The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-03 00:00:00

Despatch from General Sir W. Codrington

(From a Supplement to the Gazette of last Evening.)
WAR DEPARTMENT, MAY 3.
_ _ _

Lord Panmure has received a despatch, of which the
following is a copy, addressed to his lordship by General
Sir William Codrington, K.C.B.
SEBASTOPOL, APRIL 19, 1856.
My Lord,—On the 12th instant General Luders sent
an answer to my letter as to the entrance of our vessels
into the harbour. It was to the effect that he had re-
ceived orders to place nu impediment in the way of
vessels of any description entering the harbour of Se-
bastopol. I accordingly informed Admiral Fremantle ;
and on the 14th instant he proceeded to the harbour,
with his flag on board her Majesty's ship Banshee, and,
passing through the lines of wreck, anchored inside
the quay of Fort Paul. Having met the Admiral in
the dock-yard, we went up the harbour in a small
steamboat, and, passing also along the north side, landed
at Fort Constantine, receiving all civility and attention
on the part of the Russian officers.
General Luders had invited Marshal Pelissier, General
La Marmora, and myself to meet him at Traktir-bridge at
12 o'clock on the 13th inst., in order that we might ac-
company him to a breakfast on the Mackenzie Heights.
The meeting accordingly took place. General Luders,
with a large staff of Russian officers, was received in
the French lines by a Guard of Honour, and with
a salute of Artillery, after which, followed by many
officers of the Allied and and Russian Armies, we
crossed the river and the plain of the Tcherhnaya, and
ascended the heights of Mackenzie, at the road by which
our Army came to Balaklava on the flank march from
the Belbek in September, 1854.

About 6,000 infantry and one battery of Artillery,
the division of General Vassilitzky, were paraded and
marched past ; a short distance further on the heights,
a large and ornamented marquee had been pitched, in
which we were the guests of General Luders, and
nothing could exceed the courtesy and attention of all
the officers of the Russian army.
On the 15th General Luders came, with many Rus-
sian officers, to Marshal Pelissier's to breakfast, and to
be present at some races; it is needless to say that their
reception was as cordial and the attention as kind as
that shown to us in tne Russian camp. The afternoon
was passed at the course in the neighbourhood of the
Monastery of St. George, where the races and a Car-
rousel of the Cbasseurs d'Atrique finished the day.
On the 17th, Marshal Pelissier reviewed the French
army on the range of heights near the Monastery of St.
George. _ _

From all sides from Kamiesch at some distance on
the west, from the Fedachine, and the inner heights on
the plain of Balaklava, and from the nearer camps be-
low us, we saw the French columns, with their artillery,
pass over the undulating ground below to the concen-
tration upon their position on the heights.
At 11 o'clock we met Gen. Luders at the Col•de-13a.
laklava, and, riding up the steep bill above it, we passed
along the line of columns extending, in more open order
than we generally form, a distance of about two miles
and a half. The army then marched past, 88 battalions,
5 regiments of Cavalry, Siege Artillerymen, Sappers,
an i 198 guns—the defile of this fine Army lasting till
Ores p.m. _ _

General Luders then came to luncheon at the English
head-quarters. The general officers of our army had
been invited, and Marshal Pelissier, with many French
officers, and General La Marmora, with Sardinian offi-
cero, were good enough to meet General Luders at this
house. Your lordship is aware that the Sardinian army
is partly embarked, and the remainder getting ready to
leave the Crimea.

The English army was formed at a short distance in
front of these head-quarters ; the Siege Train and the
Sappers on the right of the Infantry ; 49 battalions in
contiguous quarter distance columns of regiments ; two
troops of Horse Artillery and five batteries on the right
of the line—in all 86 guns. Two regiments of the Land
Transport Corps were complete, and in good order in
rear.

General Luder3 rode down the line, accompanied by
a large assembly of Russian, French, and Sardinian
officers, and the troops also marched past him. I have the
satisfaction of assuring your lordship of the steady, the
good, the healthy appearance of the army ; of its very
apparant efficiency in every branch ; of the order, quirt•
ness, and regu►arity with wbilh every regiment passed
by ; and it was a subject of pride to us all to feel
that such was the appearance of the Army of England iA
the Crimea.

General Luders returned to Batschi Serai, having es-
pressed himself much gratified at the attention shown
him by the Allies,—l have, &c.,
W. J. CODRINGTON, General Commanding.
The Lord Panmure, &c., &c.