Washington sentinel., 1855-06-26

The seigs or rssbastopoI--Onicial Account
OF the actions Of the 22d and a3d o
May.
The .Monitear publishes the following dispatcl
from General Pelissier to the Minister of War
II is an account of the actions on the nights o
the 22d and 23d of May:
HEADQUARTERS BEFORE SEBAsToPoL,
May 26, 1855.
MONSIEUR LIE MARECHAL: Since the stormins
of the Russian counter approaches in front Of the
Central Bastion, on the night of the I'd Of May
and the occupation of that important work by
our troops, the enemy, 70 impede our progress
and take our attacks in flank, turned their atten-
ton to the quarantine side, and erected there
new lines of counter approach. They formed
the plan by connecting by gabionage the am
buscades at the extremity OF the bay with those
of the cemetery, and to connect the work by a
continuous covered way with the right lunette Of
the Central Bastion 8e
In the night between the 2lst and 22d, by an
enormous effort of labor skillfully concealed they
commenced laying out that vast place d'arsaes, so
threatening for our left attack, and convenient
for enabling the enemy to assemble large bodies
of men, and make considerable sorties.
The danger of this Russian work was evident.
| saw at once its extent, and ordered General De
Sales, commander of the First Corps, to carry
against themselves delicate and difficult ope-
ration, as strong resistance and obstinate strug-
gle might be counted upon under the fire of for
midable batteries. ,.
The General of Division, Pate, was charged
with the operation. Two attacks were organ
izei-one on the ambuscades at the bottom of
the bay, the other on the ambuscades of the
cemetery by the southeast angle Of that en-
closure; they were to be simultaneous.
After having carried the new gabonades of the
enemy, the object was to maintain ourselves in
advance with sufficient solidity to protect the
work and TO transform the Russian work to our
own use. But the development of the lines was
immense; two successive phases were to be ex-
pected in the action-one of battle, and one of
labor. The combat took place on the night be-
tween the 22d and 23d of May; it commenced at
nine clock in the evening. ..s
Our left attack was led by General of Brigade
Beuret, and consisted Of three companies Of the
Tenth battalion of Chesseurs- a-pied, three bat
talions of the Second Regiment of the Foreign
Legion, and one battalion of the ninety eighth of
the line.
The right attack intrusted to General de la
Motterouge, consisted of picked companies Of the
first regiment Of the Foreign Legion, supported
by two battalions of the twenty-eighth line, with
a battalion of the eighteenth, and two battalions
of voltigeurs Of the garde as reserve. Other bat
talons were ready to march in case General Pate
should need reinforcements.
The enemy, whether they had determined on
great attack, or with the intention of completing
their lines in night by great effort, and COW
ering their work by vigorous demonstration and
an effectual protection against our attacks, were
there in great force to receive US. We estimated
at more than twenty battalions the force of the
enemy our brave soldiers had to attack and de-.
feat. According to prisoners there were twenty
six battalions.
The action commenced on signal given by
General Pate, with inexpressbe impetuosty. In
a few minutes all the ambuscades on our right
were in our hands. The veterans Of the Foreign
Legion had carried everything before them, and,
supported by the twenty-eighth of the line, they
established themselves in front of the Russian
works, covering our workmen. But formidable
masses of Russians soon issued from the quaran-
tine ravine, joined in the combat, and disputed
the ground with an extraordinary obstinacy.
The two battaons of the twenty-eighth, the
battalion of the eighty ty-eighth, and the voltgeurs
of the guard, were successivelv engaged, and the
heroic struggle lasted till daybreak. Five times
the most distant ambuscades were taken and re-
taken by the Russians and our troops. These
bayonet nleiees were terrible. Two other battal-
ions of votigeurs Of the garde, the ninth chas-
seurs a-pied, and the eighth Of the line, were
called to the battle-ground-som to fight, some
TO carry off the killed and wounded all did their
duty.
In the midst of this sangunary and glorious
struggle it was impossible for the engineers to
work. We were obliged to destroy the enemy's
works, TO prevent them holding them them
selves, and we were compelled to adjourn the
second act of our enterprise TO the following
night. As the dawn broke, the Russians had
ceased fighting, and our battalions returned to
the trenches, leaving the ground covered with
{. o enemys slain
On the left attack the ambuscades were carried
with the same impetuosity. There, also, the
nary tenacty. Numerous assaults were made at
the point Of the bayonet; but after two hours, the
enemy, discouraged. beat retreat, and our en-
gineers installed themselves solidly in the Rus
sian gabionade, which became definitely our con-
quest.
On the following night it was necessary to com
plete what we had so vigorously commenced
ordered second attack, expecting full success
from this new effort of our brave infantry.
General Of Division Levaillant was intrusted
with the accomplishment of this task, with 10 bat
talions, of which two, of the Voltguers of the
Garde, acted reserve.
Four of these battalions, under the orders of
Gen. Courston, were charged to cover our con-
quest of the proceeding night on the extreme left.
The six others, commanded by Gen. Duval, were
TO retake on the right the gabionade running par
allel with the great wall of the cemetery, TO beat
the enemy, and allow our engineers TO make the
works defnitvely own.
The action commenced at the same hour as on
the previous evening. The impetuosity OF these
brave batalions, belonging to the 10th, 9eth, l4th
and 60th, was irresistible. The ambuscades were
turned and carried the enemy driven back on all
sides, retreated, keeping up skirmishing fire,
which gradually ceased. The engineers immedi-
ately set to work, despite fire Of grape and every
sort of missile from the place. Col. Guern and
Commandant Durand de Villiers conducted the
work with much intelligence as vigor.
Our success has therefore been complete The
considerable work upon which the enemy had
counted to arrest our attacks is in our own hands;
their gabions cover us; their own ambuscades are
turned against themselves. Those which we
could not combine in our system have been de-
stroyed.
These various actions were accomplished with
out considerable loss, and we have paid for our
victory with generous blood. | await on this head
the report of Gen. De Sales.
Yesterday, upon the reiterated demand Of Gen.
Osten Sacken, a flag Of truce was hoisted, and an
armistice concluded for carrying off the dead.
We handed over more than | 200 corpses TO the
enemy. This field Of slaughter reminds MS Of
our old struggles with the Russians, and as those
memorable times, the honor Of arms in these
bayonet fphts ALWAYS remained entirely with our