New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-12-14
lent and in fair way of execution. A pivot hac

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know the soldiers they bad to deal with. The
British. surprised as they were. cOOly changed
their front from east 10 north, and met the assa
ing columns with deadly ire. And now 6ght
Lecan s1ch as has not occurred in Europe sIlce
the da, of Albuera, a. at Abuera the stubborn
Bravery of the British troops hsd to regain with
the blood of three -fourths of their number, l.
tie already Lost by the pTesumPtuous stupidity OF
their commander. 1t is fact, tn st at inkermana
there was more actual bayoset fighting than in
the whole Peninsular var. where the two bravest
armies Of their time combated each other for six
years From half past Fix to half-past nine about
5000 British stood the shock Of Russian army,
which, according to the Russians own statement,
had at least 80 900 men engaged. The frnuess
with which they again and again repulsed the
Russian attacks, made often with fresh troops, is
above all praise and il is doubtful whether any
other troops in Europe, except tbs best battal-
ions of Radetzks army, could have done the
same. This bravery, it must be said, was aided
by the nature of the position. The front toward
the east, was established Oh nights so abrupt that
they could not be forced. The knoll to the north.
occupied by the Russians was also separated
from these nights b. couple of rayines forming 50
msDy defles leading to TIE English position. Every
advancing column of the Russians was, therefore,
exposed to the full blowing FIRE of the British ar
tiilery, and had TO advance in close order mp to
the top Of the bishts before it could depl'y.
Weakened by the ERE Of the artillery, and, when
nearer. of the musketTy, the Russian columns ar
rived On the crest, and before they could dePloy
into line, discharge and a rush with the bAyo-
net II rev them down again. 1t was founf IN
this faht. that at close distances the Mimic bull
let has an immense superiority over the common
musket bullet whose force ofpenetration Is bare
" sufficient to kill one man. while a Mimic bul
let often killed four OF FIVE, and had telling ef
feet upon the deep Russian columns.
A. he British divisions came up, the Sight be-
cane general and extended upon q longer front.
The Russians, unable to make much head say, at
tucked the original front Of the British position
with their LETT, while their right tried TO pene
trate toward Seyas'opol. They succeeded, partly
iu esta li,bing themselves on the British nights
without, however, being able TO form regular
line Of battle. They tired 20 surround, and cat
up one by one the separate small bodies oi Brit
ish troops. I'll ugh the Struggle Was h'ri, and
the British fought wonderfully, yet they would
have been crushed in this unequal contest hid
not the French division of Bo,quet come up.
The ZouaTes and the Foreign Legion charged the
Russian left flank aud pletely rolled it up
while she Chameurs dAfrique found an occasion
TO charge, and the Russian infantry had TO reiire.
Thus. fourteen thousand allies, with loss Of
oDe.ihird e their number defeated tliry ihou-
sand RusaisDs, aud yet acknowledged that the
Russians, individually, fought very well, while
We have ,een that their generalship, as far as
the plan of attack was concerned was far
superior TO that of the Allies.
How. then, were they beaten Ii m1't be
said that most Of the troops engaged were the
broie en- and dispirted remnants Of the besegers
Of Sllistris, sDd it is certain that Dsnnenbsrgs
corps. next to O.teu Sacken's late corps, is at
present the worst in the Russian army. But this
was not the decisive crcuUsta The battle
was Lost next to the bravery OF the Engliih
through The etsent.lly Russian way in which it
was conducted. 1t is Russian warfare which has
succ,ubed to European warfare. And tlis 10
Tie Russian command or begins BY drawing up
a very gocd plan Of attack, borrowed from one
Of Napoleons most celebrated battles (f,r no
Russian General ever had an original thought,
not even S1yarof whose only orisinsl s. was thit
OF direct advance). He follows tlis up by setting
about its execution in the very best manner pos
sible He establishes himself on the enemy's
flank The SIR atepiral movement ia complsted:
the tactical perform ince begins. And here all at
once, the scientific aud learned mode of warfare,
the work Of western civilization is thrown away,
and the pure barbars SIN breaks forth. This splen-
did army, with its old troops, many Of whom had
been twenty-five years under arms, this model Of
parade drill, is so clumsy, so incapable of Skin
msbirg and Sighting in small bodies, that its Off
GERS can do nothing with it but throw iis heavy |
bulk in single mass upon the enemy. All idea |
of tactical msneuyeriDg is hbandOned advance,
advance, advance. is the only thing that can be
done. This dense macs Of living flesh was, of
course, by It's very cOmpscness the best mark
On arilleDmsn could wish for; aud while the
thin British lines lying down behind the crest of
the hill, were protected from FIRE, they ploTcd
up the deep columns with round shot, killing
them by tlir.ies ard forties at discharge, aud
rsined storm OF MIME bullets upon them hardly
one of which could miss target Of such extent.
The mere brute pressure, the weight this mass
waste break the allied lines. But here they found an
opponent acoustic ned TO that style of warfare The
British, in their Indian wars, have learned 70
withstand the shock of dense mssses even ii of