The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-20 00:00:00

RUSSIAN VERSION OF THE ATTACK ON

THE 29TH.

The Invalide Russe publishes the following bul-
letin of the assault that was made on Silistria on
the 29th of May :
" It results from the diary of the military operations
on the Danube from the 15th to the 19th of $i ay, trans-
mitted by the Marshal Prince of Warsaw, Count Paskie-
witsch of Erivan, that the enemy, who had already
made several sorties since the opening of our siege
works before Silistria, has made a fresh attempt of this
kind in the night between the 16th and 17th of May
against the left flank of these works—an attempt, how-
ever, that was repulsed in a brilliant manner.
"After the failure of this sortie, the enemy attacked
in the same night our right flank. Lieutenant-Geueral
Selvane, charged with the command of the troops in
the trenches, considering, from the nature of this at-
tack, that the advanced fortification facing our left flank
bad been left by the Turks with a very weak garrison,
resolved, though in nowise authorised, to profit by this
circumstance that appeared favourable to him for getting
possession of this fort.

" With this view, having given orders to Major-Gene-
ral Popoff, commanding the 2d brigade of the Bth divi-
sion of infantry, to come and reinforce him with four
battalions, Lieut.-General Selvane led to the assault
three companies of the 3d battalion of the Poltava foot
Regiment, the 3d battalion of the Alexopol Regiment of
Chasseurs, and the Ist battalion of the Zamosk Regiment
of Chasseurs, which happened to be at hand.
"In the twinkling of an eye the troops made a dash
at the fort, passed quickly the moat, and even partly
climbed the rampart, but they were not able to finish
this bold ugdertaking by reason of the steepness of the
latter. Then Lieut.-General Selvane gave orders to beat
a retreat, and was mortally hit with several shots. The
men who mounted to the assault being slow in falling
back, Major-General Vesselitzlii, who, in the capacity of
adjunct, was near Lieut.-General Selvane, was obliged
to have the retreat beaten again, and having rallied the
troops brought them back within the trenches.
"In the interval Major-General Popoff, who had ar-
rived with his column, had desired Major-General Prince
Ouroussoff, of his Majesty's the Emperors's suite, to lead
to the assault the Ist battalion of the Alexopol Regi-
ment of Chasseurs. A few men of this battalion, with
Prince Ouroussoff at their head, had got ou the ram-
part through an embrasure, but, in the impossibility
of advancing further, had been compelled to retire with
the others.

" Despite the ardour of the troops and the exemplary
self-denial of the generals and officers, this coup de
main, executed in the middle of the night, without pre-
liminary arrangements and without sanction, could not
be crowned with success, and it has unfortunately en-
tailed sensible losses. Besides Lieutenant-General &I-
vane, who atoned with his life for his imprudent at-
tempt, the battalions making the assault have lost 1
subaltern officer and 269 rank and file killed ; 1 gene-
ral, 10 superior and subaltern officers, and 421 rank
and file wounded ; 1 general, 19 superior and subaltern
officers, with 127 men, injured by contusions.
" Among the wounded are Major-General Popoff, in
command of the second brigade of the Bth division of in-
fantry ; Colonel Count Orloff, aide• de-camp to the Em-
peror, who was one of the first to scale the rampart ;
Colonel Kostanda, of the horse artillery of the guard,
and Lieut.-Colonel Gladysh, commanding the Ist bat-
talion of the Zamosk regiment of Chasseurs (dead of his
wounds).
" The sortie, directed by the enemy against the right
flank of our trench, that is placed under the command of
Colonel Count Oppermann, was completely repulsed.
" During the days of the 17th and 18th our siege
labours have been continued with entire success."