The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-25 00:00:00

THE NAVAL ENGAGEMENT IN THE
PACIFIC.

LAMENTABLE SUICIDE OF REAR-ADMIRAL
PRICE.
We deeply regret that intelligence more authentic
than that from the American papers has reached official
quarters, which leaves no doubt as to the manner and
intention of the death of Rear-Admiral Price, the corn-
mander-in-chief of the Pacific station. That ill-fated
officer died by his own hand, in his own cabin, on board
of his own ship, at the moment of going into action.
Strange to say, we hear nothing of the public despatches
of the affair at Petropaulovski, but letters have been
received from the squadron giving ample details of the
unfortunate death of the admiral. It was known that
the Russian squadron was making for the Sitka settle-
ment from the Chinese Seas. He ordered the Amphi-
trite, 25, Captain Frederick, to follow the Russian fri-
gates Aurora and Diana from point to point, and fol-
lowed himself in his flag-ship the President, with the
French admiral in his flag-ship the Forte, 60. He con-
stantly exercised his crews in gunnery and small arms,
and made every preparation for an obstinate fight when-
ever he could find the opportunity of bringing the enemy
to action. It was remarked, however, that latterly he
appeared to feel the responsibility of his situation, and
to attach to it a weight that seemed to prey much upon
his mind. Notwithstanding which, he, in his flag-ship
the President, Captain Burridge, with the Pique, 40,
Captain Sir F. W. Nicholson, Bart., and the Virago,
6, paddle, Commander Marshall, with Admiral de
Solutes, in kis flag-ship Forte, with the Eurydice,
30, and the Obligade, 10, reached the Russian
settlement, and found the Russian frigate Aurora,
iO, and the Dwina (not the Diana), corvette there, he
determined either to destroy or cut them out of that
place : and it would appear that Admiral Price must
have felt himself quite equal to the work, for he did not
wait for the Amphitrite or Artemise, that had parted
company, but at once got about arranging his plans. He
had tested the strength of the forts, by proceeding in
the Virago and drawing their fire ; be had discovered
the condition of the Aurora, stripped and placed in a
position of defence, and the disposition of the enemy to
receive him. He and the French admiral hal consulted
together, and on the morning of the 29th the squadron
proceeded to engage the batteries. It was decided by
the admiral that the President should be taken to a po-
sition within 400 yards of the heaviest battery, and that
the other ships were to take up stations so as to de-
molish the defences, and then, after shelling the enemy
out, to land and destroy both ships and forts. The flag-
ship was actually under weigh, and every one nerved
for a hard day's work, The admiral himself gave Lis
orders, and remarked aloud, "Now we are in for it."
Saying this he went down into his cabin. Shortly after-
wards the explosion of a pistol was heard, and on pro-
ceeding to the spot the poor chief was found wounded
and bleeding, with a discharged pistol in his hand. The
French admiral was immediately sent for, and sufficient
transpired during the three hours that he lived to satisfy
every one that his death was not an accident.
As might easily be expected, this fatal and unaccount-
able catastrophe struck every one with consternation,
and disarranged for a moment the plan of action, and
threw a damp on the spirits of all. But, nevertheless,
it was determined to attack, and on 31st of August the
engagement commenced ; but instead of coming to short
quarters both the President and Forte engaged them at
2,000 yards, and successfully, too, for they demolished
the heaviest of them without sustaining any injury from
the fire. They landed, drove the Russians from them,
spiked the guns, and did as much mischief as they could,
re-embarking in good order, and without loss. The
Russians, however, seemed to have done their best ; for,
although their forts were demolished one day, in the
course of the night they had repaired their batteries, and
had rendered them more formidable. Thus, they were
taken by day, and re-occupied by night.
On the 4th, however, the landing took place as de-
scribed in Thursday's 57.411, and in this expedition it ap-
rears the seamen and marines of the Allies enacted their
parts with steady and effective gallantry, but, ignorant
of the locality, entangled in a forest, and over-matched
in numbers, after fighting their way into the country,
they had to fight their way back again, and re-embark
in their boats under cover of the steamers' guns.
it was intended, as we understand, that whilst the
party was fighting ashore, and the Russian seamen and
soldiers had been withdrawn from the batteries to op-
pose their advance, the ships should take advantage of
the defenceless state of the batteries and the Russian
men-of-war, and, after bombarding both, a landing
should be effected, and the destruction of the Aurora,
Dwina, and the storehouses should be consummated.
The President and the Forte did go in, and fired upon
the frigate and forts ; but the Pique could not be brought
into action, because her men were ashore ; the Eurydice
took no part in the affair, most likely for the same
reason, and the steam-sloop, the on steamer belonging
to the squadron, seeing ho mattersyw'ere going en with
' the force fighting on shore, dared not leave her position
of covering the return of the boats. And thus as soon
as the men had returned to their. ships the fighting
ceased.

