New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-26
HreHrs ABOVE ALMA, Thursday, Sept. 81, 1854


teced by line Of skimishers u cavalry and Of horse
artillery The advantage of the formation was that
our army, in of strong attack from cavalry aud
infantry the left rear could assume the form of
hollow square with the baggage in the center. Our
great object 10 gain the right of the position,
that attacking parties could be sheltered by the
vertical fire of the fleets
We had in fact, altered base of operations.
As We marched forward to Bou.janak we allowed the
enemy to deprive Of our old basis OF operations, in
order that we might get new o0e For this purpose
the baggage was brought up and covered by the 18th
Div sioD and The Cos-aoks allowed to sweep the
country in our rear far behind u.s. Our new principle,
in fact, was To open communication with our fleets,
ard far possible, obtain their material and moral
aid In advancing toward the sea obliquely, on the
morning Of the 10Th, we were met by seventeen squad
of cavalry, depoyed to meet our handful Of
horse and il vas necessary 10 make q demonstration
of artillery and infantry TO extricate our from
the difficulty into which they had been plunged by
advancing too far in front of their supports. How
ever the enemy were driven back by our guns, which
made beautiful practice, aid the cavalry maintained
their ground, having retired in splendid srder be-
fore force which refused to meet them when they
II ight have done so, by charge down from the
elevated position they occupied, with a fair chance
of an encounter ere artillery could come up
Our line of march on the 10th, as have said,
toward the right Of our former base, and brought
in contact with the French left under Prince
Napoleon, il being understood that SIR DE Lscy
Evans's division, on our extreme right should act
in concert with that OF his Imperial Highnes the
Prince, which was of course furthest from the Sea-
As soon as we had sscertsned the position of the
aess accurately, the whole line, extending itself
across the champaign country for some i've , or sI
halted 10 obtain little time TO gather up rear
and then the troops steadily advanced in grand lines
like the waves of the ocean, with our LEFT fit
tered away as it were into q foam Of skirnishers
under Colonel Lawrence and Major NorcOtt Of the
Rifle Brigade Cd battalion, covered by squadrons
of the 18th and sth Hussars, and portions of
the 4th, 18th Light Dragons and 18th Lanoers.
This was sight Of inexpressibe grandeur, aud for
the first time struck with the splendid
appearance Of our infancy in line in the distance.
Red is the color aft all and the white sashings
of the the breast of the coat and the cross-belts,
though rendering man conspicuous enough, give
him an appearance Of size which other uniforms do
not produce. The dark French columns our right
looked very email compared 10 our battaiions though
we knew they were quite rs strong but the marching
OF our allies laden they with all their packs,
&c, wonderful-the pace at which they went
WIS really killing" 1t was observed, too that
staff was more conspicuous and more numerous
than the staff of our brave friends. Nothing strikes
the eye al such dit iDce as cooked hat and bunch
of white cocks feather aud several of our best Of
icers very wisely DOTTED the latter ad0rnmen think
ing that they were quite conspicuous enough by their
advanced position on horseback and by the number
Of their staff around them.
The scheme of operations concerted between the
generals and chiefly suggested to Lord Raglan, twas
said, by MN. Marshal st. Armand and Gen Canrob-
ert, wes, that the French and Turks on our right
were 10 force the passage Of the river vuet OF toe
Alma, and establish themselves the nights over the
stream at the opposite side 20 that they could enade
the position to their right ana opposite TO left and
center. The Alma is tortuous little stream, which
has worked its way down through a red clay soil,
deepening its course as it proceeds Stewards and
which drains the steppe Ike lands on its right bank,
making at times pools and eades too deep to be ford
ed Though it generally be crossed by wsders who
do not fear 10 wet their knees Ii need not be said
hat tba ioh han hv fha Of no
sire in cutting through the soil sometimes at
side sometimes at another; according to the sweep
Of the stream.
At the place where the bulk of the British army
crossed, the banks generally at the right side, and
vary from two and three TO SIX eight feet in depth
to the water; where the French attacked the banks
are generally formed by the UNMARRIED curve Of the
river on the efhand side Along the right or north
bank of the Alma q number of Tartar houses, at
times numerous and close enough 10 form cluster of
bsbitatons deserving the name OF hamlet, at times
scattered wide apart amid little vineyards, surrounded
by walls Of mud and stone Of three feet in hight.
The bridge ever which the post road passes from Bull
ganak TO Sevssopol runs close TO Of these ham
ets-s village, in fact, Of some fifty houses. This
village IL approached from the north by q road wind.
ing tbroue plain nearly level till il comes near to
the village where the ground dips, so that at the
distance Of three hundred yards q man on horse
back hardly the tops Of the nearer
and more elevated houses. and only
certain the position Of the stream by the will
lows and yerdure along its banks At the
left or south side Of the Alma the ground assumes
very different character-smooth where the bank ID
deep and greatly elevated where the shelve of the
bank occurs, it recedes for few yards moderate
hight above the stream, pierced here and there BY
the course Of the winters torrents to form small
ravines, commanded, however, by the nights above.
II these upper nights that the strength OF the
Russian position consisted. A remarkable ridge OF
mountain varying in hight from 500 TO 700 feet rams
along the OF the Alma the left south side
with the course of the stream and assuming the form
Of cliffs when close to the sea- This ridge IL marked
all along its course by deep gues, which run toward
the river al various angles and serve no doubt 10
carry of the foods produced by the rains and the
melting OF the winter the hills and table
lands above At the top OF the ridges, between the
gullies the Russians bad erected earnwork batteries
mounted with D. n snd % fb brs-s guns supported
by numerous field pieces and howi'zers. These gus
enfsded the tops Of the ravioes parallel 10 them or
swept them TO the base, while the whole Of the sies
pwhich an enemy, unable TO stand the direct fire of
the batteries would be forced To ascend were filed
with masses OF skirmisher. armed with an excellent
two groove rife, throwing large solid conical ball
with force 700 and zoo yards the French learnt %
their cost. The principal battery consisted Of an
ssrthwork Of the form of two sides of triangle With
the apex pointed toward the bridge and the sides
covering both sides of the stream CORES oopdiny
with the bend in the below IT, az the Dis lance OF
LOCO yards whie with fair ele alton the 32-poand-
ers threw as We saw very often, beyond the houses
Of the village TO the distance Of / 400 and l. 500
yards. This WIS constructed on the brow Of hill
about coo feet above the river but the hill rose be-
hind il for another so feet before il dipped away TO-
ward The road. The ascent Of The hill vas enflssed
by the fire Of three batteries of earth sork ON the
night, and by smother on the ef and these batteries
were equally capable Of covering the village, the
stream sId the slopes which led up the hill 10 their Do
srion. In the first battery were 10 - FOUNDER bras
guns of exquisite workmanship, which only told too
we'll In the other batteries were some 25 guns in all II
Was said the Russians bad 100 guns on the hills and