The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-10 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1854.•

It would appear that from the time of the
glcsious victory on the Alma, where the Allied
Troops established themselves on the ground pre-
viously occupied by the Russians, no decided
attempt was made to resist, scarcely to impede,
their progress. They had given the enemy a
" taste of their quality," of a very striking
description, such as to instil into their minds a
wholesome dread of the Western Warriors. From
the strength of their position, the numbers by
whom it was defended, and the careful preparation
made, it was manifest that they calculated on
checking for a considerable period, if they could
not altogether prevent, the further advancement
of the Allies. They were, however, completely
astounded by the daring gallantry of the French,
and the stubborn determination of the English
assailants. Through " fire and water," through
the still burning village of Bouliouk, through the
scarcely fordable river which they had to pass,
at "a deep and difficult ford to the right under a
sharp fire," under a fierce cannonade, a terrific
discharge of grape and musketry, the devoted
troops marched on steadily and unflinchingly.
The deplorable gaps in their ranks, occasioned by
their fallen comrades, were filled up without con-
fusion or disorder. Officers and men alike dis-
played a degree of bravery unsurpassed, we might
perhaps say, by the ancient Paladins, and a cool-
ness and steadiness that might have induced a
bystander to suppose that they were merely
" playing at soldiers," and displaying their evo-
lutions at a review or mock-fight. The blood-
shed, the heaps of dead and dying, scattered on
every side, would alone have impressed the spec-
tator with the fearful reality of the awful Scene.
Had there been no opponents iu front, no artil-
lery or infantry stationed on the heights, it would
have been a work of no ordinary difficulty for a
regular force to overcome the numerous obstruc-
tions that impeded their progress. Lord RAGLAN
tells us that the banks of the river itself were,
from their rugged and broken nature, most serious
obsbicles, and the vineyards through which the
troops had to pass, and the trees which the enemy
had felled, created additional impediments, ren-
dering every species of formation, under a galling
fire, nearly an impossibility.
Yet still they persevered. Still they hastened
to the sanguinary encounter with a cheerful ala-
crity, that might be so►ght for rather in men
proceeding to a merry festival than to a
cc banquet of death," a hand-to-hand encounter
with a formidable foe, a life-and-death struggle, in
which even the victors would be very roughly
handled. No wonder that the Russians were
paralysed, that they regarded the heroes who
could accomplish such feats, who could within a
few hours conquer such difficulties, fighting under
every possible disadvantage, as men not again t 1
be encountered on anything like equal terms. No
wonder that their ardour was damped, and that
they negle4ed to avail themselves of other stra-
tegetical advantages to resist the advance
of men capable of such superhuman exertions,
and displaying such unparalleled bravery. We
are not surprised, then, at the fact announced in
the despatch of the new C mamander-in-Chief of
the French army, General CANROBERT, which ap-
peared in our impression of yesterday, and which
declared that " the enemy not having shown him-
self since the victory at Alma, the march, turn-
ing towards the south of Sebastopol, had been
effected without difficulty."
But although we cannot feel surprised at the
consternation of the enemy, who, with all the
advantages of cavalry and artillery, saw them-
selves so decisively defeated, and driven within
three /tortes from a position which they fondly
iarao,;ned that they could hold for as many weeks,
they vet knew not the full extent of the merit
of their 'gallant victors. They saw what they
accomplished in the field, but they could not

imagine the hardships previously sustained, or the
uncomplaining devotion with which they were borne.
Officers and men fared alike. The superior rank of
the former afforded no comforts from which their
more humble companions in arms were excluded,
and Sir GEORGE BROWN, who eminently merited
the high commendation he received from Lord
i RAGLAN, and the Duke of CAMBRIDGE himself,
the relative of our SOVEREIGN, gladly availed
themselves, during the tempestuous night, of
the scanty shelter of " a tilted cart." Lord
RAGLAN explains this. He says,—" My anxiety
to bring into the country every cavalry
and infantry soldier who was available pre-
vented me from embarking their baggage ani-
mals, and these officers have with them at this
moment nothing but what they can carry ; and
they, equally with the men, are without tents or
covering of any kind." But he adds,—" I have
not heard a single murmur. All seem impressed
with the necessity of the arrangement ; and they
feel, I trust, satisfied that I shall bring up their
bO,t horses at the earliest moment."

His tribute of just and well-merited approbation
of the men is no less impressive. He says the
conduct of the troops has been admirable. When
it is considered that they have suffered severely
from sickness during the last two months ; that,
since they landed in the Crimea,' they have been
exposed to the extremes of wet, cold, and heat ;
that the daily toil to provide themselves with water
has been excessive, and that they have been pur-
sued by cholera to the very battle-field, I do not
go beyond the truth in declaring that they merit
the highest commendation.
In the ardour of attack they forgot all they had
endured, and displayed that high courage, that
gallant spirit, for which the British soldier is ever
distinguished ; and under the heaviest fire they
maintained the same determination to conquer as
they had exhibited before they went into action.
These were matters with which, as we have
stated, the Russians were unacquainted, and yet
they saw and felt enough to excite a panic in their
breasts, and to prevent them from ever attempt-
ing to make a stand on the Belbeck, or other points
on the route between Bouliouk and Balaklava,
where a determined resistance might be offered to
the further progress of the Allies ; in fact, they
did not venture to "show" from the 20th to the
28th, and the turning of Sebastopol, and the
taking possession of Balaklava, was effected with-
out difficulty.
It would seem as if the Russians had, after
their defeat, separated into two divisions, one of
which had retired on Bakshi-Serai, and. the other
fallen back on Sebastopol. The latter was pro-
bably the division which had been brought from
the town to meet the first emergency ; the
second, the remnants of the original army, of
which it is said there are but little more than
twenty thousand remaining, that is to say, exclu-
sive of, perhaps, nearly an equal number
which returned to the stronghold. It seems
very uncertain as to the locality of Prince
MRNSCHIKOFF, whether he be with those who are
now in Sebastopol, where the brunt of the attack
is to be sustained, or whether he is among the
excluded, whose communications with the be-
leaguered town have been completely intercepted.
It is needless to add that these latter points are
merely guesses, or " calculations," as our trans-
Atlantic brethren might term them, and that be-
fore any degree of certainty can be entertained
we must receive more ample authentic intelligence
than any that we have yet received. The vague
outlines must be filled up by a well-informed in-
structor.

With the possession of Balaklava, a safe anti
excellent harbour for our fleet, a most convenient
spot for the debarkation of our heavy artillery
and baggage, and connected with Sebastopol by an
excellent military load, having the Russian
force divided, so that no head can be made at any
point, we shall be able to make our approaches
" scion les regles," so as to come to the encounter
with every possible advantage. We do not, and
we cannot, doubt the result. We must recollect
that the reserve have long since been landed in
the Crimea, and that they are burning with en-
thusiasm to equal—they cannot surpass—the
exploits of their more favoured comrades who
were earlier in the field. With these facts, and
an earnest though humble reliance on the assist-
ance of the OMNIPOTENT, we anxiously but confi-
dently await the result, which, we believe, will be
worthy the brilliant inauguration of the campaign
on the river and the heights of Alma.

We cannot regret the strict and searching in-
quiry that has taken place into all the circum-
stances attending the death of the unfortunate
young woman MATILDA JANE LODGE, nor the
exaggerated and in many respects erroneous re-
ports that led to that investigation. For the
honour of the British Navy in all its branches we
are delighted that it has taken place, that we
know the full extent of the evil, and can judge of
the nuisances it is necessary to abate, and the
regulations which should be framed for the pre-
servation of decency and propriety of conduct on
board her MAJESTY'S ships—and we will venture
to add in her MAJESTY'S barracks.

Notwithstanding the injuries received by the
unfortunate young woman during her ill-omened
expedition, it is now certain that she received no
violence from any quarter—that these injuries were,
in fact, self-inflicted, and that during her sojourn on
board the Victorious hulk she was treated with
kindness and consideration by every person on board,
whether officers or men, and that even those who
deplored the scandal occasioned by her very im-
proper introduction to the ward-room of one of
the vessels of the Royal Navy, yet made every
allowance for the indisposition of the poor girl,
when it was supposed that the full extent of her
illness was occasioned by intoxication, and that
she only required the care that should be bestowed
even on a " drunken " woman. That Lieutenant
KNIGHT was grossly wrong in introducing the
wretched creature to his comrades, in driving the
chaplain and other better-disposed officers from
the room, in the accommodation whereof they
were (stilled to participate, is indisputable.
Above all, and beyond all, he was exceedingly
culpable in permitting the wretched creature to
indulge to such a fearful extent in intoxicating
liquors ; but, while severely condemning those
points which his own efficient and talented
advocate did not venture to defend, it is
a matter of simple justice to add that,
' in all other respects, he passed through the
searching ordeal to which he was subjected
without stain or reproach. It is true that he
should have personally attended to the unhappy
creature—that in place of giving orders to have
her conducted safely out of the vessel he ought
himself to have seen it done. But although he
was very wrong in thus doing, yet we can make
some allowance for the fatigue and annoyance he
had undergone, and also for the opinion which he
might have entertained, that it was probably no-
thing more than a common
case of inebriety. It
appeared that ho had known
nothing of the un-
fortunate young woman previously—that it was,
in fact, the first time he had seen her. He had
himself but just returned from the Baltic ; and it
is notorious that sailors arriving in harbour after
a protracted absence indulge in a species of
" Saturnalia," and that,
under such circumstances,
'natters are, if not sanctioned, at least con-
nived at, that would not be tolerated at an-
other tune. Hence the very improper introduc-
tion of the young women into the vessel—
an act whic!i, we rejoice to say, was wholly
unprecedented, for it appears from the evidence of I
Lieut. Jzavis tliat,," during the whole time he

had been oft board the Dauntless, no woman other
than an officer's wife or lady visitor had been on
board except the case in question. The officers,
too, generally speaking, seemed surprised and
annoyed at the unusual intrusion. The chaplain
very properly " walked" the deck the entire time
she was in the ward-room, and took measures to
have her removed as speedily as possible, and to
prevent the repetition of a similar outrage to his
feelings. We therefore find, with great satisfac-
tion, that " such orgies were not habitual," but,
on the contrary, that there was but the one tran-
saction of the kind ever known on board the
Dauntless or its hulk. Had it not been for the
inquiry before the Magistates—had the case rested
on the verdict of the Coroner's•jury, this gratify-
ing fact would be unknown, and unmerited cen-
sure would have been cast on many of our brave
defenders.

As to the young woman herself, it was perfectly
clear that she was of a very excitable tempera-
ment. At one moment singing and dancing,
the next reciting SHAKSPERE, and, after that,
screeching with frantic violence. Many females
of her unfortunate class have, when inebriated,
feelings of remorse for their degraded position.
Suffering from hysterical affections, they fling
themselves about, and sustain injuries which, when
recovered, they attribute to any causes but the
right ones, fancying that they have been ill-treated,
and even clothing their erroneous notions with a
garb of reality. We do not think it at all neces-
sary to cast discredit on the evidence of any of
the female witnesses as to her dying statements.
Doubtless she told a variety of different stories,
and that she herself believed each of these stories
to be strictly accurate.
This melancholy case has been assimilated to
the proceedings in the PERRY Court-martials.
But, thank t GOD, our gallant sailors are not sub-
jected to the reproach to which some of the offi-
cers of the 46th have subjected themselves. They
told the truth fairly and justly. There was no
attempt to screen any one, and no doubt could be
cast upon any portion of their testimony. There
was the original error, for which Lieutenant
KNIGHT was alone responsible ; and though that
officer acted culpably in many respects, his faults
were those of the head rather than of the heart, we
believe from thoughtlessness and excitement of
spirits, on his "first cruise on shore" after a
long voyage, rather than from deliberate or
habitual profligacy—and certainly being in no
degree tainted' by cruelty or brutality towards a
helpless and unfortunate woman.

ADMIRALTY DESPATCHES.

rest :---

* Not enclosed.

THE CRIMEA.

tion o f the staff, they are made as comfortable a
possible under existing circumstances.

A lussian Brigadier-General died of his wounds
last n ight at Scutaria, and will be buried to-day
with z nilitary honours. Another general has also
arrive d from the Crimea, who will be sent on to
Malta , by direction of the Commander-in-Chief,
by tl it 3 first opportunity.
I b eg to enclose a statement* of the sick and
wou: a ded soldiers, made out as correctly as can be
ascei ,ained during the present press of duty.—l
EDWARD BOXER, Rear-Admiral,
Superintendent.
no the Secretary of the Admiralty, London.

A party from the British fleet have established
then iselves in the lighthouse of Cape Chersonese,
whit h forms the extreme eastern corner of the
prat aontory to the south of Sebastopol ; and
have) relit the light which the Russians had ex-
ting wished.

LATEST NEWS.

VIENNA, MONDAY, OCT. 9.

The following bas been received from Bucha-

BUCHAREST, OCT. 6.
Omer Pacha has returned here.
He states that he has been informed that the
Allies effected a junction at Balaklava on the 3d.

The English passed to the south of Sebastopol
by land, across the Katcha, Belbeck, and Tcher-

naja.
The French reached Balaklava by sea.
The English had taken the lighthouse of Cape

Cherson.
The bombardment of Sebastopol was to com-

mence on the sth.
The Allies are very confident of success.
Omer Pacha has sent 8,000 Turks to Varna as
additional reserves for the Crimea, in case of ne-
THE CRIMEA. I cessity.

He states that Russian reinforcements from
Bessarabia cannot reach Perekop before the 15th
of October.

Lord Raglan has taken the supreme command
of the Allied expedition.
General Canrobert has taken chief command of
the French.

VIENNA, OCT. 9.

Advices from Czernowitz, of the Bth inst., state
that General Hess was expected there on the 9th.

Galatz and Ibraila have been evacuated by the
Turks, and occupied by the Austrians.
Prince Gortschakoirs head-quarters are re-
ported to be at Odessa.

THE BALTIC.
DANTZIC, OCT. 8.
The English steamer Bulldog has arrivbd here.
She left the division of steamers of the com-

bined fleets in the morning of the 3d.
That division, under the command of Rear-
Admiral Plumridge, was proceeding to Baro-Led-
sund, in order to find a better anchorage.
The weather was very tempestuous.
She brings no other news.