The squadron then remained off the port, with the
hope of catching a screw-steamer that was known to be
the tender to the, Russian frigate Pallas, and had been
seen in the vicinity, and when the 10-gun brig Sitka
was seen and chased, they hoped it was the screw-vessel.
But the capture of the Sitka and the Russian merchant
schooners was most fortunate for the expedition, for not
only did they contain money, provisions, and stores of
all kinds, but some 20 tons of gunpowder. It then be-
came a question whether, by seizing the provisions,
they had so placed the garrison at their mercy that
they could summon them to capitulate or starve, or
whether they should attempt to join Sir J. Stirling,
who was known to be in pursuit of the Russian
squadron from the China seas, and so assist him in
engaging the large force of the enemy. But under
the circumstance; believing that they had effectu-
ally crippled the Russian , frigate Aurora, and the
corvette Dwina, that they had done serious damage
to Petropaulovski, and had cut off their supplies ; well
knowing also that the Russian 50-gnn frigate Diana, the
50-gun frigate Pallas, with her screw tender, aid per-
haps the Ingerrnanland, 74, and the rest of the squa-
dron were at Sitka, and would not be likely, from the
state of the weather in those latitudes, to move out to
attempt any enterprise, the allied squadron deemed it
best to return to San Francisco and -Vancouver's Island,
and wait for the spring before making any further at-
tempt at hostilities. Moreover, it was most desirable
that Capt. Frederick, of the Amphitrite, should be com-
municated witle, as by the death of the Admiral, he be-
came the acting commander-in-chief of the British forces.
Poor Admiral Price. He was the last man that any
one could suppose to be likely to commit suicide--and
strong, indeed, must have been the temporary abera-
tion of mind under which he committed the fatal deed,
and thereby perilled the konour of that flag he had so
nobly maintained for many years. A braver man never
wore the British uniform, and we feel convinced that if
he were now in England, and this expedition against
Petropaulovski was contemplated, Admiral Price, be-
yond perhaps any other flag officer, would be the man
selected to conduct it, for no man in the navy had so
much experience in such expeditions as he had in the old
war, as will be seen by the following epitome of his
career from " O'Byrne's Biography :
" David Price, born about 1790, is descended pater-
nally from the Prices of Belch Trebanne, county Caer-i
marthen, and maternally from the Powells of A.bersenny,
county Brecknock.
"This officer entered the navy Jan. 1, 1801, as first-
class volunteer, on board the Ardent, 64, Capt. Thomas
Bertie and George M`Kinley, and on the 2d of April
following was present in the action off Copenhagen. In
July, 1802, he joined the Blenheim, 74, Captains Philip
Turner Boyer, Murray Maxwell, Henry Matson, and,
Thos. Graves, employed at first as a guard-ship at Ports-
mouth, and afterwards under the broad pendant of Sir,
Samuel Hood in the West Indies, where be was fre-
quently under fire from the batteries of Martinique. In
the course of 1804-5 he removed in succession, on the sta-
tion last-named, to the Osprey and St, Lucia, sloops,