The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-10-31 00:00:00

THE SIEGE OF SEI3ASTOPOL.

A correspondent of the Morning Herald, dating from
Balaklava, 13th Oct., says, we have no tales of battles sieges,
or any of the " 'currence of a heady fight," to communi-
cate by this post. The fact is, that we have done nothing,
and for the next few days not likely to do more. Never,
apparently, were trenches so hard to dig, banks so difficult
to be thrown up, or guns so repugnant to be got into
position. Our works creep, with a snail's pace—the Rus-
sians spring up in a single night, as if by magic. The
result of the labours of English, French, and Turks is,
that we have about 25 guns in position, with the trenches
finished for as many more. Four days ago the Russians
finished their batteries, which mount close upon 120 guns.
On the night of the 11th working parties were sent
from each of the regiments, and though much annoyed by
the fire of the forts, they managed to effect more than we
have done any night since we 'began. Two Lancaster
guns were got into position and masked, and trenches and
platforms laid for 20 more heavy pieces of ordnance—six
68-pounders, the foundations and trenches for which had
been previously laid, were got into position.
All the trenches average about 2,000 yards' distance
from the enemy's works. Our first trench, including the
French and Turks, will only contain about 90 guns ; under
cover from the fire of this the second trench will be opened
700 yards from the enemy's batteries. This trench will
mount about 44) or 50 guns. if a breaching battery
becomes necessary, it will be placed 500 yards nearer, but
none of our engineers say that there is the least prospect
of such a battery being used ; indeed, after the earth-
works and batteries of the Russians are destroyed or
silenced, we have nothing to batter. If it is intended to
reduce Fort Constantine on the north, we shall require
to regularly invest the place, after the capture of Sebas-
topol ; but it is hoped that the loss of the town, shipping,
and all the other forts, will lead Fort Constantine to capi-
tulate--" Bakaloum " as the Turks say.
On the morning of the 12th, at about half-past one, a
sortie was made from Sebastopol ; all the troops were un-
der arms, and for about an hour we expected a night at-
tack and general action—indeed, for a short time, the
firing of both musketry and artillery was sharp on both
sides ; but it was a mere " skrimmage in the dark " in
which few were hurt. About one o'clock our picquets
and covering parties, who were lying down in front of the
trenches, heard an unusual commotion; it was almost im-
mediately followed by a tremendous fire of shot and shell.
The works had to be suspended, while the men, lying
down under cover, allowed the storm of balls to pass over
them : this lasted for a few minutes, and when it ceased,
the covering party on the left heard in the darkness the
approach of a body of men; they were coming by the
main road up the little valley, where the two Lancaster
guns are placed to command the ship, and where the six
68-pounder battery threatened the Round Tower. Our
covering parties and picquets advanced, and kept up a
smart fire upon the enemy. The working parties also
stood to their arms, and prepared for an attack. I was
sitting in my tent when the musketry began, and was
surprised that our troops did not turn out ; but we live in
an atmosphere of gunpowder smoke and amid the debris
of shell, so that we are not, as formerly, turned out at the
first alarm ; the fact is, we are getting used to fighting.
Time was when an unusual noise got our men under arms.
On the morning of the 12th, there was a sharp fire of
musketry for a quarter of an hour before a soldier stirred.
By that time, however, the skirmishing fire was so sharp
as to demand attention on the part of the authorities.
The French beat to arms ; our assembly sounded ; every
one was astir. The regiments had formed and fallen in
within a minute after the alerte was given ; they were de-
ployed into line. Some batteries of artillery harnessed and
limbered up,but did not advance. Thelight companies of re-
giments were thrown out to strengthen the picquets and
covering parties, and the instant the enemy found we
were prepared, they retired under their guns. As our
skirmishing had shown the position of our troops, and as
our generals knew that the instant the enemy re-entered
their works a heavy cannonade would be opened, the troops
were slightly moved. The picquets and covering parties
advanced and laid down, while the regiments were with-
drawn a hundred yards under the brow of the hill, and
lay down also. The wisdom of the caution was soon appa-
rent : before they had been five minutes in their position,
such a fire was opened from all the Russian works as
would have destroyed our men had they remained on the
spot where they had been last firing. The earth seemed
to shake with the concussion of the heavy guns, and for
ten minutes the shot and shell were roaring through the air
incessantly. The fire did very little harm—in fact, almost
none—and directly it slackened, and we saw we had nothing
further to fear from the enemy, the troops were withdrawn,
and returned to camp, having been an hour under arms. I
have only heard of a few casualties ; but wounds are now
looked on with such indifference, that unless there were a
smart mortality, we should never hear of it. I think we
had about 25 or 30 wounded, and lor 2 killed. It is also
reported we lost two sappers, who were surprised by the
rapid advance of the enemy, and either killed or taken
prisoners, most probably the latter. An officer of the 20th
was also wounded in the legs by the splinter of a shell.
A shell burst close to an aroba, against which I was lean-
ing, and killed one of the oxen; the splinter, as it is called,
weighed 4 lb., and went right through the body of a fine
bullock.

