The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-24 00:00:00

(Front another Correspondent, of the Timm)

Sunday morning seems the choice day for a battle. Very
early we were awakened in the harbour of Balakln.va on
the sth by the report of groat guns before the Talley which
communicates with the town. As you looked out you
could see the shells bursting in the air, and there could be
no doubt that the great Russian army which covered the
small hills and valleys near us was in motion. Balaklava
had long been threatened by this force, and we made np
our minds that there was to be an attack. We could see
the Turkish troops drawn up in a line on the rising ground
that faced us abont three-quarters of a mile away. All
were on the alert. Orders were given to the steamers in
harbour to get up steam and bo prepared to leave, should
there he occasion for it.

In the harbour yon can hear the bombardment of Sebas-
topol at all times ; but there was a heavier and a nearer
fire this morning, mixed with what we had net heard be-
fore—faint discharges of musketry. It was soon apparent
that Balaklaya was not the real object of attack. There
was something going on " to the front," more than usual ;
but we made up our minds that it was not the long
looked-for storm of the town. It was net until noon,
however, that the news first reached us, " The Russians
have attacked us ;" and as stragglers came down for com-
missariat stores or ordnance the news grow into shape,
" There is a desperate action oa our right, Sir George
Cathcart is killed, Sir George Brown is wounded, the
enemy are not repulsed yet, the French are moving fast to
our support, more Generals wounded, the Second Division
fearfully cut up, the Guards have tremendously suffered,"
and by evening our tnxieties were ended. We saw Sir
George Brown pass out under our bow with his staff
aicesnd him, and we were glad to see that he was not dan-
gerously wounded, as he was sitting up unsupported. We
learnt that he was bound to the Agamemnon. The sum of
the news that wo went to bed with was, that we had been
surprised, and some of our regiments were dreadfully cut
up, but that the Russians had retired with great slaughter
and that we had recovered all the guns which had fallen
into the hands of the enemy.

It need not be said that there was great anxiety to learn
hew it had all gone ; and the information that was
gathered from different sources, from those who had gone
to the field the next day, and from 'many of the wounded
the writer had an opportunity of seeing, may be summed
up into some such narrative as this of the seeming events of
the &th of November before Sebastopol. There were no offi-
cial returns made up when the writer left Balaklava on
the 7th, and ovary one was giving his description of the
day, in the fewest words, from his own point of sight, all
agreeing that, though it had cost us much, we had give'
the Russians a fearful lesson.

You may trust to the following narrative, as being
as nearly correct as the time will allow to collect infot-
Illation for it :

