The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-01-05

to open their Gro. Probably this woult
have delayed u few days longer, rs tho allie
were by no means IN u 6t position to 90 81
with success on that day had it no! beer
for the arrival OF the glorious news that al
England and France were rejoicing in thu
capture O! Sebastopol on the 18th OF Get
This news, OF course, exaspcrated the
armies; and in order to tranquilizo Them the
FIRE had to DO opened. But it turns ou
that tho allies brought log guns aguins
200 or $50. Now, the great axiom o
yauban, which has been again and ngair
used by the Anglo French to kceI
public opinion quiet, viz. " that q seigc ]:
an operation Of mathematical certainty ant
success, a nero matter Of time, unless
interrupted from without" This great
axiom is based upon that other axiom Of the
same engineer, that 4" in q seige the FIRE o
the attack can be made superior to that o
the Defence" Now, here ut Sebaslopol
we have exactly the reverse the FIRE of the
attack, when opened, was decidedly inferior
to that Of the defence. The consequences
were very soon made apparent.
in couple Of hours the Russians silenced
tho fire Of the French batteries, and KEEP,
up an almost equal contest throughout the
day with the English. To create u diversion
naval stack was made. But it was nei
Their better conducted nor moro successful
The French ships, attacking the Quarantine
Fort and Fort Alexander, supported the
land attack upon these forts, and had it moi
been for their did, there is no doubt the
French would have been far more roughly
handled. The English ships attacked the
North side Of the harbor, including Fort
Constantine and tho Telegraph Battery, n:
we'll as temporary battery constructed tc
the Northeast of Constantine. That eau.
tious man, Admiral Dundas, had ordered
his ships TO anchor ut 1000 yards from the
forts he is evidently friend to the long
range system. Now it is an old established
fact, that in combat between ships and
batteries on shore, tho ships nrc beat unless
they can close up within 200 yards or less
to the bate ies, so that their shot is certain
to tell, and with the greater effect. Conse
quently, Dundas got his ships knocked
about in mos, terrible manner, and would
have suffered glorious defeat had it moi
been for Sir Edmund Lyons, Who, II ap
pears, almost in defiance Of orders, got three
ships of.the.line as close as he could 10 Fort
Constantine, and did It somo damage in
exchange for what he received.
AS, however, the British and French
Admirals' reports have not yet said single
word about The actual damage done to the
forts, VIC must conclude that here, as vel
as Bomarsund, Montalembert Coast - fort.
and casematcd batteries proved match
for twice their number of guns on board Q
ship. This is the moro remarkable, MS II i
now pretty certain that the exposed masonry
of these forts, rs was already partially
proved at Bomarsund, cannot withstand the
preaching fire of heavy ship guns, established
on shore, for more than twenty.four hours
The French were almost silent for O
couple Of days afterwards The English
having established their batteries mt a great
or distance from the Russian lins, and
mounting heavier calibres than their allies,
were enabled to maintain their fire and to
silence tho upper tier of guns in masonry
redoubt. The naval attack was not renewed
= the best proof of tho respect inspired by
the casemated forts. The Russians made a
defence which very much undeceived the
conquerors Of the Alma. For every dis
mounted gun fresh one was brought up
Every cmbrasure destroyed during tho day
by the enemy's fire, was restored during the
night. Earthworks against earthworks, the
contest was very nearly equal, until meas
urcs were taken to give tho allies the
superiority.
Lord Baglan's ridiculous order I" to spare
tho town" was revoked, and bombardmeni
opened, which, by It's concentric effect upon
crowded masses OF troops, and by its har.
RAISING nature, must have done the garrison
great harm. Skirmishers were, besides
sent out in advance of tho batteries, to pick
of, from any covered position they could
find, the Russian gunners. AS at Bomar.
sund, the MIME Rifle did its work well. In
q few days, what with the heavy guns and
the Mimic rifles, the Russian artillerymcu
were put hors da combat. So were the
sailors from the fleet, tho portion OF the
garrison best instructed in the use of heavy
guns. The usual resource Of besieged
garrisons had then to be resorted to; the
infantry were commanded to serve tho guns
under the superintendent of the remaining
artillerymen. But their fire, rs may be
imagined, was almost without effect, and
thus the besiegers were enabled to push
their trenches nearer and nearer tho place
They have opened, 1t is said, their third
parallel at 300 yards from the outworks.-
We do not know yet what batteries they
have erected in this thrdparallel we can
only lsay that third parallel, in regular
sieges, is always made at the foot Of the
glacis Of the works attacked, that is, abou,
fifty or sixty yards from the ditch. If this
distance has been exceeded before Sevasto.
pol, we can but see in this fact q con6rma.
ton of report contained in several British
papers, that the irregularity Of the lines oil
defence. instead Of giving tho British engi.
neers fresh scope for their inventive capaci-
ties, has but disconnected these gentlemen
who can dcmolish, upon tho most approved
principle, q regular Fashioned front, but
who seem to be badly of as soon as the