We got an excellent illustration, on the 11th instant,
of the formidable effects of the Russian gunnery. An
Austrian barque, laden with hay for the use of the com-
missariat, in coming down from Eupatoria to Balaklava,
wh6n close off Sebastopol the wind fell light, and the cur-
rent setting in, took her so close that, to avoid going on
shore, she had to sail past all the forts, at about 1,500
yards. Of course, as she came along, every gun pointed
to seaward from Sebastopol was brought to bear upon her.
Barely moving through the water at one-and-a-half knots
an hour, this unfortunate vessel began her course with a
probability of being sunk in about five minutes ; yet, to
the astonishment of every one, and there were hundreds,
both English and French, watching the occurrence from
the heights, not a shot struck her—they were either too
high or too low, too far forward or too far aft. I presume
the Austrian pilot got nervous when he had conducted his
vessel to a point where the fire of the Russian batteries
could be concentrated on her—he ran her aground : here
she lay for an hour and a half, when the crew abandoned
her, and the vessel was apparently left to its fate, for it
seemed impossible but that the Russians would sink her. ;
yet your readers would scarcely credit it, out of some 400
or 500 cannon balls fired -by the enemy, only four struck
her: Seeing the state of affairs, the Beagle (late carrying

two Lancaster guns) went coolly in, protectea Dy tne rire-
brand, and made preparations for towing the Austrian barque
out. The instant the attempt was seen, the Russians redou-
bled their fire,but the Beagle went alongsidethe barque, and
managed to get her in tow. While doing so two Russian fri-
gates came out of Sebastopol—ye
guns, and though the little lE1(

triau 1

not touch

in tne

The following order was issued by the Commander-in-
Chief on the 11th instant:—
"GENERAL ORDER.

" Camp before Sebastopol, Oct. 11,1854.
" The Commander of the Forces is sorry to have to ani-
madvert strongly upon the conduct of the medical depart-
ment, in an instance which came under his observation
yesterday. The sick were sent down from the camp to
Balaklava, under charge of a medical officer of the division
to which they respectively belonged ; but on their arrival
there, it was fount that no preparations had been made
for their reception. The Commander of the Forces is
aware that Deputy Inspector General of Hospitals, Dr.
Dumbreck, gave the necessary order verbally to the staff
medical officer at Balaklava ; but that officer neglected to
inform his superior, and the consequence was that the
sick, many of them in a very suffering state, remained in
the streets for several hours, exposed to very inclement
weather. The name of the officer who was guilty of this
gross neglect is known to the Commander of the Forces.
He will not now publish it, but he warns him to be care-
ful in future, and to be cautious how he again exposes
himself to censure. Dr. Dumbreck, will on future occa-
sions of importance, give his orders in writing, addressed
to the responsible officer. When a convoy of sick is sent
from the camp either to the hospital, or to be placed on
board ship, it is henceforward to be accompanied not only
by a medical officer, but likewise by the deputy assistant
quarter-master general of the division, who will precede it
to the place of deposit, and take such steps as may ensure
the due reception and care of the men confided to his
charge. " RAGLAN."

