The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-08 00:00:00

, ,
E TFO EIG IN IN t/' S.

THE WAR.

:WORE ABOUT THE ATTACK ON ODESSA.
In our Saturday's edition there appeared a
summary of the despatches published in the
Itioniteur of that day respecting the bombardment
of Odessa. We now give these despatches verbatim,
together with the introductory observations of that
French journal. The Moniteur says:—
" The Government has received the following details
of the attack directed against Odessa by the admirals of
the combined fleets. We know not which to admire
the most—the energy and the rapidity or the certainty
of the blow which the two navies have struck on this
occasion. An attack had been made against the law of
nations by the military authorities of Odessa. The
object of the admirals was to chastise the authors of it.
It is on the military part of the Russian town—on its
warlike establishments—that our sailors concentrated
their fire ; and Europe will remark with what scruples
of humanity and with what precision of movement they
respected the commercial part of the place, and spared
it, as well as the property of neutrals, from any damage.
In acting with this consideration and generosity, the
French Admiral conformed himself to the general in-
structions which he received in compliance with the
wish of the Emperor, and which ordered him to spare
open towns as much as possible :

"‘ VILLE DE PARIS, ODESSA ROADS, ArRIL 25.—0 n
the morning of the 22d eightsteamfrtates, three French
and five English, proceeded to the Imperial port of
Odessa, and at half-past 6 four of them had opened their
fire on the land batteries. The two moles, as well as
the intermediate batteries, warmly returned it. At 10
o'clock four other frigates joined, and then the action
became general. It continued until 5 o'clock in the
evening, when Admiral Dundas made signal to the fri-
gates to join the squadron. The fire had gained the
battery of the Imperial mole ; the powder magazine had
blown up ; 15 vessels, with the exception of two or three,
were either sunk or on fire. The naval establishments
were also on fire, or very much injured from the shells.
The town and the commercial port, where a number of
vessels of all nations were moored, were respected.
Several of these vessels took advantage of the confusion
and got out, and among them the only two French
vessels that were there.'

"The Turkish Ambassador, on his part, has received
frdm the Ottoman Legation at Vienna the following de-
spatch on the same subject :
" I have just received the following despatch from
Belgrade ; it has been communicated to me by Omer
Pasha, who begged me to transmit it to you. Eight
steam-frigates belonging to the combined fleet, pro-
ceeded to Odessa, and commenced bombarding the
military port on the 22d. In a few hours they destroyed
all the fortifications, the batteries, and the military es-
tablishments of the Russians. Two powder magazines
blew up, and 12 of the enemy's vessels of war were
sunk. The commercial port was spared, and the mer-
chant vessels escaped. Thirteen Russian vessels, laden
with stores and ammunition, were captured.'
"The town of Odessa was defended by four batteries,
which were constructed about the beginning of this
year, and were placed as follow :—The first of 12 guns,
on the mole of the quarantine port, defending the
entrance of the great roadstead ; the second, of
six guns, below the boulevard and to the right of the
flight oisteps which comes down to the sea, and divides
the boulevard in two ; this battery defends the entrance
of the quarantine port ; the third to the left of the
steps, placed in such a manner as to cross Sits fire with
that of the second battery, and to command the road
stead ; the fourth, on the quay of the port de pratique
below the palace of Prince Woronzoff ; each of these
two last-named batteries had eight guns. In addition
to these four batteries there were three others ; one on
the other side of the Gulf of Odessa, at the Russian
village of Dofinofka, nearly opposite the quarantine
port ; the other, to the south of this port, near the
country-house of the Countess of Langeron ; and the
third, in the same direction, and near the Cape of the
Great Fountain, where a lighthouse is also placed."
The Moniteur has also the following statement
respecting the operations at Odessa :
" According to the reports circulated by several jour-
nals, the bombardment of Odessa by the allied fleet gave
rise to an attempt at landing which did not succeed, and
it has been said that several vessels engaged in the action
were seri ,usly injured. It has also been said that the
division appointed to operate against Odessa was obliged
to cease firing, in order to oppose a demonstration of
the Russian fleet from Sebastopol.
" The despatch from Admiral Hamelin proves that
these reports are destitute of foundation.
" As to the losses which our fleet has experienced,
according to the latest information which has reached
us, the number of killed was eight, and the total number
of wounded is 18."
The Presse of Vienna, of the 4th inst., has an
Odessa letter of the 25th, of which the following is
a translation
"The last ship belonging to the combined fleets has dis-
appeared to-day, and the excitement and terror of the
inhabitants of Odessa have in some measure subsided.
As the Anglo-French vessels neared the city, the greater
part of the people fled. As on the 13th, the Furious,
which had nominally come to fetch away the English and
French Consuls, was fired at by the strand batteries, the
commander of the port probably had a presentiment that
the protecting fleet would soon appear. Accordingly
on the 14th of April, he addressed a proclamation to the
inhabitants of Odessa, in which lie summoned them, as
a blockade, or even a bombardment, was to be expected,
to remove their goods into the interior. At half-past 3
on the 14th seven men of war hove in sight, and announced
their arrival by discharging a few guns at our port-bat-
teries. In spite of the assurance of the Russian officers
that the danger was not so near, the terrified people fled
from the city, which was garrisoned by strong detach-
ments of soldiers.
" Without loss of time intelligence was forwarded to
St. Petersburg and Sebastopol that the bombardment of
Odessa had begun on the 14th. The newly arrived vessels
however kept out of the range of the port batteries, and
snapped up all the merchantmen which attempted to enter
the harbour. During the night between the 14th and 15th
the vessels sent a few broadsides into the magazines near
the beach, and ono was burned. The watchfulness of the
commander of the port, whoj had made all the
necessary preparations for extinguishing a fire, saved
us from any greater misfortune. On the 15th, the
ships left for Varna with their prizes, and every one
thought the danger was over. On the 16th, towards
six in the evening, some 17 vessels appeared on the
horizon, and on their arrival placed themselves within
range of our batteries, and no more ; they then turned,
and their first salutation was a broadside from 900 guns.
" On the 17th April, a steamer, with a flag of truce
flying, entered the port, but a few shots which were fired
from the batteries, prevented her advancing. A Rus-
sian ship went off to the steamer, which had brought a
written summons from the British Admiral to surrender
all the ships which were in port. This was peremptorily
refused, and at 3 on the same day the ships, then at a
greater distance, opened a tremendous fire on our strand
batteries, two of which were dismounted. Two magazines
took fire, but as night drew on the bombardment ceased.
From the 18th up to the 22d negotiations were carried
on, during which the Russians were receiving reinforce-
ments, and the injured batteries got into order. On the
22d, at 8 in the morning, a still more violent bombard.
ment began, which was continued without interruption
until half-past six in the evening. Most of the strand
batteries were injured, and those in the north-east cor-
ner of the port were almost entirely dismounted.
"The loss of the Russians, who displayed the greatest
intrepidity, is estimated at 200 men, more than 300 were
dangerously, and more than twice that less severely,
wounded. Six magazines were burnt. The city
suffered comparatively little, though a few of the
principal buildings, and among the rest the Woron-
zoff Palace, were a prey to the flames.
changedas
brokenit its external
a th ae p pweianrdaonwc es
TOhhduee
rs
cts
eharershi
fiacs
are
cannonadecotni n
injured.
ulert completely
The fleet also suffered, for five i Y
h
many chimneys have fallen, and the steeples of many
c
ships were put hors de combat, and taken in tow to Varna
The French attempted to land at the south-west end of
the port, but were repulsed with loss by a powerful
Russian force. We are still occupied in quenching the
burning ruins. During the action the sea ran extremely
high.
According to another report the batteries at the
north-eastern (or Cherson) end of the port were ex-
tremely well worked, although they were exposed
to the fire of six steamers, which sent in an inces-
sant showers of bombs, rockets, and red-hot balls.
TT
hh
ere
rhe aarrboe
tuwr, ,0 or
moles.
harboursTieof
so-called Odessa
p ra iartificial,k
quarantine) harbour is in the centre : Cherson is
the so-called war port. Among the prizes taken to
Varna is one which is said to have a very con-
siderable sum in silver on board.

CONSTANTINOPLE.

REVIEW OF THE BRITISH TROOPS.

A correspondent of a contemporary writes as
follows from Constantinople ou April 24 :

" A British army at Constantinople is so novel a
sight, that it engrosses all attention at the present
moment; indeed, there is little of local political interest
stirring here just now, with the exception of the
departure of the Greeks.
"The 23d, 41st, 47th, 49th, 77th, and 88th regi-
ments are all quartered in the great barrack at Scutari,
on the Asiatic side of the Bosphorus ; and the day
before yesterday the 7th Fusiliers arrived here from
Malta, by the Golden Fleece, and were landed at the
same place.
" Ou Friday the six regiments had a field day, under
General Adams. They left their quarters at balf.past
ten o'clock, and marched out to the great undulating
plain that lies on the heights between Scutari and Kadi-
Kiew. Some two thousand persons had collected to
witness the manoeuvres. Not having been generally
known, however, but few of the European or Turkish in•
habitants at Constantinople crossed the Bosphorus to be
present at the British military operations. Amongst
the persons present were to be remarked Lord Carlisle,
M. de Wildenbruck, the Prussian ambassador ; Baron
Tecco, the Sardinian Minister ; with a number of Eng-
lish gentlemen, and some foreigners. A great many of
the inhabitants of Scutari were present, with a fair
sprinkling of Turkish women, in their yashmaks, and
plenty of children and attendants.
" The troops were drawn out in a line and reviewed ;
after which they closed, and sent out skirmishing par-
ties. There was a good deal of advancing, retreating,
and countermarching, and the men went through their
evolutions with precision and accuracy. No attempt
at a sham battle was made ; indeed, it was something
between a review and parade, A Prussian colonel