those
T thenh The
ihn4 t
oha
bellem of
p Nrwio.
ringing
goe mn
gb aide
ar
notg wa an s s
la e
owp e
something th a a
ryd.
the
like
eur
ringing
the
iuz
cheering,
e
i
o night
bells i
and
the
d
bells of Sebastopol, the stir of distant noise, a silence, and
the hubbub and suppressed noise of crowds moving in the
streets. Oar men had a report among them the day after
the battle, that the army must have been attending ser-
vice; and they were probably blessed for the coming bat-
tle, of which there was no idea evidently in our camp.
Sunday morning broke in very heavy mist. As it broke
the battle began. The enemy rushed down the height,
which they had crept up unknown to us in the
night, and surprised first of all a picquot of the 30th
Regiment. Surrounding them of a sudden, they
wore all taken prisoners. Ono officer escaped after
a detention of two hours, aid gallantly brought in
the Russian who had kept him prisoner. The
pony were up into the very tents of the Second Division
before scarcely an alarm was raised ; and then began to
play some 15 guns, which had been quietly moved up in
the night, facing the heights on which our extreme right
rests. Their shot aid shell swept through the lines. It
had been beautifully pre-arranged—the very shipping were
brought out of the shelter into which they had heels moored
away from our bombardment right into the middle of the
harlsour,•sad poured their fire on our tamp, and riddled
onr tents, aid cut our cattle to pieces.
There seems to be no secret about it; there must have
been some want of caution, or this large force could not
have surprised us as it (lid. It was known to be the weak
end of our position, aid there were no supports near. For
some time, then, the regiments in the Second Division
were fighting bayonet to bayonet with the Russians. There
was a fog, and our men did not knew where the enemy
were, except those immediately near them, Very early
there was a rush upon the batteries in that neighbourhood,
and the gunners were killed at their pests. One field bat-
tery was also taken, with great less on our side, se that
we could net answer with our artillery. When the mist
cleared a little, and there was some recovery from the rush
and confusion, and ear supports came up, back we
drove the enemy, and retook our guns. But three dif-
ferent columns, or, from their numbers, yon may say
three different armies. threw themselves, one after the other
as ens was driven back, in desperation on our men. They
yelled to the vary skies, as if they were 'maddened with
drink. And se it seemed they had been stimulated to the
charge, from the appearance of the prisoners and the can-
teens of raw spirits each man serried. In the early part
of the day it was bayonet to bayonet. As our brave fel-
lows pushed on, one man told us, " Why, every bush
seemed alive with them ; they was as thick as the leaves
on 'em." But when the mist cleared off, and our men
could better see their own and the enemy's position, the
combat does not appear to have been so close. But still
it was but a handful of men keeping thousands at bay at
the point of the bayonet. Staff officers were seen gallop-
ing about for assistance. The Guards early throw those-
selves upon the advancing columns and helped to stem the
torrent manfully, with the Duke of Cambridge at their
head, but they lost an untold number ; how great their
lose was may be gathered from their burying eight officers
(the Celdsti earns) in one grave ; and the Marne number
wounded of the Fusiliers. The sergeant who gave the
writer the names of the killed could not keep from toms.
The 88th Regiment sent out five companies in advance,
oa
un
td areof
3ssaoi d o
men.h a v
Your
ocome
obqaucikr
ows i tah b
f t
oru tp
rOt
iuo
un
it
ao
ru crhoegdi
ments, of the wounded belonging to them, and how they
came off, especially of the Second and First Divisions,
were only met with the nnswcre, " No one lzuws the

exact numbers," "We are fearfully cut up," " We have
suffered dreadfully," "There has been awful loss."
Our men were keeping the enemy hack, in the midst of
this carnage, until II o'clock. The French had been sent
For, and there was no telling what might come worse. To
the honour of our men, the feeling among them seems to
be to give our allies their full glory of the day. They came
up at a double; they deployed beautifully into line ; they
spread themselves over the hill, and there was an evident
check. " They drove the Roossians," said one man, " like
shepherds after a flock of sheep." But it W 35 not until 2
o'clock and later, and not until our allies had suffered fear-
fully too, could you say the day was quite secure.
In the ebb and flow of the action our guns were not
always in our hands, se they could not be directed always
on the enemy. But, as we kept our position more firmly,
and were aided by the French, these guns committed
dreadful havoc. For, though the Russian guns were pro-
bably snore numerous and more heavy, and though their
fire may have been more than five to ono shot of ours, yet
directed against our handful of men, out in skirmish-ill
order, they did not do the same execution as our shot,
shell, and grape ploughing and bursting through the mas-
sive columns iu which they were launched on our position
It is impossible to gather an idea of their lose. The num-
bers given varied from 6,003 to 17,000 ; but wo always love
to exaggerate the harm we have done to the enemy. Cer-
tain it is that all accounts agree in making it out as neces-
sarily great, from the number of bodies which blackened
the hill-sides and valleys where the action took place, from
the number of muskets packed up in our camp and brought
away to the ships, from the herd of prisoners taken, and
from the circumstance that our men grad at close quar-
ters the whole of their sixty rounds, and dealt fearfully
with the bayonet at each Russian charge.
There can be no doubt that they poured three torrents
of men upon us, and that it was a desperate attempt by
the army which had reached there but the day before from ,
Odessa or the Danube, and commanded by the Grand
Duke Nichelas, to raise the siege. Lord Raglan is said to
have considered himself attacked by 60,000 men.
They behaved with barbarous cruelty to our wounded ;
every fallen man was bayonetted. One English officer was
wounded slightly, but unable to leave the spot with his
men, as they retired for a while overwhelmed. When our
troops recovered the ground, they found the poor fellow
stabbed all over and stripped ! One Russian officer was
seen to halt and limp about the field ; he had been wounded,
but be was stabbing the fallen with his sword. ! An
orderly of the Duke of Cambridge went up to him aid
took him prisoner, and his Royal Highness was heard to
promise the wretch that he would do his best to have him
shot for his inhumanity. It is to be feared that this Rus-
sian barbarity provoked our men to give no quarter. They
would throw down their arms, and, calling themselves
Christians, beg for mercy; and if they were spared they
would take np their muskets and shoot the man who had
saved them. The French Zouaves also took no prisoners.
The writer was telling a French officer that the conduct
of his men was the theme of our soldiers' enthusiastic
praises. They had not only been signalising themselves
by their gallantry in the field, and by the admirable man-
ner in which they had been handled, but they had out-
shone all by the kindness, courtesy, and attention to
our wounded in the evening. The French officer's re-
ply was, " Ah, but your men stood like a wall ;" and,
turning to his neighbour, he paid us the compliment,
" It was, perhaps, as well that the English had to b ear
the first shock." One gallant incident needs a record in
the description of this day. A serjeant of our 33d or 30th
Regiment was left alone for a short while in advance some-