With reference to the defences of Sebastopol, the Journal
des De'bat says :—The site of Sebastopol consists of a series
of platforms running up a steep acclivity from the sea to
the high hills which tower over it at the distance of a league
and a half, and from the top of which is unfolded the whole
panorama of the town and harbour. Nearer that ensemble
ceases to be visible, and even the tops of
,the masts are no
longer seen, so deeply does the site sink down to the level
of the roadstead and of the port. From this configuration
of the ground it comes to pass that the town is built one
part over the other, so as to form an amphitheatre, like
Algiers, but better built, as its construction is quite
modern, dating from 1790. The transverse streets,
parallel to the roadstead, communicate with each other
only by steep ascents ; but at their extremities there are
lines of communication of a less abrupt character for
vehicles. The town contains several monuments, and,
among others, the churches, and principally all the build-
ings of the navy, the arsenal, the barracks, and the hos-
pitals. The population is about 40,000 in ordinary times,
including 20,000 soldiers or sailors. The 20,000 civil
inhabitants are employes of all kinds—persons from the
army and the navy on half-pay, a few shopkeepers, and
some workmen and fishermen. The reader must bear in
mind this fact, that, not one of the great forts situated
outside the town on the harbour can protect it against
attacks by land ; and that the two batteries of the Quaran-
tine, situated at the lower part of the outward ground,
cannot aid in its defence. When the Russian Govern-
ment conceived the plan of a great fortified place to com-
mand the Black Sea, it bad all these forts constructed at
an immense expense, and the doable and triple storey of
their casemated batteries give them such a formidable
aspect that they have been even compared to the fortifi-
cations of Malta. The roadstead and port are, in fact,
almost unattackable by sea, but the town itself was never
fortified—all that was done being to draw round it a weak
wall, merely intended to protect it against a coup de main.
The Russian Cabinet could never have imagined then, that
an Anglo-French army of 100,000 men would one day land
in the Crimea to lay siege to Sebastopol. At present, as
that extraordinary fact is being realised in the most
serious manner, it has been necessary to think of fortify.
ing the town on the land side, and that is what the
Russians have been doing for the last three months.
The Quarantine Bay on the west (the extreme left of
the attack) is defended by the double battery of the same
name. Near that spot is Fort Alexander, and by the side
of that fort a battery called the Battery of Sebastopol,
because it forms part of the town itself. From this bat-
tery rims a crenellated wall for musketry, about five-eighths
of an English mile in length, which runs up the steep hill
to the top, where is a large round fort with 20 guns on
the platform, and surrounded below by a battery, the
rampart of which is 20 feet high. The wall and the bas-
tion have a ditch in front, but there is neither covered
way nor glacis in front of this ditch. The French, being
charged with the attack on the left, will probably have to
bombard the fort, after which they will command the bay
as well as the Quarantine Battery, and even the whole of
the western side of the town. But they will have other
obstacles to overcome before arriving there. Under the
cannon of the round fort is situated a large fortified bar-
rack, which has been lately flanked by several strong
works. From that barrack runs a wall entirely surround-
ing the town, the port, and the arsenal, to beyond the
careening bason towards the Tchernaya, at the extremity
of the roadstead, which gives a development of from 31 to
5 English miles, including the sinuosities. This wall is
three feet thick, is crenellated, and has in front a ditch,
the earth of which has been thrown in front to form a
glacis covering the mason work in many places. This
wall is not terraced—that is, does not form a rampart
above on which artillery can be placed. Bat on the points
where, in a regular fortification, there would be bastions,
the Russians have raised batteries, in the form of cave-
liers, firing above the wall. The disarming of their line
of battle ships has furnished them with the Means of pro-
viding all their works with artillery of large calibre, and
they have, without doubt, plenty of men to serve them,
more or less expert. This imperfect system of fortifica.
tion cannot have any value, except by the tenacity of the
besieged, by their great number, and by the ability of the
engineers. The centre of the line is defended by the for •
of Akhtiar, raised on a high point at the top of the town
At a little distance from this fort commence three ravines
descending to the roadstead. One, on the west, termi-
nates by the Quarantine Bay; another, in the centre, cuts
the town into two unequal parts ; and the third, on the
east, descends right to the north to form the port, which
is the prolongation of that same ravine into the sea. It
is principally at the lower opening of this ravine, and on
the western side of the port, that are accumulated the
defences, for (even should the ships of the line be burnt
by the Russians) it is still important for them to prevent
all access to the port, particularly that of the faubourg of
Kerbelnaia, on the eastern side. If the besiegers on the
right, the English, seize on this faubourg, while the
French have made themselves masters of the round fort,
the town ' would find itself between two fires, and so
overwhelmed with bombs, balls, and shells, that no
garrison could remain there. But it is to be noted that
this garrison cannot be forced to capitulate, not being
blockaded, and that the Russians, when at the end of their
efforts in the town, will always be at liberty to cross the
roadstead, and take refuge in the forts on the northern side.
Among the works destined to defend the ravine of the
port, two great batteries in the form of towers are
mentioned—a recent construction, said to be built of
stone and brick. From want of time to raise a third tower
at the bottom of the fort, the Russians have placed a line-
of-battle ship to perform the duty of a battery against the
mouth of the ravine. Besides, the works are still going
on, night and day, without interruption. One-half of the
garrison is occupied with them, and all the able-bodied
inhabitants are obliged to take part in them. Sebasto-
pol is commanded almost on every side by hills rising one
over the other to a great height, as already stated. But
the nearest hills have been a long time back levelled by
works which lasted 12 years ; and the earth taken from
them was removed to the side of the Quarantine or to
certain hollows which might facilitate the approaches.
There is not, consequently, any height now commanding
the town within 500 or 600 yards of the place. But beyond
that radius the Russians occupied with strong redoubts
several elevated positions, which have forced the besiegers
to open the trenches at an unusual distance 1,600 to 1,800
metres from the place, it is said. Although these positions
were only fortified by earthworks, where a sudden assault
might be attempted, the allied generals have preferred
operating by rule to sacrificing good soldiers whose devoted-
ness and bravery will be required at a later period for de-.
cisive blows. .The redoubts of which we are speaking, were
to have been battered in breach, and taken, we cannot say
at what date. The besieging army will then be pushed
forward on that ground to make its trenches against the
place itself. However, outside the wall round the town it
will be necessary to batter down and destroy some works
protecting it on the weakest points. In fine, all these
works and constructions, raised in haste, cannot have the
stability and resistance of a real permanent fortification.
Although the Russians are provided with large cannon,
such pieces are not sufficient without good ramparts. It
is, besides, proved by the experience of all sieges that the
fire of the besieging party has always an advantage over
that of the very strongest place, because the fire of the
attack is always convergent, whereas that of the defence
is, on the contrary, divergent

