The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-07 00:00:00

THE ATTACK ON SEBASTOPOL,

RIVER KATCHA, OCT. 18.
The following is a copy of a few details of yester-
thy's cannonading of the Sebastopol forts by the
fleet, which may be interesting :
" Yesterday,
the 17th, about half-past noon, the
French fleet commenced the cannonade, leading in
from the south along the south forts, exposed at
the same time to a severe fire from the north as
well as the south forts, which was not returned
until their position was taken up. Admiral Dundas
followed with most of his fleet, steering first
southward and rounding up again, taking position
northward of the French, the Britannia and Napo-
leon being next ships, and placed towards the
mouth of the harbour. The Terrible and Samp-
son began on the north side from the northward,
the first interchanging a heavy fire with the large
fort ou the north side (two tiers of guns and a
third tier en barbette—l think, Fort Constantine).
Tho Terrible kept at it with her engines stopped.
The Sampson, disregarding the largo fort, directed
her fire on two very mischievous little forts on the
parapet of the precipice which overlooks the sea
fort northward of Fort Constantine—the Wasp
and Telegraph Forts. Occupied with these, she
steamed right through the fire of the big fort,
swept round in a beautiful manner, and again went
straight at them. All the fire, however, which
was directed throughout the day at these two forts
seemed to have little effect. Silenced only at in-
tervals, they continued a most galling fire. While
the Britannia was rounding in from seaward, the
Agamemnon proceeded along the north coast south-
ward, to where the Samisen and Terrible were
engaged. It was evident that this ship had a dis-
tinct mark in view. Cautiously closing with the
land, she anchored within 900 yards of Fort Con-
stantine, and she must have been quite close to
very shoal water. This was the position of the
day, and here the Agamemnon remained until
near sunset, when she came out, but only owing
to the closing darkness. She was closely supported
by the Sansparoil astern, and later in the day by
the Bellerophon on her bow. Latterly the fort
(Constantine, I think) which they were engaged
with was almost silent, and the guns en barbette
wholly so. The general impression is that very
little damage has been inflicted on tine enemy ; but
though all did their best, there can bo little doubt
that, had the other ships been able to close with a
distinct object, and hammer at it as the Agamem-
non did at hers the result would have been very
different. She lay close to her work, and would
have breached it, but the fire at times had to be
withdrawn to silence the small forts on the hill,
which were hulling her in the meantime. On re-
suming the fire on the larger forts, of course the
line of fire was altered, and more distributed.
" The Albion and the London were engaged with
Fort Constantine before the Agamemnon came up.
They got a good deal cut up and withdrew. The
Albion had a number of men and her captain with
the army, and was several times on fire while in
action. We lay just outside, within fire, and not
more thati a mile from the Agamemnon, which was
close in, and much nearer to the others. The can-
nonade of the French appeared terrific and con-
tinuous. Enveloped in smoke, they kept up whole
salvoes, which looked awful, the smoke being lit
up by the volleys of flashes, and the roar of cannon
continuous. The Turks followed the French in
this, sometimes in whole broadsides, again their
fire running continuously along the line. There
was less of this with the English ships, particu-
larly with the Agamemnon. The smoke and roar
were more awful, but the other was more business-
like. Captain Christie, R.N., principal agent of
transports, had his flag hoisted on board the Co-
lombo.

"Having expended thB number of rounds of
powder, which was limited to 50 each gun, at one
time the Sanspareil withdrew, and the forts on the
bill directed their full efforts at the Agamemnon.
The Agamemnon fired 70 rounds, and her broad-
side is quite scorched the whole length. Sir Edmund
Lyons, at the time occupied with the big fort,
sent his flag lieutenant through a galling firs to
briry, in the Bellerophon and to get the Sanspareil
back.° He said, Toll them to coins in ; these forts
will sink me, and I'm if I leave this ; and this
is quite the case. Ho is of the truest stuff, fixes
kis mark, and then sticks to it.
"The Britannia remained till after dark steady
also at her work, bat she and the French were all
too far off."

The following letter from a young officer on
board a French line-of-battle ship will be read
with interest :

