American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1855-02-22
THE WAR I'm THE CRIMEA.

We find The following description ofthe
Russian New Years Day soitie in the cor
respondence ofthe London Times:
JANuARY 13.-Last night the wind
changed round to the Southwark, and the
thermometer rose to thirty-four degrees
A speedy thaw followed, and the roads
and camp will once more suffer from the
rAvages Of our old enemy-the mud. The
Russians, who had been very active inside
the town during the day, and who had
lighted great watchfres on the North side
of the place, Illuminated the nights over
the Chefnaya with rows Of lights which
shone brilliantly through the darkness Of
the cold winters night, and were evident
ly, with all possible pomp and-ostentation,
celebrating tho. opening of their peculiar
new year. Lights shone from the windows
Of the public buildings, and our lonely
seutries in the valleys and ravins, and the
enta1as perduS-the French sharp-shooters
lying in their lairs, with watcbful eye on
every embrasure before them-might al
most fancy that the inhabitants and gar
rison oflhe beleaguered city were tantal
izing them with the aspect of tteir gaiety.
At midnight all the chapel-bells Of the
city began ringing. and it was evidentthat
religious ceremony of extraordinary So
lemuitv was about to take place. On our
side the sentries and pickets We're warned
to be on the alert, and the advanced posts
were strengthened whereverit was prac
ticable. Aboutquarter past one O'Clock
this morning the Russians inside the line
of works gave aloud cheer. The French
replied by opening fire, and the Russians,
in return, instantly began one of the terc-
est cannonades along the front of their
position which we have yet heard. 1t re-
minded oneof those tremendous salvoes Of
artillery which the enemy delivered on two
or three occasions before we opened our
batteries last October. The earthwork,
flashed forth uninterrupted floods of flames
which broke through the smoke as light
ming through the thunder-cloud, and re-
vealed distinctly the outlines of the build
ngs in the town, and the lines of defences
swarming with men.
The roaring of shot, the screaming and
kissing of heavy shell, and the whistliug of
carcasses filed upthe intervals between the
deafenng roll of cannon, which was as rap
id and unbroken as quick file firing. The
iron and stones passed over our lines un-
interIuptodly for more than half an hour,
and the French, whose works TO our left
are less protected by the ground than ours
are, had to shelter themselves closely in
the trenches. and could barely reply to the
massive yolIeys which ploughed up the
parapets of their works, but their entans
psrdas never left an opportunity of send
ing their balls into the embrasures. In
the mean time, while the firing was going
on, strong body of men had been pushed
out Of the town up the face of the hill to-
warls our works in front and on the flank
of the left attack. AS it was expected
that some attempto of the kind would be
made, one of the steadiest sergeants in the
service was posted there with twelve men
Every reliance was placed on his vigilance
!, and on his strictattention to his duties, but
somehow, or other, the enemy crept up on
the little party, surprised, and took then
prisoners, and then advanced on the Gov
; ering parties with such rapidity and sud
4 denness that the parties of the Sixi!
c tn, and Of the Twenty-st Regiments
which were on duty in the trenches, wen
: obliged to retire almost without firing
e shot. They rallied, however, and fred
y and, being supported by the regiments il
= rear, they advanced, and the Russian
i were driven back close to the town. Il
Il this little affair one officer and nine me
), were severely wounded, six men wer
d killed, and fourteen men are now miss
a ing.
The French had to resist strong sort
at the same time, and fora short time tn
Russians were within the parapet of on
a Of their mortar batteries, and spiked, it
. said, two or three mortars with woode
n plugs, hut the French soon drove ther
y back with loss, and in tho pursuit, got il
= side the lines of the Russians advance
os batteries. The soldiers, indeed, say the
a. % could have taken the place that night,
a. they had been permitted to do so. AT
:, O'Clock this morning, all was silent ono
i more, and the allied armies had opene
ii their new Russian year on the Orimcc
- soil.