Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1854-12-21
THE RATTLE OF
The BI0Odiest engagement Of
the Eastern War.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE wa

battle,
9Th of November, and vet il was not till the 2Sd
the reports OF the Allied commanders and
Of the correspondents of the leading journals
reached London. Very brief accounts OF the
affair were brought 10 this country by the two
recent steamers, but nothing in sufficient de-
tail to enable Us 10 form any satisfactory
Judgment on the features of the struggle. To-
day, however, the mails of the Pacific enable
US 10 furnish the most complete accounts OF
the whole, including the dispatches Of Raglan
Canrobert and Menchikotf, with the very ex-
.cellent and spirited letters Of the special cor
respondents Of the London Times and the
Morning Herald, both Of which journals are
served on the spot by writers of distinguished
ability. With al these, and other documents
at hand, we proceed to analytic the story oil
the battle, with a view TO enable our renders
to arrive at an impartial and intelligent opin-
ion concerning ii.
"Like the Prussians al Jena, the British
forces facing toward lnkermann were stationed
on a range of heights accessible in front by a
few defles only. Like the PrussianS, the
British had altogether neglected 10 occupy an
CiCNullOl Uu tHCn CAtlClnC IT'LL Ou NHiShi i"N
Napoleon att ena, Menchikof threw a portion
OF his army-there establishing himself upon
the flank of tie enemy before day-break.-
The intention Of the Russians was evidently
TO profit by the circumstance in order to bring
the mass of her troops 10 bear upon the flank
of the British, TO deploy on The heights thus
secured, and crush the British divisions as they
came up Singly during the fatal but inevitable
maneuver of changing their front, or to ''roll
them up" as it is technically called. othiS
maneuver Napoleon owed his brilliant success
over an army which, though clumsy, slow,
and badly commanded, was yet at that time
the best of the old continental armies. The
rapidity of his movements, executed with
troops verSed in the new mode OF warfare in
troduced by the American War Of Independ-
ence, by the French Revolutionary wars, and
by Napoleon himself, favored this bold stroke.
Here, at l%nkermann, il was with slow and
clumsy troops that MenchikoG attempted this
same surprise upon the active and quick. mo-
wing troops OF the British and French; and the
result was accordingly the opposite of that al
Jena.
"The negligence shown by The British in
the manner OF occupying their positions is III
ierly dlSgracelul to their commander. There
is no excuse, either, for the non occupation
of the knoll OH The south side OF Cheradya, or
for the absence OF field works in this important
position, for the attack of which, as he well
knew, many thousand Russians were coneen-
trating. The russians, as we have said, prof
tied by this neglect at once, by occupying the
bnUll al the north end Of the lange, forcingthe
British position with heavy field artillery
he British papers say the Russians mad lwen-
ty- four and lhirly-two Founders in the field,
but this only shows their utter ignorance in
military matters. The transport OF their own
artillery from Balaklnva TO The trenches should
have shown then that twenty four and thirty.
two FOUNDERS cannot be taken into the field,
much less into a night surprise. The fact is,
what they call twenty four and thirty-two
FOUNDERS were howitzers, having a caliber
similar to that Of the twenly-fOu and thirty.
two pound gun, but in fact light field guns,
not beavier than the British field howitzers.-
The howiizer, throwing a hollow projeciile
with a small charge, and obtaining range by
elevation chiefly, can be made OF a larger bore
than the cannon for solid Shot. The twenty
four pound howitzer corresponds in weight
and effect with the six pound gun, aud the so.
called thirty-two pound tabout six inch) how
ltzets 10 twelve FOUNDERS; these lowitzers are
attached in The Russian service to the bate
ries of these calibers. This shows how igno.
rance and national vanity unite in manufaciu-
ring heroes and enhancing The sloIy Of a ma
TONS arms.
$50 far everything went in favor OF The Rus
slams. Their generalship has proved far Supe-
rlor 10 that of Lord Raglan. Their plan wos
excellent, and IN a fair way OF execution. A
pivot Tad been secured aud the enemy's flank
was:turned. Immense superiority of numherS;
ready 10 attack the long aud weak line. Of the
British at lis weakest point, appeared to be a
guarantee Of final success. But!he Russians
did not yet fully know the ~siluiels they had IL
deal with. he British, surprised as they
were, cody changed their front from east 10
north, and met the asSailing columns with q
deadly fire. And now a fight. began such as
has not occurred in Europe since The day OIL
Albuera, the stubborn bravery of the British
troops had TO regain, with The blood Of three
fourtLs their number, q battle already lost b,
presumptuous stupidity Of their commander
1t is a TACT that al lnkermann there was more
actual bayonet-fghting than in the whole
PenlDsular war, where the two brayest armie,
of their time cOmbated each other for sly
years. From hali-pasi six to half past nine
about eight thousand British stood the sbocl
oil a Russian army, which according to the
RuSslaHS' " statement, had at least 81 ,00(
men engaged. The firmness with which thel
again and again repulsed the Russian al
lacks, made often with fresh troops, is abov,
all praise, and IL is doubtful whether any othe
troops IN Europe, except The the best battal
OF Radelakrs army, could have done the same
This bravery, 1t must be said, was aided b,
the naulre Of The position. The front towart
the east was established on nights so abrup
that they could not be forced. The knoll /,
The north, occupied by the Russians, was alsl
separated from these heights by a couple O
I%aVlnes, lormlng So ma1yoefles leading 10 TN
English positions. Every advancing column
of The Russians was, therefore, exposed TO tn
full blowing fire OF the British artillery, an,
had 10 advance in close order up 10 the top O
the heights before 1t could deploy. w eakene,
by the fire of the artillery and, when nearer
OF the musketry, the Russian columns arrive
ON The crest, anu, before they could deploy int
line, a discharge and a rush tire them dow
again. 1t was lound in tins, fight that, at clos
distances, the Mimic bullet has an immens
superiority over the common muSket bullet
whose losce OF penetration is barely ~suficien
to klll one man, while a MIME bullet ofte
killed four or FIVE, and had a telling effec
upon the deep Russian columns.
Gas the British division came up, the fgl
+ became general and extended upon a longe
front. The Russians, Unable to make head
way, attacked the original front Of 1.-THE Bril-
} ish position with their left, while the rgl