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.. On 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.
Thane, 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 trucep
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 li onie ;
and yet, after all his labour, he can scarcely hope
to satisfy the craving appetite in Eueland for
" news from the Crimea." I may state that uow,
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 end !) 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 theleftbankof the Tchernaya, but when
I was there on Tuesday last, after posting a despatch
'1 to you, I saw two Zeuaves and three soldiers of the
line standing on the opposite or right bank I 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-
-1 ing found an immense number of equeatria.us
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-handkerehief, 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 in 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 Zou tves. Marshal Pelissier did not attend,
but sent his chief of the staff, General Martinprey.
General Codrington, 'Commander of the Forces,
was present with a brilliant staff ; and the Sardi-
nianGeneral in Chief, and suite accompanied them.
.After crossing the bridge, the generals entered one
of the tents, remained there a short time, and then
adjourned to the other, where, it is said, an abun-
dant supply ofchampagns and ether good things had
been prepared for theni. 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 sonic 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-7a 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 eo an outpost
; seine distance within, the right bank of the Teller-
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,'madnfor the bridge. The picquet
would not allow them to pass, though nearly all
were in full uniform. A wrangle ensued ; still,
on carne more and more cavaliers. The bridge
was full ; and 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. " Pdssez au 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. here
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, hut one officer
succeeded in doing soy 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
havepassed the bridge, at all events, although per-
haps for the last time. When the horsemen Arst

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 Tcher-
naya 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 saere nom de Dieu uttered by the
indignant French, who witnessed the transaction.

MARCH 15.

I have only time .before the post closes to an-
nounce that General Codringym has ordered two
more piers to be built near the Diamond Wharf,
Balakrava, awl 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 ?