The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-08 00:00:00

"THE SUN"

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1854.

From everything we can learn there are many
reasons fur believing that the vigorous and deter-
mined onslaught on the lines at Inkerman was
the final and desperate attempt of the' Russians to
save the beleaguered town, and that on its complete
failure (for failed it has, notwithstanding a tem-
porary success) there is no longer a hope for
Sebastopol. The affair was undoubtedly ably
planned, and very gallantly carried into operation ;
and had it not been for the unflinching bravery
of the Allied Troops the consequences might have
been very disastrous, if not absolutely fatal to
our anticipations. The Russians set their very
lives upon the cast, and as " the hazard of the die"
has proved against them they must be contented
to submit to the almost certain consequences.
However confident we may feel, we must still
carefully abstain from under-valuing an enemy
who, by their recent activity and resolution, have
gone far to regain the prestige which had been
greatly impaired by
their previous conduct on
the Danube,
in the Dobrudscha, and more recently
on the heights of the Alma, where they were dis-
lodged in three hours
from a position which they
fondly
imagii.ed they could have held for
as many weeks, against a force twice as nume-
rous as the victors. At Sebastopol, however,
they displayed great energy and fortitude,
using their vast resources in the most effi-
cieut manner, and repairing to a great extent,
within a few hours, the enormous damage
inflicted by the Allied Forces, naval and military.
The late attack at the Inkerman displayed their
efficiency in a still stronger light ; and, had they
been opposed to men of an inferior class might
probably have brought the autumn campaign in
the Crimea to a very different conclusion from
that which has been calculated on by those "who
live at home at ease." The panic caused by the
defeat on the Alma has been recovered. We had no
.longer to deal with disheartened and demoralised
sopprnentv ready to seek safety in disgraceful
**iltht.il24 t sound of the British trumpet. On
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:tll-461irftsreyk, ey achieved their first success
and bravery, and struggled to

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maintain it with fierce and unbending determina- !
tion. Although doubtless they calculated much
on the effects of the "surprise," they did not
abandon the effort when it was found that they
had to encounter the Allied Forces on more equal
terms than they had previously anticipated. They
fought a pitched battle with desperate courage,
and held two of the captured redoubts at the close
of the first day. It would be alike unfair to the
adversary and to our own gallant troops to depre•
ciate such efforts, or to slight the pretensions of
men capable of such daring acts.
But though thus rendering a just tribute to a
valiant foe, our confidence as to the final result is
not in any degree abated or shaken. We know
that the state of affairs within the beleaguered
town was almost desperate at the period when the
diversion was attempted. We have learned that
on the morning of the 25th the besiegers had
established their third parallel at 200 metres (or
yards) from the ramparts, and that their fire was
as lively as on the first day. It would neces-
sarily be much more effective at the reduced dis-
tance against the forts and bastions greatly
shaken by the incessant cannonade of eight days.
The assailants were manifestly preparing for
the rapidly approaching time when breaches
would be declared practicable, and a ge-
neral storm would be attempted. Such
was the state of affairs outside the town.
Within there was still greater cause for despon-
dency. The accounts communicated by deserters '
were truly terrific, and although such statements
must necessarily be received with great reserve
and caution, there were corroborating circum-
stances which justified a certain degree of cre-
dence. These men declared that " the loss in
killed amounted to fully six thousand persons,
while more than double that number were
wounded "—that almost all the town was on fire,
and that the garrison and inhabitants had desisted
from their efforts to extinguish the conflagration.
Unburied corpses, net merely of fighting men and
non-combatants, but even of women and children;
were strewed through the different streets
and thoroughfares, polluting the air, and render-
ing the atmosphere pestilential. Pure water was
almost unattainable, for the Allies had, long
before opening their fire, cut off the supplies,
and the cisterns were exhausted. This was a
sufficiently gloomy state of affairs ; but it was not
all, nor even the worst of what the defenders lied
to bear. It was known that discontent and dis-
affection were rife in the garrison. It must be
borne in mind that there were in it many Poles
who had been forced to take up arms by their un-
scrupulous oppressor, who had no sympathy
for the tyrant, but who would hail as
the greatest blessing every discomfiture that
might afford a prospect of the restoration
of their outraged nationality ; and len,-
lost freedom. MENSCHIKOFF had to dread
many of his own men, who were little less for-
midable than the invincible adversary. A deci-
sive blow was necessary to reanimate the waver-
ing hope of the Russians, and this, as we have
stated, was very skilfully planned and resolutely
attempted.

