The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-11-28 00:00:00

OF INKER,MAN.

1 authentic details of the gre

sanguinary battle fought on the

sth instant, befoi

;bastopol

Rind in the subjoined accounts

OFFICIAL DESPATCHES

From the London Gazette Extraordinary of Wednesd,

War Department, Nov.

His Grace the Duke c

Newcastle has this day
fAllnwin, is a ennv. add

I;i;orraCebyField-Marshal the Lord Raglan, G.C.B.
Before Sebastopol, Nov. Bth, 1854

MY LORD DIIME,—I have the honour to report to your
grace that the army under my command, powerfully aided
by the corps of observation of the French army, under
the command of that distinguished officer, General Bos-
quet, effectually repulsed and defeated a most vigorous
and determined attack of the enemy on our position over-

looking the ruins of Inkerman, on the morning of the stl

instant

In my letter to your grace of the 3rd, I informed you
that the enemy had considerably increased their force in
the valley of Tchernaya. The following day this aug-
mentation was still further apparent, and large masses of
troops had evidently arrived from the northward, and on
two several occasions persons of distinguished rank were
observed to have joined the Russian camp.

I have subsequently learnt that the 4th corps-de-arme e,
conveyed in carriages of the country, and in the lightest
possible order, had been brought from Moldavia, and were
to be immediately followed by the 3rd corps. It was
therefore to be expected that an extensive movement
would not be long deferred. Accordingly, shortly before
daylight on the sth, strong columns of the enemy came
upon the advanced picquets, covering the right of the po-
sition. These piquets behaved with admirable gallantry,
defending the ground, foot by foot, against the over-
whelming numbers of the enemy, until the Second Division,
under Major-General Peunefather, with its field guns,
which bad immediately been got under arms, was placed
in position.

The Light Division, under Lieut-General Sir George
Brown, was also brought to the front, without loss of
time. The First Brigade, under Major-General Codring-

ton, occupying the long slopes to the left towards Sebas-
topol, and protecting our right battery, and guarding
against attack on that side • and the Second Brigade,
under Brigadier-General Buller; forming on the left of
the Second Division, with the 88th Regiment, under
Lieut.-Colonel Jeffreys, thrown in advanced
The Brigade of Guards, under his Royaß Highness the
Duke of Cambridge and Major-General oentinck, pro-
ceeded likewise to the front, and took up m st important
ground to the extreme right, on the alignement of the
Second Division, but separated from it by a deep and pre-
cipitous ravine, and posting its guns with those of the
Second Division.

The Fourth Division, under Lieut.-General Cathcart,
having been brought from their encampment, adv anted
to the right and front of the attack. The First Brigade,
under Brigadier-General Goldie, proceeded to the left of
the Inkerman road. The Second Brigade, under Brigadier-
General Torrens, to the right of it, and on the ridge over-
hanging the valley of the Tchernaya.
The Third Division, under Lieut.-General Sir Richard
England, occupied in part the ground vacated by the
Fourth Division, and supported the Light Division, by
two regiments under Brigadier-General Sir John Camp-
bell, while Brigadier-General Eyre held the command of
the troops in the trenches.
The morning was extremely dark, with a drizzling rain,
rendering it almost impossible to discover anything beyond
the flash and smoke of artillery and heavy musketry fire.
It, however, soon became evident that the enemy, under
cover of a vast cloud of skirmishers, supported by dense
columns of infantry, had advanced numerous batteries of
large calibre to the high ground to the left and front of
the Second Division, while powerful columns of infantry
attacked with great vigour the Brigade of Guards. Ad-
ditional batteries of heavy artillery were also placed by the
enemy on the slopes to our left, the guns in the field
amounting in the whole to ninety pieces, independently,
however, of the ship guns and those in the works of Se-
bastopol.
Protected by a tremendous fire of shot, shell, and grape,
the Russian columns advanced in great force, requiring
every effort of gallantry on the part of our troops to resist
them.
At this time two battalions of French infantry, which
had on the first notice been sent by General Bosquet,
joined our right, and very materially contributed to the
successful resistance to the attack, cheering with our men,
and charging the enemy down the hill, with great loss.
About the same time a determined assault was made on
our extreme left, and, for a moment, the enemy possessed
themselves of four of our guns, three of which were retaken
by the 88th, while the fourth was speedily recaptured by
the 77th Regiment, under Lieut-Colonel Egerton. In the
opposite direction the Brigade of Guards, under his Royal
Highness the Duke of Cambridge, was engaged in a severe
conflict. _ _

The enemy, under the cover of thick brushwood, ad-
vanced in two heavy bodies, and assaulted, with great
determination, a small redoubt, which had been constructed
for two guns, but was not armed. The combat was most
arduous, and the Brigade, after displaying the utmost
steadiness and gallantry, was obliged to retire before very-
superior numbers, until supported by a wing of the 20th
Regiment of the Fourth Division, when they again ad-
vanced and retook the redoubt.

