The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1854-12-02

vatlOn.
The allies have now about two hundred
IgunS in position, and in a few days opera
tions may be expected to commence. Two
great difficulties are spoken Of as likely to
delay success or cause it to be more dearly
purchased. 1t is impossible to attack the
Iplace by regular siege operations, for the
earth on every side of Sebastopol is found
to be less than foot in depth: in some
places the solid rock is only four inches b..
| low the surface. This quite disposas of the
|qu stion of parallels, zigzags, aud all tn
Iengn,e ering techncalities which come under
the name of regular approaches. 1t only re-
mains to batter the wall and forts at ID long
range, and then to carry the place by assault.
! However, little is lost BY the impossibiity
OF proaecutuga a regular siege, for there is no
doubt that at this season Of the year such
op rations would extend over term TOO long
! to be ventured on with safety to the cxpe-
|dition. The second difficulty consists in the
fact of the ground being divided by ravines,
so that the troops marching up to the assault.
| will be separated, and the different bodies
unable to render assistance 10 each other
| The English who are in the post of honor,
at six miles distance from their ships, and
who have to drag their artillery and supplies
! from Balaklava over a rocky road, will have
the hardest task. They hold the summit Of
a ridge and at long range can fire with
some effect on the Russian outworks, but as
! they descend the slope their force is broken
! into two or three parts, while they are ex-
IpOsed to a fire similar to that which destroy
ed SO many brave men at Alma.
The French and Turks, on the left, will be
| less exposed. and their efforts will be proba-
! bly directed to make breach in the wall
which secures the western side Of S.basto-
pol. The labor of our allies has as vet been
far inferior TO our own. The French rest Oh
| Cape Chersonese, and are within three miles
of their ships, in a position where they may,
indeed, suffer from the fire of the garrison,
but are protected from the attack Of the
Russian army which holds the field. 1t is
now asCertained that eight Russian ships
have been sunk at the entrance of the
! bay. They are in two lines. the second line
covering the interstices of the first The
bay at the point where they lie is about seven
hundred yards across, so that the entrance is
Iettectually barred to shps-of. the. line, though
steamers might manage to obtain an en-
trance, the more so as the masts of the sunk
Ell vessels still indicate their position. At
the head of the harbor, which runs up TO
the east of the town, a large line of battle
ship--probably the Twelve Apostles-'s
moored. and can b. used as a battery, hrt
there can be no doubt that it will be speet y
destroyed By the fire of the English guns
They have established steam ferry between
the town and the north side of the bay. By
which they can be reinforced by the troops
marched down from the interior or retreat
when the town is no longer tenable. The
arrival of Luders is now announced as Ger
tain, and report says that Gortschakof him
self is present, either in Sebastopol or with
the army which is to operate in the field
The Russians appear TO be we'll provided
with ammunition. They every now and
then fire shot at the allies, but from the
great distance, this desultory warfare has
little effect.
AS to the strength of the garrison, all pre-
tense at accurate conjecture must be vain;
but the information given by deserters, as
well as the observation of British officers,
leads to the belief that the Russian soldiers
within the town and its outworks amount
to nearly 10000 men. Besides these there
are the 10000 sailors of the fleet, all OF
whom have been taken out of their ships to
man the batteries. Such a force might. in
deed defend the place for months, if factuated
| by such courage and fanaticiSm as inspired
the Turks at SiliStria. 1t is about thrice as
great as is actually required by the extent of
the Notifications, and might perhaps create
co,,f,-;,>, a Is la a.