The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-26

NOT bad, and toe effect Of their cid would have been
bstween the Queen and tie Russians, 80 as
to prevent that ship from engaging aatil , she
was anchored ali along TIE left point Of the en-
trance 1t distance Of about 800 yards. The Aga
memnon poured In an incesant fYe on Fort Con-
s.antne, and at about O'Clock great explosion
damage for the Russian fire sackened considerably
for nearly half an hour. But from the distance of
the vessels the shot could have little effect on the
stone walls Of the forts and the British were exposed
batteries, the work OF the last few motifs. II ap
pears that the enemy have constructed sunk bat
terry of great power be ween Fort Constantine aud
the hill which lies further in The effect of this when
it opened on the British line was very great. The
Agamemnon about 1 O'Clock was very much
cut about, and was obliged to haul of,
and her place was taken BY the Sanspareil.
The Albion received several shells close to
the waterlne, and was once or twice on fire. She
is expected down here hourly to repair damages.
The Arethusa experienced nearly as much damage;
her hull ID very much injured. She has four men
killed and twenty wounded. At about o'clock
was from this that the chief damage arose, as many
Of the ships were on fire three or four times. The
sunk battery was never injured, but Fort Constan-
tine and the Quarantine Fort must have had many
of their guns dismounted. Finding that there vas
no 20 ibillty of making any impression on the forts
from the distance at which the ships were placed,
and that any effect was only temporary, and con-
sisted merely il driving the Russians from their
guns 1t resolved to retire, more particularly as
II was growing dark, and al idea Of stormiu9 the
place that day had been given over on account Of
the unsatisfactory nature Of the operations on tbs
land side.
TParis Nov 81 Correspondence of London Times.1
Aprivate letter from ConstAntir ople, Of the 25th
of October speaks as follows OF the recent opera
tions before Sebastopol:-
Tie fire opened on The 17:h. That Of the Russians
~~~t. - h.
even more active than that Of the allies. Towards
the evening the advantage was decidedly to the as
sailants. The attack by sea took pla smulta-
neously, but il must be admitted that ON This side
English ships suffered good deal The Iufernsl
ard the Albion are here for repairs. The Retribu-
tion has lost her two masts. The Vile de Paris has
been also much injured by two shells; the Captain
in command killed. The Charlemagne, the Fried.
land and the Montebello have been equally maltreat
ed The fire continued on the lSthand 10th Nth sus
tanned ess, though slow The breach was open on
the goth all sides were the Russian bat
teries dismounted than they were re established, 50
that there was some hesitation about giving the as
saul. Nevertheless il Is probable that the first forts
are taken ct the moment write. General Boquet Is
with his division at the rear, in order to guard
against an attack from without. Befo he occu-
pied the advantageous position which he holds at
present reinforceEents had reached Sebas'opo--
but the exact number OF troops the Russians have
the Russian batteries ia directed by Prussian officers
The fire OF the enemy is of remarkable accuracy AS
to the sorties which have been attempted by the be-
s.eged they Only ended in leaving prisoners in the
hands OF the allies. The Russians had desired to
profit by the explosion OF a French powder maya.
zine to issue from the Iamparts and turn to their
advantage the confusion occasioned by th.t acci-
dent. Ttey were repulsed and driven back to the
town In less than half an hour. The allies suffer
from want Of Hate- aud fuel. 1t is false that dis.
mi:sals have taken place among the officers of the
French corps Of engineers.
The French government has received from Vice.
Admiral Hame!in the following despatch =
VILE DE PARIS, (before Kstcha,) O,t. Is, 1854.
MONSIEUR LIE MINIsTRE:-ln my leste: OF the 18th
of October announced to your Excellency that /
had embarked With all my staff board the frigate
Mogador, in order to anchor as near possible to
the Flench headquarters, and arrange with the
Generslin-Chief general attack by the land and
sea forces az snst Sebastopol on the day when the
fire Of the siege batteries should commence. On the
14th had an interview with Gen. Can,obert, whose
views were in conformity with mine. On the 18th
meeting of the Animals of the allied squadrons
took place on board the fdgate Mogador, and the
arrangements for the general attack were made with
common accord, and were then submitted to the
Generals Of the land forces, who heartily agreed to
them.
This general attack was fixed for the 18th, tbs
dsv of the opening of the fire of the siege batteries
With respect to the squadrons, they were to effect
what folows:-The French squadron undertook to
about cables length, to operate against the
$50 guns of the Quarantine Battery, the yo bate
ries of Fort Alexander, and the battery Of the Ar
tilsry.
Tie English squadron had to attack towards the
rocks to the NORTH at about the same distance, the
100 guns OF the Constantine Battery, the cele-
graph Battery, and the Macmillan Tower to the
moth.
If your Excellency would imagine line traced
along the entry to Sebastopol from the east to the
west, that line would separate into two parts the
locality Of the attack which devolved upon each
The Turkish Admiral. with two vessels, all that
he retained at the time, was to cast anchor to the
north of the two French linesthat Is to saw in an
intermediate position between the English and
French vessels. On the morning Of the 18th, the
attack OF the siege batteries commenced; but, as
the weather was calm, it was necessary to attach
the ships Of the lire to the steam frigaes before
developing against sebastopol the line Of the
twertysix ships Of the allied squadrons. Never
tbeess in spite of this difficulty and tho separation
which had taken place between the ships Of the
allied squadrons, part Of which had anchored at
Kamisch, and part before the Kat cha, have the
satisfaction to announce to your Excellency that
twelve ii the day. uKlet the Gre Of the batteries Of
Sebasopol, which they stood against at first during
mere than half an hour without replying. few
minutes afterwards they replied vigorously to the
their small number. Afterwards, the other French
and English vessels successfully arrived, and the
attack became general.
Towards halEpast two o'clock the fire Of the Rus
sian batteries slackened it was stopped at the
Quarantine Battery. This was the exict object de.
sired by the French squadron, but our firing was
redoubled and continued without interruption till
night.
At the time ! am writing to your Excellency /
am not aware OF what was the success of our siege
batteries, whose fire had commenced before ours,
and which attacked the Russian Notifications on the
land eide.
II the Russians had not clo,ed the en.rsn,e to
Sebastopol by sink two ships Of the line and two
igses, do no. doubt that the vessels of the squad
rons, after the first fire, would have been able sue
cessfuly to enter the port and place themselves in
commubicaion with the army. Perhaps they would
not have lost maey more men in doing this than we
have Cow to regret; but the extreme measure which
tbe enemy adopted Of sacrificing portion Of his
ships forced us to c0nne ourselves to attacking for
five hours the batteries of Sebastopo -wisa the
object Of silencing them more or less, f occupying
great many men Of the garrison at the guns, and
of giving thus to our army material as well as moral