This ground was afterwards occupied, in gallant style,
by French troops, and the Guards speedily reformed in
rear of the right flank of the Second Division.
In the meanwhile Lieut.-General the Hon. Sir George
Cathcart, with a few companies of the 68th Regiment,
considering that he might make, a strong impression by
descending into- the valley and taking the enemy in flank,
moved rapidly forward ; but, finding the heights above
him in full occupation of the Russians, he suddenly dis-
covered that he was entangled with a superior force, and
while attempting to withdraw his men he received a
mortal wound, shortly previously to which Brigadier-
General Torrens, when leading the 68th, was likewise
severely wounded. _ _ .

Subsequently to this the battle continued with unabated
vigour, and with no positive result, the enemy bringing
upon our line not only the fire of all their field batteries,
but those in front of the works of the place, and the ship
guns, till the afternoon, when the symptoms of giving
way first became apparent ; and shortly after, although
the fire did not cease, the retreat became general, and
heavy masses were observed retiring over the bridge of
Inkerman, and ascending the opposite heights, abandon-
ing, on the field of battle, five or six thousand dead and
wounded, multitudes of the latter having already been
carried off by them. I never before witnessed such a
spectacle as the field presented ; but upon this I will not
dwell.

Having submited to your grace this imperfect descrip-
tion of this most severe battle, I have still two duties to
discharge—the one most gratifying, the last most painful,
to my feelings.
I have the greatest satisfaction in drawing your grace's
attention to the brilliant conduct of the allied troops.
French and English vied with each other in displaying
their gallantry, and manifesting their zealous devotion to
duty, notwithstanding that they had to contend against
an infinitely superior force, and were exposed for many
hours to a galling fire.
It should be borne in mind that they have daily, for
several weeks, undergone the most constant labour, and
that many of them passed the previous night in the
trenches.
I will not attempt to enter into the detail of the move-
ments of the French troops, lest I should not state them
correctly ; but I am proud of the opportunity of bearing
testimony to their valour and energetic services, and of
paying a tribute of admiration to the distinguished con-
duct of their immediate commander, General Bosquet ;
while it is in the highest degree pleasing to me to place
upon record my deep sense of the valuable assistance I
received from the Commander-in-Chief,General Canrobert
who was himself on the ground, and in constant commu-
nication with me, and whose cordial co-operation on all
occasions I cannot too highly extol. •
Your grace will recollect that he was wounded at the
Alma. He was again wounded on the sth, but I should
hope that he will not long feel the effects of it.
I will, in a subsequent dispatch, lay before your grace
the names of the officers whose services have been brought
to my notice. I will not detain the mail for that purpose
now, but I cannot delay to report the admirable behaviour
of Lieutenant-General Sir George Brown, who was unfor-
tunately shot through the arm, but is doing well; of
Lieutenant-General His Royal Highness the Duke of
Cambridge, who particularly distinguished himself ; and
of Major-General Pennefather, in command of the Second
Division, which received the first attack, and gallantly
maintained itself under the greatest difficulties through-
out this protracted conflict; of Major-General Bentinck,
who is severely wounded; Major-General Codrington,
Brigadier-General Adams, and Brigadier-General Torrens,
who are severely wounded ; and Brigadier-General Buller,
who is also wounded, but not so seriously.
I must likewise express my obligations to Lieutenant-
General Sir Richard England, for the excellent disposition
he made of his division, and the assistance he rendered to
the left of the Light Division, where Brigadier-General
Sir John Campbell was judiciously placed, and effectively
supported Major-General Codrington ; and I have great
pleasure in stating that Brigadier-General Eyre was em-
ployed in the important duty of guarding the trenches
from any assault from the town.
Lieut.-General Sir De Lacy Evans, who had been obliged,
by severe indisposition, to go on board ship a few days
previously, left his bed as soon as he received intelligence
of the attack, and was promptly at his post ; and, though

he did not feel well, enough to fake the command of the

urn his b,

y distressing to me to
t of the killed, woundec

lave to sul

milt to your

on this

memorable occasion

It is, indeed, heavy, and veil,. many

dicers anc

Among the killed your grace will find, the names of
Lieut.-General the Hon. Sir G. Cathcart, Brigadier-General
Strangways, and Brigadier-General Goldie. Of the ser-
vices of the first it is almost unnecessary to speak : they
are known throughout th‘. -4 have

3ritisn Empire, am
)een brought conspicuously
s achievements at the Cape of

within a short space of time
before the country, by

Good Hop

had only just returned, when he

was ordelled to this army. By his death Her Mitjesty has
been deprived of a most devoted servant and officer of the

highest merit, while I personally have to deplore the loss
of an attached and faithful friend.
Brigadier-General Strangways was known to have dis-
tinguished himself in early life; and in mature age,
throughout a long service,
_he maintained the same cha-

mode in which he had conducted the com

mand of the artillery since it was placed in his hands by
the departure, through illness, of Major-General Cator, is
entitled to my entire approbation, and was equally agree•
able to those who wero confided to his care.
Brigadier-General GeWO was an officer of considerable