Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-02-01

FACTS AND sPEcULATroSs co ycxRN.
.ra ING IEE WAR.

PROFESSIONAL ESTIMATE OF THE OUIl.
ITIEs OF THE RUSSIAN AND AIIurn
TRoOPS.-Thc battles Of the Aim. and
lnkermann and the siege of Sebastopol
have enabled US to study the Russian
army employed in the Crimea. Although
this army is partly composed of troops
from the Danube and the Caucasus. il is
clumsy, not easily handled, and manu-.
vres badly In presence Of an cnterprisipp
enemy. Its generals always place it for
bivouac, as in a field of battle, in great
masses, and they do not know how to
deploy it after an attack, nor when to
make it resist in a thin line. The Rus.
sian infantry is very badly armed. Some
companies only have carbines made at
Llege, the muskets, only recently trans
formed, badly kept, and with butt ends
In white wood do not last long in cam
palsn. This infantry will never attain
the level OF the French infantry, which Is
reall y the first in the world for maxine
war IN woody or billy countries, where
the gcneral-in-chief leaves q great deal 10
tne initiative OF the soldiers and to the
Chiefs OF corps aud battalions.
In the defensive the preference must be
given to the English infantry, who under
the tire of the enemy, rest inmovable as
q rampant. In level and exposed coun.
try our infantry will have to modify it's
manner of combating, and to resume its
| old one. This consists i'm smplovinr
compact OF thin order, (eyu,se or m;nc,'
bat 1T can only be employed with intelli,
gent and experienced troops. Its supe.
rlority in arms and intelligence will.
however, always give to our infantry the
advantage over the Russian infantry
which will always leave half its value
wnen Obliged to change its place rapidly.
On the Alma entire Russian batti,ions
took to flight in surprise at the Zouayes
way OF fighting, they having advanced
on them III large bodies dcployed, having
taken advantage oi all the accidents OF
the ground TO shelter themselves and 10
rally and having made against the mas
ses terrible use of the peculiar aru,s
confident to their skill At Inkermaun.
in the upper part Of the battle field. ann
on the line Of the English. the Russian
infantry bravery attacked the enemy, but
did not know how to deploy its masses
SO as to bring more muskets into play,
and when the French attacked their left
flank entire battalions did not know how
to change their position.
The first ranks bravely resisted, but
the following ranks fired in presenting
arms, Surprised afterwards by the sharp
attack of the Chasscurs d 'Afrique, masses
of men, instead Of cffecting their retreat
by the crests OF the hills, descended
slowly to the lower parts of the ground
and the ravines, where they allowed
themselves to be crushed almost without
defence by from 1000 to 200 French.
The English have SO well understood the
advantages which troops would have in
attacking either artillery or masses Of
infantry in woody or billy countries,
while preserving the order depleyed by
the first line, that at Inkermann they did
not deploy the order In column which
caused them to lose so great number
of men on the Alma. On the Alma the
Russian cavalry was worse than timid
not charge did it attempt. At Inker-
mann the nature of the ground prevented
1t from taking part in the affair. Att
Balaklava it did not dare to await the
charge of two squadrons of Chasseurs
d Afrique. The famous COssacks have,
in fact, never attempted, even in the
plain, to carry off our advanced posts or
the marauders who pass our lines; but
it is said that this cavalry is but little
esteemed, even Ill Russia. AS set-ofi |
TO this, the Russians really possess a
great superiority both over the French
and the English, and especially over the
French, in their artillery. The Emperor
Nicholas-in, no doubt, the expectation
of war against all the nations Of the
south of Europe-Occupicd himself a
good deal with that aim, which has made
great progress since the wars at the be-
ginning o! the century. The cannon are
of large calibre the carriages and cais-
sons well mad, and easily moved the
artillerymen arc brave and accustomed
to their service; the officers know per-
fectly well how to choose offensive and
defensive positions; they occupy them
with boldness, hold them a long time,
and know how to leave them without
leaving their guns.-Paris Constitutional.
NOBILITY AT A DISCOUNT.--It is stated