how. Colonol Herbert kad noticed his daring, and told
him to semi to him in the evening. He was alone, and
five Russia's wire on him. He shot one, bayonetted

. _
another, and fell before the attack of the other three. They
had given him five wounds, when he felt a horse's hoof
sear his head. The Russians fled; he jumped up as he
could, and in a moment found himself dragged up on the
horse, and being carried to the rear for some 200 yards
When in safety the officer took hold of the eerjeant's hand
and kissed it, left him, and returned to the front. That
serjoant would give a great deal, he told the writer, to
know who that general officer was. With such incidents,
can you be surprised at our men being in enthusiasm about
the French ?

You will hear from other sources, probably, what our
losses were. It in to be sincerely hoped that official returns
will lessen the numbers now in circulation. 2,200 men
cannot be spared, nor san oar allies give 1,700 every day.
600 of this last number fell in gallantly repelling a sortie
from the town; the remainier shared the day's honours on
our right.

Whatever the loss of the Russians, they carry away
with them the lesson, that though we nay be surprised,
and though we may be7ont-generated, the English soldier
will not be beaten. The word that passes through our
camp is still, "Sebastopol must fall."
And, if they carry away that moral, we have to learn
that we have a stubborn and cruel enemy to deal with,
♦ery full of craft, and ♦astly overwhelming in nimbers,
and therefore it needs that we exercise more caution, and
that our generals must learn 6oinething more than the mere
order, " Fix bayonets and charge." So many and many a
private soldier thinks.

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
(From the Correspondent of the Morning Post.)
HEIGHTS ABOVE SEBASTOPOL, Nov. 6.

Saturday was a day of ordinary movements; the cover-
ing and working parties were about, and in the batteries
picquets were duly posted; rations were distributed and
cooked by hungry soldiers; the usual amount of on dill
were handed from camp to camp; dragoons carried from
and to head-quarters instructions into which many a
curious eye wished to penetrate. These, and the thonsand
and one other proceedings of a besieging army, went :on
apparently with clock-work precision, for certain hours
have certain duties and certain scenes. I was not quite
so comfortable as usual, as the rain poured in tor-
rents during the early part of the day, and I was com-
pelled to make for head-quarters. In vain did I .over
myself with Macintosh greaves, coat, and southwester
the penetrating flood rushed into the crevices; and, ere
my return, I found chilly circles and patches which hinted
the necessity of an immediate change. Let me tell all
new campaigners never to trifle with damp clothing ; at
times a soldier gets thoroughly wet through, and he has
from necessity to take his chance. Of such troubles I
speak not, but what I say is this—if possible, let damp
clothes be at once changed, and let the body be over rather
than under clad. In warm weather—never mind hew hot
the climate put on a flannel shirt, and when the
cold has set in, put a linen shirt over it. True, the
linen shirt cannot be starched and ironed ; but what
signifies that—the soldier on service requires merely
a clean skin and clean ender-clothing. The former
he can insure himself, the latter his servant can supply
by means of soap and water and a little labour ; and
the two combined will preserve far mere strength than
all the tonics in the world can restore. I was sorry
to find that Captain Somerset, ef the Rifles, was sick
at head-quarters. Ho is, now, however, recovering.
Many of the officers aro ailing, and among the rest that
best of soldiers, Lieut.-Col. Blake, of the 33d Regiment.
My belief is that the cause is to be traced to the action of
the night air upon the system during ditty in the trenches
or on piequet. So long as a man is well, he can bear any
amount of roughing ; but no sooner does diarrhoea or dy-
sentery, or rheumatism, or fever threaten, than exposure
has a terrible effect upon body and spirits, and too fre-
quently nature sinks under it. Among those who have
found an early grave from labouring hard under trying
circumstances, I am sorry to enumerate poor Mr. Webb,
the Roman Cath olio chaplain. I am devotedly attached to
the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England, but
that does not prevent me from admiring the faithful ser-
vices of one who, if his creed was in some of its doctrines
erroneous, had the heart of a faithful servant of his Master.
Night and day he was at the call of the sick and suffering,
and died at last, broken down by labours wrought under no
common difficulties. I have every reason to believe tha
the chaplains of oar own Church have throughout this
campaign been blessings to the army of the East. The
only thing has been, they were too few in nnuileor (a state
of things which is by the autherit'es being most satisfacto-
rily altered) ; bnt with all their energy and good example,
the best of them may consider Mr. Webb as a pattern ef
seal worthy their imitation. It is currently reported that
General Oaten-Sacken has arrived from Odessa with a por-
tion of the Wallachia' army, and that artillerymen have
been forwarded by post. That the Russian army of the
Crimea has been lately much increased is evident, for we
see encampments in all directions. Not that you can
fudge nanabers from appearances ; quite the contrary;
for ofttimes rows of bashes, arranged for covering
during the night, are run between lines of troops, so
that from a distance the army may appear vast in-
deed; but yea may be quite sure that reinforcements
have come in, when an army lately trembling before
us has dared to assume the aggressive. My firm
belief is, that we shall in the end overthrow the Rus-
sian force, and bring our great enemy to his swims ; but
it will be only after many a bloody battle, for the mate-
rial against which we have to strive is hard, and requires
great pouuding before it is thoroughly beaten. Of this
we had good proof yesterday, when our little army fought
ono of those trying engagements in which British courage
so wonderfully and suecensfully prevails. I have stated
that the greater part of Saturday was wet, ; towards the
evening the sky cleared a little, and small patches of blue
wore bore and there visible, but as night sot in a heavy fog
came over us, and gradually increased until it was
so thick that apparently it might be cut. Under
the cover of it, the
*enemy placed, upon the hill op-
posite our 2d Division, heavy gnus, some of them
brass 321 b. howitzers ; and vast columns crept up the
rlvine from the ankorman, with all the cunning of
the Russian. Our outlying picquets did their atmost. but
that at first was little, as they could hear much,
but' saw
nothing, save when masses came close down, resly as it
were to crush them. This was about five a.m. ; and, al-
though all means of
.judging the state of things was out of
the question, the sharp firing of the picquets soon caused
the alarm to be sounded throughout the camp, and, our
men were all under arms and ready about six o'clock, the
fog still tryingly thick. As the 2d Division had lost many
men at Alma, not a few during the repulse of the first sertie,
and 501:01.3 hundreds had been carried off by the sickness of