Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-12-23
Important Private Intelligence from Russia


Mr.. 7 T. Shnffncr. Secretary Of the American
Telegraph Company, recently returned from Rns-
sin. hn- favored rs with some interesting iilfnr-
matiun on public opinion there IN relation TO the
Crilucan campaign, and the prospects Of the war.
Mr.. Sbafiner left the capital after the battle oi
the 9th October.
When the rel ort reached ST. Petersburg that
the Allied force had actually smiled from Warm,
| it was scarcely credited TINT nm invasion OF the
] rrimea " n seriously contemplated. The events
/ which hive subsequently tuken place IN that Fen
I insnn hnvc sufficiently proved this. N"holas
! never tnnclcd TINT the expedition would he I'M
drrtukrn in the face of n severe winter. He gave
the nllied commanders more credit than (" sup
pose lint they would r-k the defeat. and perhaps
the total annihilation If their nrmv. The climnic
If the country aud the tcmpe~tunus scHs"n "i the
ycnr. - nenr NJ hnud. n hostile to the Eng
li-h aud French ~ they were favorable to the
Russians. IN the middle Of October, the storms
which hive already wrecked - many of the in
vading fleet begin 10 sweep with rcsi~tlrss Jury
over the Black Sea, mud render the transport ot
troops often impossible, and always attended
with more or less danger. The regular supply
of provisions and ammunition Is then prccarlons
aud. in II country where no food can br obtained,
the situation of hostile army under the most ia
yoruhlc circumstances must hc critical IN the OK.
trpnc. Hence the Crmea was the last point IN
hi dominions where Nicholas anticipated an at
tack. The danger H. conceived lay III Poland aud
nlone the Austrian lr,l.irs.and there three hun
drrd thousand men were under arms ready To
meet H.
When. therefore the allied forces landed AT
Eupntorn. the Russian commander was almost
tnlcn by surprise. His whole available forces III
the frmea amounted only 10 some 26,OOO men,
including the garrison If Scbastopol. Hoin
Gfecment-. however, could be brought up within
"A forinighrs time, aud provided sufficient delay
4 - 1 Al
wcro sair. In Prince Menschkofi's despatch
sent Ia st Petersburg before the bnttlc of the
Almn, the plan of the campaign was distinctly
laid down. He was to hold the allies in cheek by
scrles Of engagements, rctfeatlng,tt unsucccSs-
full on the city There hc expected to receive
the powerful aid of librnnd- division. But if this,
from any unfortunate accdenl did not arrive,
aud he found it impossible 10 defend Scbastopol
with the force under his command, he intended 10
blow upthn forts, sink the ~lip-, and bold off un-
I'll, with an increased army, he could offer the
enemy battle with hopes of success Pursuant to
ihis plan -krmi~h first took place near Eupa-
torn, III which the Ru-sans lost ,5lO men, oc-
cn-loned chiefly hy the guns Of the allied vessels.
This nfair has been scarcely noticed in the re
port, we have rccciycd Al Alma the Russians
declared they had but -, UOO men, and after the
hattle they cuubc 10 retreat in good order
10 thr city. They expected ihlt the allies would
speedily follow Mcnschkon even declared in
his dispatches TO the Car that, by vigorous as
>auli, the stronghold might nj this time have been
captured. For such result lie seems t. have
been fully prepared. But when he saw that the
allies hrsitntcd to advance his hopes of defend
ing the place were strengthened. Couricrs morn
ing aud evening, were sent IL 81. Petersburg with
the intelligence that the enemy hnd not altered
his position. Aud when at last the enemy did
press forward, and invest portion of the city,
the anxious ~ pNui cited rpinorcpnpntS, under Ii