In our impression of yesterday we inserted a
very admirable article from the Constitutionnel,
which places the whole matter in a very striking
point of view, and saves us from the necessity of
any lengthened explanations. Our contemporary
gave a very graphic description of the Allied
Forces lying in a species of semi-circle round
Sebastopol, the extremity of one diameter
resting on the Tchernaya, which was occu-
pied. ty the English, and the other by the
French division on the sea and Cape Cher-
sonesus—the armies being divided by a little
rivulet which flowed into the port of Sebastopol.
The base of operations was the port of Balaklava,
from which all the supplies were drawn, and with
which it was indispensable to maintain unre-
stricted communication. Could this communica-
tion be out off, the results would have been very
injurious, and might have placed our troops in au
exceedingly awkward ditamma, casting them be-
tween two fires, and depriving them both of food
and ammunition, and practically rendering them
" the besieged" in place of besiegers. One army
was in shefield, and tothis everyman that could be
spared was sent from the town, with which commu-
nications were open on the northern side. We have
seen how the march was concealed, and how corn-
plete was the surprise in the first instance. The first
loss was, however, retrieved by the valour of our
troops. General LIPRANDI has been completely
repulsed, or, as the Russians term it, " has retired
to head-quarters, at Bakshi-Serai ;" and thus, as
the Constitutionnel truly declares, " the Russians,
after a trifling success, have lost/the last chance of
delivering Sebastopol," of the capture whereof
we shall, doubtless, speedily receive a decisive and
satisfactory account.

With heartfelt gratification we are enabled to
announce the safety of Captain CoLuxsoiN and
his gallant crew. The distinguished navigator
has brought his vessel into a safe harbour ; his
men, notwithstanding their arduous labours,
being in good health and good condition, throe of
the number only having died during their three
years of exposure and trial to all the inclemency
of the weather in the dreary regions which they
had traversed. The Rattlesnake, Commander
HENRY TROLLOP; which arrived at San Fran-
cisco on the 25th September, was the bearer of the
glad tidings. She had wintered at Fort Clarence,
in the Arctic Ocean, at the entrance to Behring
Strait. From this she sailed on the 23d of August.
Two days previously the Enterprise had arrived with
the adventurous COLLINSON and his brave crew, in
wonderfully good health and condition, consider-
ing the protracted hardships .they had endured.
We have thus received unexceptionable evidence
of the safety of the 59 officers and men respect-
ing whose fate a degree of anxiety was entertained
only inferior to that felt for Sir JOHN FRANBLIN
and his daring and unfortunate followers. We
give the names of the men who died in order
to allay the apprehensions of those who had
friends or relations on board. They were,
WILLIAM DRIVER, the ship's cook, who
died on the 15th May, 1853, WILLIAM
GREENAWAY, able-seaman, who died 24th Nov.,
1853, and WILLIAM CHEESEMAN, private of
Marines, who died June 29th, 1854. All the
others were safe and well. It will thus be seen
that the mortality, and even the sickness, was not
greater than would havess bdenerninegxpseorienced protracted b y an
equal number of persons
itmiosstthtaemt
jpnedriaotieonans dprsalsousubrtiiooun
ss
vcloi ymaagtees. in
even
nt
r tuhee
may avert the consequences of even the most,
formidable and perilous adventures.
It appears that Captain COLLINSON obtained
no information respecting
intense the fate of poor
FRANKLIN-. This would have created a feeling of
disappointment at any other time. Un-
fortunately, however, our doubts and fears on
that subject have been fatally verified. Hope of
rescuing the devoted, aye the "sacrificed," had
previously vanished ; and we have only to dis-
charge the last melancholy duty of ascertaining
all the particulars of their energetic struggles,
Isucceeded by their awful and heart-rending suffer-

ings. The safety of COLLINSON and his men exo-
nerates us from the imperative duty of sending
assistance to tho living, but that to " the de-
parted" is a sacred task which cannot be avoided
or postponed. _ _ .

It will be in the recollection of our readers that
the Enterprise left England in the spring of 1851,
more than three years and a half since. Some
few weeks since we obtained intelligence of her
progress up to the 22d August, 1852. From
this it appeared that she had spent the winter of
1851-2 in lat. 71 deg. 35 min. north, and long.
135 deg. 17 min. west, having previously passed
through the Prince of Wales Straits. It also
appeared that she was almost on the track of the
Investigator, Captain MTLITRE, by whom the
great problem of the North-West Passage was
ultimately solved. She even proceeded within 90
miles of Winter Harbour, but being prevented
from proceeding, on account of the accumulated
ice, turned into Wollaston Sound, where she came
on traces of Doctor RAE'S Expedition. The
winter of '52-3 was passed in Cambridge Bay,
Wollaston Land, 69 dog. N. lat., 117 deg. 35
min. W. long. ; the following and last winter sine
spent in Camden Bay, 70 deg. 8 min. N. lat.,
145 deg. 30 min. W. long. From this she was
enabled to extricate herself on the 15th of July
last, but only arrived at Point Barrow on the
9th, and Port Clarence on the 21st August. It
was intended that after refitting she should pro-
ceed to Hong Kong, whence the next tidings of
the gallant crew will probably be obtained.
These glad tidings, which will be received with
unalloyed satisfaction by the entire communica-
tion, will obviate the necessity of ono portion of
the expedition—the last wo hope to the frozen
regions. - The other branch of it is even more
urgent than heretofore, in consequence of Captain
COLLINSON not having obtained any information
of FIIANKLIN. We trust that the Lords of the
Admiralty will call D. KING into their councils,
and thus avoid the mistakes hitherto fallen into,
and to which the deplorable fate of Sir Jonßr
FRANKLIN and many of his followers may pos-
sibly be attributed.