DAILY COMMUNICATION WITH THE EAST.--The Paris
correspondent of the Independence Belge writes to that
journal that the French, English, and Turkish authorities
at Constantinople have combined to organise a service
which will supply a daily communication between the
Crimea and the capitals of England and France. A
steamer, it is said, will be despatched day by day as a rule
from Sebastopol, Balaklava, or some other convenient
port to Constantinople, where the intelligence it conveys
will be forwarded by courier to Bucharest, and thence
further to Cronstadt or Hermanstadt, both in Transylva-
nia, and the nearest respective termini of the Austrian.
telegraphic line. In the present and. expected state of
navigation and of the country to be traversed, it is not anti-
cipated that news will be transmitted under this arrange-
ment in a shorter space than eight or nine days. ThO ex-
tension of a telegraphic line from a point in the Austrian
system to Bucharest will abridge the interval by a day ;
but this work is not likely to be complete for a month or
five weeks.

MA.LIIVGERING.—A private of the Grenadier Guards
named Cumming, on hearing that his company were or
dered for the East, expressed his disinclination to go
abroad, and went to a retired part of the Wellington bar-
racks, when with a hatchet he chopped off the first and
second fingers of his left hand, He was conveyed to the
hospital in Rochester-row, and will be tried by acourt-
martial as soon as he has. recovered.

RUSSIAN WANT OF• AMMUNITION.—German letters
refer to the increasing scarcity of ammunition in Russia
and of the materials for manufacturing it. So severely is
this felt, that the Government at St. Petersburg is making
'very exertion to discover mines of lead, sulphur, or coals,
' will resume the working of those which have hitherto
The price of lead has risen from 1 florins
guivhur, also, owing to the blockade, is ex-

t human.

pence v

er sister, until they were relicived b: