering, the
garrison of each tower was composed of about 90 men of
the Finland battalion of the line No. 10, and about 25
men of the artillery and engineers, with three officers ;
and, in addition, in the tower C, were Captain of Ar-
tillery de Tesche ; Lieutenant de Salberg, of the bat-
talion of the line ' • Ensign de Bolfras, and Sub-Lieu-
tenant Couradi, of the battalion of Grenadier Rifle.
men. In the tower U, Lieutenant of Artillery Zvereff,
Second Captain de Melart, and Sub-Lieutenant de
Bluhm, of the battalion of the line. Also in the tower
Z, the Lieutenant of Artillery Chatelain, and Captains de
Knoning and P6remilowsky, of the battalion of the line.
" At the same time—that is to say, during the month
of June, according to the instructions of the comman-
dant, there were constructed, under the superintendence
of the head of the engineers, in the principal fort, a
masked earth battery, covering three Paixhan guns, all
the openings being walled round, internal as well as ex-
ternal, the latter not being armed with guns.

"During the construction of the battery of Lampar
four pieces of the garrison field artillery of Aland, under
the command of Captain of Artillery Schvetoff, were
divided into two detachments, one of which took post at
the limit of the force of Schvetoff, and the other near
Mougstekt, each supported by detachments of Grena-
dier Riflemen. There Aexisted on these two points old
batteries in ruins, which the soldiers reconstructed. In
the night between the sth and 6th of August these
four pieces were taken from their positions and
placed in the fort, with men to work them and troops
to defend them. In the evening of the 7th of August,
24 artillery horses were sent to Gerad, the officer of the
Crown at Aland, that they might be fed by the
inhabitants.

" Such was the situation of the fortifications when, on
the 24th of July, there arrived seven of the enemy's
vessels in the Bay of Lumpar. This number succes-
sively increased, and amounted in a few days to more
than 30. At the same time the enemy surrounded the
fortifications on the other sides. His vessels remained
quietly at anchor, and were only occupied in sounding
until the 7th of August. On that day it was remarked
that the enemy's vessels were being towed into the bays
of Lumpar and Wargata, and it was presumed that
troops intended to land were on board, and this idea was
confirmed the next day ; that at 2 o'clock in the morn-
ing the enemy landed troops upon two points—viz., to
the west of the village of Ivanwik, and to the east of
that of Hutta. The Riflemen advanced from these points
in large masses, and the two troops assembled together
at Finby, situated three verts from the fortifications.
There the bivouacked, and the head of the French troops
took his position in the village.
" According to probable reports which reached me on
the same day as the landing of the troops at Aland, the
enemy began the assault upon the tower C, but was re-
pulsed with loss. He then began to construct his bat-
smtaon
nt he
re. siegesu bbs
eyei
umeenatnlys
in
rollerst r e
and
dcetdo ibnrainpgarhtiiscugluaur
a fire upon the tower, endeavouring at the same time to
the night,between the Bth and 9th of August he opened
erect a new battery nearer to it, but what he had suc-
ceeded in raising during the night was destroyed at day-
break by our balls. Eventually, having discovered an
appropriate position, where he was sheltered, the enemy
constructed a battery, and when it was finished he fired
day and night upon both sides of the tower, with a view
to make a breach, so that it was seriously and danger-
ously damaged in every part. Upon this the garrison
which defended it, foreseeing probably the impossibi-
lity of holding out much longer, decided upon re-
turning to the principal fort, but was prevented by the
enemy, who unexpectedly made an assault upon it, sur-
rounded it, and cut off all retreat. Both officers and
soldiers (as I have heard) were desirous of forcing a
passage at the point of the bayonet, but they could not
overcome the advantage of superior numbers, and were
forced to surrender. A few hours afterwards the tower,
which was much shaken, tumbled to pieces. Among its
officers, the artillery Captain de Tesche was wounded
with a bayonet in the leg, and Ensign de Bolfras,
of
battalion of Grenadier Guards, received injury
on tthhee
C. the enemy raised
s h d
"After
rf rtohnel
capturea blow woift ht
hae s
tower
batteries against the tower 11, the bombardment of
which was commenced on the 12th of August, and was
continued without intermission during 3 day s. That
tower, in which two large breaches were made by the
balls, without reckoning the other damage done to its
interior by shells, having only the means
of firing four
times more, was at length forced to capitulate.
4, I am not aware of the cause of the reduction of the
tower B. I only know that the garrison capitulated on
the 15th of August, at 11 o'clock in the evening.
" I have not received precise information as to the
reasons for the capitulation of the principal fort, but the
following are the reports which I have collectieidoupnoont
the subject, the authenticity of which,however,
guarantee. 'While the French troops bombarded the
towers, the Anglo-French fleet in
fort, yof Lumpar
kept up an irresistible fire againstote
the
principalbb
do-
ing serious injury to its interior, overthrowing the roofs
Yrenndered on the 16th of
g the embrasures. The
the cause of this surren-
August. It is said
agnadrrisechitamoefysiheanfdor(tletsbstaeri
r having lost the tower, it was
sly
der was that,
principal fort,
land and by sea, and that it was
the attacks by
ans
of
silencing
the enemy's powerfnl
no longer
destitute of thef
operations .
artillery.
exhausted. by the watches and the in-
cessant had effected during several days,
cessan P"ims•eicbatifhetee froerduitctitoon orfepthuelspe
not in a condition either for further action,
that it way
for offering a longer resistance. It it is said that on
or
side the number of killed was 53, and that of the
garrisotn
our
runded 68, and that the enemy lost from 500 to 600
men. The garrisons of the principal fort and of the three
towers were embarked in Anglo-Preach vessels. Such
of the prisoners as were sent to be sent to England
were despatched on the 17th August, and the others,
among whom was General Bodisco and his wife, were
sent to France on the 18th of August. It was also re-
ported that, with the consent of the enemy's chief offi-
cers, the wives of some of our officers have accompanied
heir husbands."