The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-23 00:00:00

THE ATTACK ON SEBASTOPOL.

The Debats, in a notice of the last accounts from
the Allied Army of the Crimea, says :

"The special line of the siege has been divided equally
between the two armies from the fort on the south,
which is the centre. This fort is a new construction,
and is built on a height a little to the south-west of the
extremity of the military post. The town at this part
forms a point, and this locality has retained the name of
Ak-Tiar (the white rock), the old Tartar name of Sebas-
topol, which was formerly a small town of no impor-
tance. We may, therefore, designate the south fort by
the name of Fort Ak-Tiar, and we have seen a letter
which calls it by that name. Sebastopol is about to be
hemmed in by two simultaneous attacks. By the word
attack, in military parlance, is meant the works which
are undertaken, and the batteries which are mounted
in order to dismantle the fortifications on a deterrai-

nate point. When the circuit cf a place can be made
at will, a front is chosen against which the attack is
directed. Sebastopol, however, cannot be thus sur-
rounded, on account of its harbour, unless by means
of two armies of 80,000 men each, one for the
north side, and the other for the south, and who
would be strong enough to keep up their mutual
communication by the circuit of a harbour about four
miles in depth. From the moment when circumstances
or a concerted plan led the combined army to the
south side, the choice of a front attack no longer re-
quired discussion. The line is pointed out by the town
itself from the Quarantine port on the left, where the
French are posted, to the careening port on the right,
where the English are stationed, and which extends also
as far as the Tchernaya, and even as far as the ruins of
Inkerman, or the lower town, although these ruins are
on the other side of the river. Each of the two armies
will execute its attack by its own workmen and its
own batteries, and each with its own troops, engineers,
and materiel. It is rarely that a place is subject to two
great attacks at the same time, on account of the
great number of workmen and guns which would
be required to obtain success. In the present case
the means of attack are immense, the spirit of the
troops is most energetic, each soldier is fully aware
of .the grandeur of the enterprise—in short, a first
victory, and the emulation of two great warlike nations,
are pledges of success, in spite of all obstacles which are
to be surmounted, and all the attempts which the enemy
may make to impede the siege.

A BRUSH WITH THE RUSSIANS.
The Lloyd, of Vienna, of the 16th, says :
" According to accounts which have been received to
day from the Crimea, the general attack, which had
been announced for the 9th, did not take place on
that day, the preparations of the allies not having been
completed. On the 6th there was a rather smart combat
of advanced posts on the road from Khaur to the south
of Sebastopol. An English picket of about 120 men be-
gan to retire before a patrol of 200 Russian cavalry, but
afterwards, when on more favourable ground attacked
them, and after a short combat put them to flight, and
pursued them as far as the walls of Sebastopol. The
Russians had ten killed and several wounded ; the Eng-
lish only lost two men. The cholera is said to be still
making considerable ravages among the Russians. The
attack on Sebastopol may be expected to begin every
moment, as all the batteries are now ready."

navigation have been long since removed, and a
dredging machine is constantly at work deepening
the Channel.
A letter from Bucharest states that all the bridge
equipage which was in that place had been sent to
Matchin. All the troops of the Danube, with the
exception of the garrisons of the fortresses, are
marching towards the Dobrudscha. Omer Pacha
is to commence on the 23d a tour of inspection as
far as Ibrail ; he will afterwards return to Schumla,
where he wll establish his head-quarters. The
best understanding prevails between Omer Pacha
and the Austrian generals who are at Bucharest.
They communicate all important news to each other
by despatcheF.
According to a commercial letter from Belzi, in
Bessarabia, not far from the Bukowine, the officers
of the garrison have recently received orders not to
quit their post, even for an hour ; one-third of the
garrison is kept constantly ready to march at a
moment's notice. Fortified winter quarters are
being established on the Pruth. Prince Gortscha-
kolf is at Odessa. Fortifications. continue to be
raised on the Danube, particularly at Ismail.

THE TURKISH ARMY.
Letters from Sohumla of the Bth state that 7,000
infantry with 28 field guns had passed through that
town for Varna, while 4,000 recruits from Adrianople
had also marched to reinforce the army-corps on the
Danube. Important draughts from the new levies
were also on their way to Schumla, where a corps of
reserve to consist of 20,000 men is forming. From
Schumla troops can be most conveniently directed
either on the Danube or to Varna, to join the belli-
gerents before Sebastopol, as need shall arise.
The troops composing the garrison there are de-
scribed as nobly emulous of a position, either. in
the Crimea or with Omer Pacha on the Danube,
but the first is preferred.

DEPARTURE OF BARON HESS.
A letter from Jassy, 9th, in the Moniteur,
says :—" Baron de Hess left yesterday for Austria,
escorted as far as the gates of this place by a squad-
ron of Moldavian cavalry. The general has, in
conjunction with the Government commission, de-
'cided on the 'establishment of a line of electric
telegraph from Jassy to the Austrian frontier.
Tho Russian Government has just officially re-
demanded from the old Hetman Mavrocordato the
decorations which he had received from the Em-
peror Nicholas. This fact is attributed to the
friendly feelings which M. Mavrocordato has shown
towards the Ottoman authorities."

PROCLAMATION OF PRINCE STIRBEY.
The proclamation of Prince Stirbey, dated the 23d
ult., has been published at Bucharest. It says :
" y dear fellow-countrymen, we have known
each other for a long time. You know with what
care we visited the country in all directions to
ascertain your wants, and to satisfy them by all
the means in our power. All know the sad circum-
stances we had to pass through, especially in the
two first years of our government in 1849 and
1850. You know that we have always entertained
paternal love for you. You have not forgotten the
repose and prosperity enjoyed by the country in the
latter years. W e return amongst you as a father.
We feel the greatest sympathy for your sufferings.
We deeply feel the immensity and difficulty of our
task. Rest assured that all our efforts shall be
directed towards restoring proper order, an d
making every one happy."
The following has also been published, under the
same date :
" TO THE MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR.
" We have seen, en entering the capital, the love and
joy with which the inhabitants have received us, and we
appreciate the confidence which is placed in us, and the
general conviction that we shall provide for the public
weal, and act for the interests of all. We see therein
an encouragement which will make us redouble our zeal
for all that concerns public prosperity ; and we do not
fail to express our full satisfaction and gratitude to the
inhabitants of this capital."