"BErOlut SEBAS.TOPOL, Oct. 18.
" My care aro yet ringing with the cannonade they
heard yesterday, but I have no time to arrange my
thoughts, and I hasten to tell you that I am in ex-
cellent health. Yesterday morning the Admiral's
signals and our written orders left us no doubt
about the intentions of the fleet. At nine o'clock every
vessel received the order to advance. All the steamers,
with the exception of the Pluton and the humenide,
were lashed alongside ships to conduct them to the fire.
In the night of the 16th and 17th, the Captain of the
best k the
no we
acPsol
coast
matte Pluton
ahsadt guideebeens
itth
nea orderedrw a
t course g
17:n11,1:at yh.
fleet,di buoys
thiss along
morning,
lag the way, took the load. She VMS followed closely
by the Charlemagne, which was ordered to anchor as nearas possible to the coast, so that the other ships might
her.tak e m
op
urpr positionsogr i e
ssn lineuas
slow,
too hwt,
ine ncoorntsh aeq nd
ue
unceo r tha
of
northeast of
im-
mense weight of the ships which had to be towed. Wo
were nearly an hour and a hall doing three miles. At
about halfpast 12, the Vautor, ensconced in a little
creek, opened the fire, which was the signal for
.the
Russians cornracncing in their turn. A light whistling,
like the noise made by certain birds of prey, was audible
at the mast-bead. I asked myself what it could be,
when a second rushing sound, more distinct, left me no
doubt that it proceeded from a cannon shot. Presently
the bullets rained around us. We heard the noise they
made before they neared us, and some time after we saw
the flash of the cannon which propelled them. We re-
ceived three of the shots in our hull and paddle-boxes,
but fortunately they hurt no one. Our masts, from
which we had taken down all the yards, were not touched.
Most of the bullets passed over our heads. The firing
went on thus for half an hour, and then we went is closer
to shore to make way for the Charlemagne, and found.
curselvos a little sheltered from the batteries by a tongue
of land. The Charlemagne, doubtless, appeared a for-
midable adversary in the eyes of the Russians, and may
have checked their ardour a little. At one o'clock she
anchored and began to fire, and it was indeed high
time, for she had received several bullets in her hull,
her masts were injared, and a shell had burst in her
engine-room. At two o'clock we must have blown up
a part of Fort Constantine, for just after we bad watched
one of our 80-pounder shells hit the mark we aimed at,
we saw a tremendous column of smoke and flame rising
up over the fortress. Dressing by the Charlemagne, the
half of the other ships came into line in the direction
north-north-west. The others formed a second line, and
fired through the interstices of the first. Two Turkish
ships prolonged the French lines, and further on to the
north-north-east of tho second Turkish vessel was a line
their
riasonawbybastamhtneoudrtclosehnar
hdl lviastrtehmi.heeai
rvwebeabtedteei
destroyed.
het
s or
totohwr
en
eanwe
na yy.
o might English. The fire went' on for 5 hours without
ceasing, but unfortunately the smoke was so thick that a
know
but theyrecommenced firing towards eTavbheoenruientgt.wPoohrotuiornes;
Wonelydotnh'et
oghßfaluevssatehtiremained one stone upon another, if the bvaa.orusiwdh7coht
surround the entrance to the harbour had allowed ua to
approach within 400 or 500 metres. As it was, we fired
on an average at a distance of 1,400 or 1,500 metres.
We expended something like 24,000 bullets and shell..
The Russians, though they fire pretty straight (as we
can testify, for all their shots nailed us were very well
directed), killed but few in the squadron. With regard
to this I only know that the Charlemagne, perhaps the
most unlucky of all, had eight killed. Some say, how-
ever, the Montebello suffered still more. The Jean Bart
had but two killed. The English fleet, anchored opposite
Fort Constantine and the telegragh batteries, fought
vigorously. We don't yet know what losses they
suffered."

BEFORE SEBASTOPOL, Oct. 23.—The siege of
Sebastopol commenced on the 17th. Nineteen
days had elapsed since the arrival of the Allied
army before the town, and six since the first sod
had been turned in the trenches. There were not
wanting in the British camp advocates for an
immediate assault on the town whilst the
remembrance of Alma was still fresh in
the minds of the enemy. These (Generals
Sir G. Cathcart and Sir do Lacy Evans, I believe,
amongst others) justly considered that, by the de-
lay necessarily incurred in bringing up the siege
train, and establishing batteries, not only would the
advantage reaped by the masterly march, which
turned the town of Sebastopol, be lost, but time
also would be granted to the enemy to raise works
and defences which would render any future assault
difficult and dangerous. It was determined, how-
ever, to besiege the place, and no time was lost in
landing the siege trains, ship guns, and the vast
amount of ammunition necessary to reduce the
town. If our engineers wore active, it must be
admitted the :Russians were equally so. Earth-
works and redoubts sprung up each night as if by
enchantment, and the south side of Sebastopol,
before not only vulnerable, but decidedly weak,
now bristled with batteries.

On the 17th of October, then, at twenty minutes
past six, the cannonade commenced. It opened on
the left, was successively taken up by each gun,
and speedily returned by the Russian batteries.
The continued roar was tremendous. The Redan
guns worewurked spb n lidly, and poured shell after
shell around the "Bluejacket battery," which at
this time was rather deficient in ammunition. Sup-
plies at length arrived, and to work went the tars,
battering in the Redan works with tremendous
effect.

At OA minutoo after three a fearful broke