The true Democrat., 1854-11-22
The Battle of the Alma.

The Battle of the Alma.
 The New York papers contain volumnious accounts of the battle of the Alma, and the operations of the allies which preceded it. - We take the following from the correspondence of the London Times
 HeigHts above Alma, Sept 21st.-The Alma is a tortuous little stream, which has worked it's way down through red clay soil, deepening it's course as 1t proceeds seaward, and which drains the steppe-like lands on its right bank. making at times pools and eddies, too deep to be forded, though it can generally be crossed by waders who are not afraid to wet their knees It need not be said the high banks formed by the action of the stream in cutting through the soil are sometimes at one side. sometimes at another, according to the sweep of the stream. At the place where the bulk of the British army crossed the banks are gen. erally at the right side, and vary from two and three to six or eight feet in depth to the water; where the French attacked the banks are gene rally formed by the unvaried curve of the river on the left hand side.
 A remarkable ridge of the mountain. varying in heighth from 800 to 700 feet runs along the course of the Alma on the left or south side with the course of the stream, and assuming the form of cliffs when close to the sea. This ridge is marked all along its course bv deep gullies, which run toward the river at various angles. and serve, no doubt, to carry off the floods produced by the rains and melting of the winter snows on the hills and table lands above, At the top of the ridges, between the gullies. the Russians had erected earthwork batteries. mounted with 32 tb. and A fb brass guns. SUD- ported by numerous field pieces and howitzers. The guns enGladed the tops of the ravines pa rallel to them, or swept them to the base, while the whole of the sides up which the enemy. unable to stand the direct fire of the batteries, would be forced to ascend, were filled with masses of skirmishers armed with an excellent two-grove rifle, throwing large solid conical ball with force at 700 and 800 wards, as the French learned to their costr
 The principal battery consisted of an earth work of the form of two sides of triangle. with the apex pointed directly at the bridge. and the sides covering both sides of the stream. corresponding with the bend of the river below it, at the distance of 1000 yards, while, with a fair elevation, the 32 pounders threw, as we saw very often, beyond the houses of the vil- lage to the distance of 1,4OO and 1,5OO wards. This was constructed on the brow of the hill about 600 feet above the river, but the hill rose behind it for another fifty feet before it dipped away towards the road. The ascent of this hill was enfladed by the fire of the three bat teries of earthwork on the right and bv anoth- CT on the left; and these batteries were equally capable of covering the village, the stream and the slopes which led up the hill to their posi- tion. In the lst battery there was 13 32 pound brass guns of exquisite workmanship, which told only too well. In the other batteries were some 25 guns in all. It was said the Russians had 100 guns on the hills and 10000 men, GAO battallions of infantry 1000 strong each of the 18th, 3lst, 32d and sgd regiments.)
 We were opposed principally to the 18th and 32d regiments, judging by the number of dead in front of us. 1 have not been able to ascer. tain by whom they were commanded but there is general report that Menchikoff commanded the army in chief that the left was under Gorts- chakoff, relative of the diplomatist, and that the right was under Bodahoff, the military go- vernon of Sebastopol. It is also affirmed thai the carriage of Menschikoff was taken, and il it was found copy of despatch addressed tc the Emperor, in which the prince stated tha 10000 men might take Sebastopol but that 80, GOO men could be held in check for weeks by the position of the Alma. It is said the Rus sians had taken range of all the principal point! in their front, and placed twigs and sticks tc mark them. In this they were assisted by the post signboards on the road.
 The Russians opened furious fire on the whole of our line but the French had not vel made progress enough to justify us in advanc ing. The round shot whizzed in every direc tion, dashing up the dirt and sand into the face of the staff of Lord Raglan, who was shelle( severely, and attracted much of the enemies fire Still Lord Raglan waited patiently fo the development of the French attack. A length an aided camp came to him and re- ported that the French had crossed the Alma but they had not established themselves suffi ciently to justify us in an attack. The infantr, were therefore, ordered to lie down, and th army, for short time, was quite passive, onl, that our artillery poured forth an unceasing fir of shell, rockets and round shot, which plowet through the Russians and caused them grea loss. They did not waver, however, and re piled to our artillery manfully, their shot falln among our men as they lay, and carrying o1 legs and arms at every round.
 Lord Raglan at last became weary of this in activlty-his spirit was up-he looked aroun and saw men on whom he knew he might stalk the honor and fate of Great Britain by his sldt and, anticipating little in a military point view the crisis of the action, he gave orders te our whole line to advance. Up rose these SCI ried masses and passing through fearful show ! CT of round case shot and shell, they dashe into the Alma and floundered' through i waters, which were literally torn into foam | the deadly hail. At the other side of the riv ' were number of vineyards, and, to our SUI