Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-10-21


the belief that the troops wanting in that ndomitable
spirit which will hold desperate position to the last
After the defeat the Alma four days must have suf
feed to bring the Allied army to the walls Of Sebastopo
and if the place to be taken at all by corpdemain
every thing depended the promptude OF the opera
ton One account states that the place was taken after
combined attack by and land another implies that
it surrendered without any serious resistance On these
points at present furnish further light; but
there is the strongest to anticipate that the grand
achievement on which the eyes OF the world and the
hopes of England and France fxed has already ter
minated this portion of the contest
Almost every stage of these operations has been ac
companied by circumstances of the suspicious cha
racter and in spite Of the momentary gloom which sick
and suspense threw the Allied armies Varna
have doubt that the delay which took place
trbuted to the completion and perfection Of those vast
preparations to which the Of the enterprise is
mainly attributable The armies have indeed deplore
loss and these tdings which win infame the
spirit of the nation with the joy Of victory must
many pang Of anxiety and uncertainty to the relatives
of those who have shared the honor and may share the
bitter cost of such riumphs But if the intelligence of
the fall of Sebastopol be confirmed ten days win have
suced to terminate the campaign Of the Crimea, and
the army viii be relieved from the perils and
hsrdshps of active warfare until the operations
sumed elsewhere
FROM THE LONDON TIMES OF OCTOBER 3.
The probability of the report that the fortress Of Sebas
topo together with the stores, feet and garrison of
the Russians had surrendered to the Allied forces the
25th ultmo is somewhat diminished by the fact that
up to the present hour official information been
received to confirm this important intelligence had
been that steamer conveying the of this event
to Constautinope met outside the Bosphorus by
another vessel which brought the intelligence to Varna
an official communication would at have been dis
patched by land from Constannople to Belgrade which
would probably have reached this country by this time
We also that the Banshee and the Caradoc of
the fastest despatch boats in the navy in attendance
the feet off the Crmea and that upon the occurrence
Of any decisive event. such the fall of sebastopo one
of them would be Immediately dispatched to Marselles
direct and would reach that port in Eve at most six
days. The communication by telegraph from Marseiles
to Paris and London is instantaneous. IT, therefore, the
place had actually fallen Monday, the 25th now eight
days ago, should probably have learned the
renee by this route also On the other hand the ntel
gence with which the Turkish Minister has favored
most explicit bears all the stamp Of authenticity, and
is snguary confirmed in its statement Of the loss in
and guns by that which has reached from Paris and
Vienna. IT, therefore, in the absence of precise official
information we entertain doubt the complete
that this intelligence will speedily be confirmed,
and that long before the present time, Sebastopo has
ceased to be stronghold of the Russian empire.
Marshal ST. Arnaud in his brief despatch of the 20th
from the bvouac Of the Alma describes the course of
that river almost in the terms which had en-
ployed in examining the of these operations before
they took place The channel Of the Alma is woody
ravine studded with houses and having steep slopes
the left bank, which strongly intrenched and
cred by heavy guns In 'front.' that river could only be
passed at three points Nevertheless these formidable
positions stormed by the Allies with the utmost gall
antry and complete success, and the enemy compelled
to retreat.
We have received reports though still Of vague and
uncertain character Of subsequent with the
enemy the ed and 28d and is highly probable that
the Allied armies followed up their victory by advancing
to the Kacha and the Bebeck fast circumstances
would permit. The want Of cavalry in the French and
English armies and indeed the probable superiority
the Russians in that ARM would render less easy for
them to harrass the retreat Of beaten army and to
pete its destructon but may be presumed that if the
Russians made any attempt to take up fresh position
such defensibe points might be found between the
Allies and the fortress of Sebastopol they rapidly
disodged and pursued without delay to their chief re-
treat.
Sebasopol it is represented to in the numerous
plans which have been produced for this OCCASION is not
of those places fortified such degree by human
nature and art that army may retire to feet
main in safety within it. On the contrary it is admitted
all hands that the possession positions in the
hills above the town would unavoidaby the loss
destruction of the place. 1t is by improbable
therefore, that the 18th the armies had reached the
walls of Sebastopo and they may has been stated
have struck such terror into the beseged the rapidly
and success of their progress that capitalization may
have been hastily made. If this supposition is too ia
vorable to operations and if the siege Of the place
had to be commenced in FORM further preparatory
be scarcely time For instance the siege train the two
armies which had not been disembarked, would be
quired and certainly cannot imagine that this was
landed and planted in position between the and 23d
AL the accounts of Sebastopol and all the military
opinions have heard in pointing to the north
side of the harbor the assailable point in the
works. From the superior elevation of the ground if
the Allied forces are in possession of the heights
round about of any part Of them even without hay
ing reduced all the forts which crown these hills it is
evident that the port, the feet in it, and possibly the
town itself would be commanded and from such point
If once attained the whole place is the mercy Of
enemy for the fleet could easily be burnt In the harbor
by shells and rockets and such confagraton would
soon extend to the town ITSELF
The principal fort the north side Of the harbor is
large octagonal battery the height which is described
as unfinished In the plans recently published Nearer to
the end Of the promontory and still the height is the
telegraph battery Of seventeen guns and probably some
other field works Entertainments been thrown up
the other line of bills But it must be observed that
this portion Of the defended by any external
wall any impediment which stop the energetic
assault Of soldiers The celebrated marine forts of
Constantine, Alexander and Nicholas situated the