The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-28 00:00:00

THE CRIMEA.

(From the Special Correspondent of the Morning Herald,
FRENCH CAMP, TRAKTIR
BRIDGE, MARCH 14.

Notwithstanding the armistice, the present has
proved a busy week. -Oa Monday one of the Rus-
sian brigs, sunk in the creek which divides the
French from the English positions in Sebastopol,
was blown up under the- superintendence of Mr.
Deane, and on Friday (this morning) we have -had
a glorious muster of the allies on the Tchernaya to
receive certain Russian authorities at the Traktir
Bridge, under a flag of truce.
A correspondent—" A Special," as they call us
here—must be content, at present, to look upon
his saddle rather than upon his hut as his home ;
and yet, after all his labour, he can scarcely hone
to satisfy the craving appetite in England for
" news from the Crimea." I may state that now,
in reality, the minds of all in camp are but bent
upon the Tchernaya. There is certainly a " gene-
ral order" naming the Aqueduct (where does it
begin or and !) as the " line of neutrality," over
which no British officer should pass. Were this
.literally obeyed, we could never even converse
with the Russians, or purchase from them those
pretty little crosses and amulets which every man
here seems,determined to get, by hook or by crook,
for his wife, sister, or sweetheart at home. While
this line of neutrality has been laid down for John
Bull, the French not only assemble daily and in
throngs, on the left bank of the Tchernaya, but when
I was there on Tuesday last, after posting a despatch
to you, I saw two Zouaves and three soldiers of the
line standing on the opposite or right bank ! The
Russians were shaking hands with them. The
feeling is, therefore, gaining ground among all who
witness such facts, that " What is sauce for the
goose, is sauce for the gander ;" and, that if the
French are permitted to approach within half a
dozen yards of the enemy (to mingle with them
may be going too. far), the English ally ought to be
allowed the same privilege.
To-day (Friday) brought a much greater muster
on the Tchernaya, than on Tuesday. This morn-
ing found an immense number of equestrians
leaving the road to General Vinoy's division on
their right, " at the bifork," and taking the
left road to the bridge at Traktir, where a flag
of truce, a white flag scarcely larger than a
poket-handkerchief, was flying over a marquee.
Leaving Bizot's battery on the right, we soon
reached the little bridge of Traktir. On the
near side there were two tents (blue and white
stripes) ; on the other side a white one, the last
displaying the flag of truce. A. French guard was
stationed at the marquee where the " white flag"
was flying. Behind them, on the further side of
the bridge, a few " Red Cossacks," were stationed
on the right of the English spectators ; the " Blue
Cossacks," or gendarmerie, were iu the centre;
and on the extreme left another group of Cossacks
was seen, wearing drab cloaks, their long lances
glittering in the sun, and their horses looking
ridiculously small. The ground for the conference
on the Anglo-French side of the Bridge was kept
by the Zoti tves. Marshal Pelissier did not attend,
but sent his chief of the staff, General Martinprey.
General Codrington, Commander of tilt) Forces,
was present with a brilliant staff ; and the Sardi-
nian General in Chief, and suite accompanied them.
After crossing the bridge, the generals entered one
of the tents, remained there a short time, and then
adjeurned to the other, where, it is said, an abun-
da,ntsupply of champagne and other good things had
been prepared for them. As to what passed at,the
Conference, "this deponent sayeth not." But it
was asserted on the ground, that the ratification of
the armistice was the real, and indeed only, busi-
ness of the day ; although some added that a de-
mand had been made, that English ships should,
during the armistice, enter that part of Sbastopol
harbour held by the allies—a demand which the
Russian general at once negatived.
When the conference was over, the allied gene-
rals with their staff escorted the Russians back
again over the bridge, and rode to an outpost
some distance, within the right bank of the Tcher-
naya, and then a curious scene occurred. All
were anxious to follow, if but to get a nearer view
of the Cossacks, and to have .a scamper over the
forbidden ground.-- Several hundred horsemen,
full of this idea,made for the bridge. The picquet
wouldinot :allow them to pass, though nearly all
were in full uniform.- A wrangle ensued ; still,
on came more and more cavaliers. The bridge
was full ; arid then on the banks of the river
below clouds of mounted officers were continually
forming fresh groups. No picquet could hold
so many in check. " Passez au gue," shouted
a French „Hussar, close to whom a comrade had
been just: thrown down, from his horse becom-
ing frightened at the increasing crowd and
pressure. " Passez ast gue." The idea was a
good one. So we all made for the ford, not know-
ing whether the report- that there was one on the
left of the bridge were true or false. In an in-
stant about 200 horses were in the stream, throw.
ing up the rapid waters in every direction. Bere
and there Some had to swim for a few yards. But
we all got over, and then found ourselves brought
up by a wall. To turn the left flank of this
was a dangerous manoeuvre, but one officer
succeeded in doing so, and all the rest kept the
wall on the left, and the bridge—we were now
below it—on their right. The next thing was
to take up a position close to the Cossacks on
duty, and to wait the return of the Allies.
This was effected, and after General Codrington
and all, the English, French, and Sardinian
notables-had returned over the bridge, we " break-
ers of the law" followed in the rear, and now found
no resistance from the picquet. We can say we
have passed the bridge, at all events, although per-
haps for the last time. When the horsemen first

dashed into the stream, the laughter and delight
and cheering of the soldiery were intense. It tickled
them to' see a Zouave picquet outwitted.
In the account of the meeting on the Teller-
naa," given abOve, I ought to have added that
just as the conference was over, a Russian officer,
in the faCe Of thousands, ordered a Russian infantry
soldier to immediate punishment. A Cossack dis-
mounted, and, taking a whip from his girdle,
flogged the poor Muscovite most severely. The
victim did not flinch, but stood like a statue.
Many were the nacre nom de Dien uttered by the
indignant French, who witnessed the transaction.

MARCH 15.

I have only time before the post closes to an-
nounce that General Codrington has ordered two
more piers to be built near the Diamond Wharf,
Balaklava, and that the French, having completely.
fortified Kamiesch, are now throwing up four ad-
ditional
_redoubts at Kazatch. Is this peace ?
And are not all French officers ordered to rejoin
their regiments in the Crimea ?