Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-12-15
The Wa in the Criinea

Inc :" al III tnc ClInEd
We find the annexed letter from Paris IN the
New York Times II wears an air OF probahia-
". and. if the alleged facts respecting the con
dition of things at sebastopol be true. 1T opens
cbarter in prospect terrible to look at.
PARIS. NOVEMBER 1914.
Before the rmharcation of the troops at anna
it will be remembered. a council of war was heid.
The first proposal >ubmi'ted was the advance III
the Allied troops through the Dannbian proYin-
ces to the lines Of the Pruth: the English troops
to occupy the Dnhrudschn having the Black sea
on their right flank and smail IN front; the TURK
i-h army to form the centre, while the french
CORPS darmee wheeled round 81 a. 10 face the
Russian centre at Ja.sy. Hating upon the Mus
coyite frontier, a further appeal might b" made
To the Car before crossing the Pruth ana per
forming the act of invasion. If forced 10 II bat
tie in the open fields of Bcssarabia, it was pre-
sumed that Russia would be defeated. The Al
lied troops would then proceed upon Odessa
where Osten Sacken's force was stationed as the
base of action for the rctreating army. Here
the fleet, which should accompany the Allied ar
my along thclcoast would cooperate with II IN
its assault upon the city. The Allied TROOPS
would here receive their reinforcements prev
ousy To an advance upon Perekop. This 18th
considered the key TO all future acton
Here the Russians v ould have made determined
stand. 1t was proposed to land portion OF
troops and guns in the Crimea, together with the
WDole oi tDt Ulh1infh, WIN u lHBf lbltc vi pi"'
jackets Thi- force would be landed as near rs
practicable to the isthmus at the moment when
the Allied troops entered it from the northern
end. BY this means the defences of the Rus
slams of whatever nature they might be, beng
attacked in front aud rear, must have yielded
In possession of this sthmus, all reinforcement
was cut off from Sebastopol, and its reduction
might be undertaken in any form, either by IN
yestment or assault, that might be considered
expedient.
Such was the matured advice proposed by the
corps of French engineers, to whose opinion Lord
Raglan leaned.
The Marshal st. Arnaud whose temper had
been infamed by the attacks Of the English and
French journals upon the nacton of the armies,
WAS determined upon coup de man. Odessa
but mercantile city, and its capture was
no defeat of arms; blow must be struck at the
power of military Russia, and the public voice
demanded the attack Of Sebastopol
The English corps of engineers pronounced in
favor of the Marshal's plan. 1t was furthermore
urged that Austria still in doubtful atti-
tude and it would be highly imprudent, by ad
vancing on the Prnth, to place the Allied troops
| between the Austrian and Russian forces.
The Emperor Nicholas, whose object was TO
| induce the Allied army to embark at once for
Sebastopnl, had privately assented that Austria
should occupy the PrncipaIites, and Withdrew
his troops hastily. SO that the Austro Turkish
/
French and English camps were filled with Rus
sian descrers and spies, whose real mission was
to spread the report of the case with which Sc
bastopo might be attacked from the land side.
We know the result of this fatal step. The ar
mics embarked and have been caught in n trap.
1t was found impossible to invest Sebastopol and
its defences on the land side that of detached
forts, the least formidable in appearance are
known To be the most difficult of attack.
The English engineers made tier first report
that the town could not hold out IA week The
French corps de penie having reviewed it, declar
ed II 10 be lmpregna5le, or if carried by assault
it would cost 30 600 men
Such Is the present attitude of affairs. 100
men have fallen among the Alliel troops since
they landed in the Crmeu. The town is report
ca ready for assault, bat it is also known that
/ e5ery fort and erery street is undermined. All
| the stores have been transferred to the north
side of the harbor, and when the bcsrgcrs shall
! have driven the remnant of the hesipgrd foot by
foot to the waters edge they will plunge into
| the harbor, and at the same moment the great
mine under the whole city and lis forts will be
! sprung, reducing Seba,topol instantaneously to Il
mas ot runs.
This is the uncturc at which it is expected
| that Menschikof. with his entire force, will fall
upon the Allied army.
The of this complicated attitude was
admirably eXpressedby French Colonel of En-
gneers who had just complcteda reconnaissance
Standing up in his srrups, he threw look over
the city and bay beneath, then, shaking his head
with smile, he turned to his officers and said :
'1hat rogue ST. lrndui; ,rhat a ilcky dog
lie Is dead !"