Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1855-08-25

Inc battle OF the Alma was fought on tho
goth of September. On the 2sth the Allies
took mp their position on the heights command
ing the south side Of the city, and Immediately
commenced their first parallel. The Russian.
commenced their defensive works at the same
time, and working on the inner and smaller
circle, were ready as soon as the invaders
though their works were necessarily Of a more
important character than those of the attack.
As befdto explained, parallel of attack is
ditch about four feet deep, with the earth
thrown up On the side towards the city In a
parallel of defence, on the contrary, the ditch
is placed outside and the earth thrown up in
wards. To obtain the same amount Of cover,
the ditch in this case should not be less than
eight feet deep, and the rampant as high. 1,
should also be provided with ianks, which are
never employed in aggressive parallels. Ifthe
place IS small, these tanks are a great draw
back to the power of fort, as limiting the
amount Of direct FIRE in a place the size of
Sebastopol, it is Of less consequence, as there
then is sufficient space independen, of them
TO mount almost any numLer Of guns which
may be required. II there is leisure, and the
town is fortified in time of peace, it would Of
course be better that the ditch should be deep
er, and that loop-holed wall, or some such
defensive expedient, should be placed in il, and
the fanking expedienls hidden there also but
in the present instance this was out ofthe ques-
tion. The engineer could not act otherwise
than he did.
On the western or French side the vunera-
BILE point was just above the Hatbor Creek
/ Ia k,,s al
Battery,-a work Of more faulty trace than the
Redan but before the works were complete, il
was indispensable to secure fanking defence
on this side and the defects Of its form were
remedied by the Garden Battery in its rear,
possessing very powerful direct FIRE over its
salirnt-whiol has siricc ivuIt nirtirvt
/ by third line Of batteries 10 its rear. From
this front down to the Quarantine Harbor the
line is nearly straight, and without much flank
ing defence a ravine in front and the houses
in its rear rendering this par, comparatively Sc
cure from assault
The key Of the position Of the eastern half
of the town was the Maakoff and Gen Tod
leben's first care was to strengthen this with a
great circular earthwork in front Of it, All
fanking expedienis were here abandoned, as
ui'e'' h'e U" 'ne nia'neion was ihuiSpehsaoie !"
"o nau s''e'"P'eu !" seize 'na' Po'",' as we
ous", " nave oo"e' anu 'ne lower IN 'he rear
was "o"s"' '" oe suihc'en' refenchheh' 10
f,,, az assault oe''s a"e'hP'eu 'ne'e.-
:" NC" 'na' was destroyed oy our hfe' ior'
was commenced in its rear Which answers the
purpose far better and with a range OF rifle
pits in front and another line Of defence in its
.e@' =" ass,ui' ." 'ne 'o"n couia no, DC at
'saP.eu sn;ps "''uou' e"eoun'ef'ng .ne 1Os'A''es
""lo" S'"Ppeu 'ne armies on 'he io'h June
y" VI. o.nei sue o' ,ne fa'ihe' 'owa'us he
NoNAy1'u S',eA' INC 'eoa"' "orA VI nioie
que'"cns"ie ues's"' anu more hke an insP''a-
"on =, "e oas'on senooi. Is no', however
-..;-.- s :.- s.sss raii into ravines, where bat
ferries cannot be established and before the
whole system was comuleted il was desirable TO
have aanking FIRE over the ground in front.
Its defects in trace are now amply made up for
by the batteries established on either flank -
These now mount from 6fty TO sixty guns in
positions which cannot be enliladed, and where
they look directly towards the attack.
There was nothing verv original either in
the plan or principle of these works-nothine
that distinguished them from those of Burgos
and other places where they were equally sue
cessful. Their design was characterized by
singular skill in adapting them TO the ground
on which they were TO be placed, and by most
consumma'e Judgment as 10 ,he time IN "hicn
ihey were erected and al wnich they were in-
dispensloie TO save the place. Ihe orginailty
consisted IN The way they were armed'-oelne
made 10 carry a heavier amount oi atn'iery
than had ever before been employed Tor such
purpose,
For this 'he situation oi oeoas'opo' was EN-
lnnenily favorable. Inc guns were prooaoly
taken out oil the soips which were sunk ~ 'n'
mouth oil the haroor. IL tweie So 'his "ou'o
have supplied l'ooo guns. iheir sno' al an'
powder almost certainly were saved Inc
aroHna' oo" "."n", o"o "-an have W. e""'a n a' Nv"
} ,'oOo VI ','oo guns. ~ e "oro. Neop 'so
Una" i'ou' f'oov 70 o'ovo q, io''s"ou" %
De'o"Po,' anu se"e'a"y a'ou. -''o,o
= "0o'~'e"' 90 'na' we may sA'sS S eai0ui'' ~