Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-10-16

u violent fine, continued I" crush W. ,nr;,: ,Isn fire
prnirctiIes, At the right attack our n",,cllts "T "in
rr, n3 IL, Ln, Lcnt mn tie system which they ma" mop
ed several days before, M cNp'e'"""
might TAX place. ou. ,Lr,r unon IN
Toward ! o'clock the engineers throw ,i,,rc
c,n,rnI hn.linn twnm mines al projection, each '"" ts
oil with n hundred kilngrarnmes Of powder W. u y"
same time they exploded before our appr"Gcn'E "
RIM, front of tho Malakoff three mining cilan.o.,
charged in all with fifteen hundred kll"Srann'rS W y
powder. in order 10 destroy the lower galleries VI i"
Russian miners. ..u, 4,
As the possession Of tho Malakotf works mus ~ !.
eide tho day, the other attacks were suhoru," ,hs, ,h !,
il, and it was agreed with iicn"'ai H"'i'ou" ,n,I
English SHOULD not attack the Grcal h'u"n ar ,h,
should have given II signal TINT we "elI Saios ,rn
MaIukufr. In the same way General tie '"'.s "I
not To attack with the troops until Il moment WHICH,
| was To Indicate TO him by another s'Gha!.
A little before noon all tho troops were III ren","I'f
and in perfect order, on the points lnuirute"' INV III
other arrangements had been ruIic'"auy eAevu.eu'.
General d. Smiles WAS ready; General bo"quet was al
IN, f,b,inp.post. which he had chosen IN inc SIKH
narnIlrl: and I, with Generals Thirty, "l the Artnirry,
Si.i of tMe Engineers, and Martlm"rcy, the ciIloi q,
INV staff, were ut the Brnuclon redonht, which 1 hau
chosen for my headquarters.
All orr watches had been regulated. noon pre-,
ciscIv all our batteries ceased 10 thunder, in order that
they might he adjusted To n longer range, 10 rs ~
renI.h the reserves of the enemy. AT the "oIT VI
their chiefs. The divisions Of Generals McMahoN' ~
Inc and De In Mnnterougc left the trenches lno
drums and the clhfIOtiS peat anu sOuIluc'l NV N"'S
and to the cry of "Viye rEmpercur ~ a thoUs"n"
times repeated along the whole line, our lntrrP!u ~
dicrs precipitated themselves upon the cheln! ; "
frnc-s. Ii was Il solemn moment. Ihe hrs. "i'S""o
of McMahon's division, the first rcSiineh' oi I"u"aus
leading, followed by the It'll Of the llne' ana hhfI.s
the fourth Chasscurs "a pied" on its lett, sprahS 10
the left fuce, and the salient Of the ha!aNoh VIII
The breadth and depth Of tho ditch, the he'Sn' nv
strcpness Ut the slope, rendered the assent cS'.enn,y
difficulty to our men; but finally the! game" NV pa
$500. -.t -,.-,S tlhn IN Chill Oh lllS-
kcts, picked up whatever came 10 ~
stones or rammers and used them rs weapons. lhch
took place a hand to lund struGgle-uiie ot thosc cA-
ritin" combnts in which nothing but the intrePidty
our soldiers aud their chiefs can give ihe'h INC
victory. They Immediately spranS into Inc WORK;
,h.y Jr,rr hn.k the Russians who continued tn resist,
in n few seconds afterwards tho flag oil france
was finally planted On the Malaknii.
Al the rirht and centre, with that Same lmpctnols
,la,b which had overthrnwn 40 many obstacles ana
forced the enemy to fly, the difi'iohs DuI"I wv ~ =.
la Monterouse, led by their chiefs, had seized the Lat
tie Rcdau at the GARDENING Bay, nnd also inc CURTAIN
forcing their way even as far M The rhftrhh tha' was
being construried. Every where we were IN posses
of the works attacked. But this first anu bril-
I;uut sncr,ss had near cost us very dear. Struck by
n I,r.,e SPLINTER from u bomb in his right side, Gen.
l3osGnct was compelled To quit the field of battle. j
,outided the command to ten. Dulac, who was adui-
rably seconded by Gen. dc LINERS, chief OF tho stall
of the ID corps.
Inc cnSlltcTs WIN accompanied Tx pINHi w
umns were already at work. They filled up tho
litches, opened passages, and threw across bridges.
rha I'd brigade 0f Gen. dc McMahon advanced ra-
liily To reinforce the troops IN the Mnlakoti: gave
he signal agreed upon with Gen. Simpson, for tho NJ
ON the great Redan, and shortly after for the a.
OH the town.
The English had two hundred metres to cross UNI
Ter a terrible fire Of grape. This space was soon
.trewn with dead; nevertheless, this did not stop tho
march Of the storming column, which advanced To-
wards the capital of the work. II descended INTO INC
ditch, which is nearly five metres deep, and, despite
NIL the efforts of thu Russians, il scaled the sca:ps and
the salient of the Redan. There, after the
first brunt of the engagement, which cos; me kuS'
dear, the English soldiers found i'll front OF them
only Il vast open space, crossed by the oalis nl inc
enemy, who kept himself close under some distant
Those who came up hardly replaced those
had been disabled. 1t was not until they had suS-
taincl for nearly two hours this unequal contest. that
the English decided on evacuating the ke'!an. ihey
did SO with so firm all aspect, that the enemy lid not
dare follow.
Meanwhile, on the left. at the appointed signal, the
columns of LcvaiIlant's division, commanded by
Generals Cnuston and Trnc!lu, dashed hraGlollE
against the left flank of the Central hastlnn ana the
lett luncttr. In spite 0f n shower oi balls ana FRO
ieciiieS, and nt;er Il very sharp contest, ~" spIrh anu
visnr Of those brave troops trinmphed first over tn"
cneiny's resistance, and, Notwithstanding the arru-
nulaird difficulties in their front, they forced their
iEto the two works. But the enemy, having
hack an his successive VTaNcfSts, ktpl MS
ground cverywhera. y mur'lrrous fire of muskctry
" III opened from every ridge. Gums unmAsked for
first time, aud field pieces brought up To severn!
points, vomitrd grape md dcclmatcd our men. Gen
erals Cuust"n aud I~rochu, who had just been wound
ed, were obliged TO give up their command. tien-
erals Rivct and Breton were killed. Several mine
chambers, fired by the enemy, produced n moment oi
~ length AL attack III their turn by MI
nerous Russian columns compelled Our troops To
phandnn the works they Ind cnrried, and retire into
our advanced p|nrcS T0rmcS.
Our batteries IN this part al tho attack. sklllulIy
by Gen. Lchuul, aided sn 'evotedly and
IA on all occasions, by R"ar-Adrrir"l
Rigault de Gcnnuillv, changed tho direction at their
fire while increasing Its intensity, and compelled the
enemy to take shelter behind the pnrapets. Gen. de-
SolIrs, causing d'Auicnnrrc's division 10 advance,
preparing during this time n second and frrmida-
bic n;tHck; hut ia we Ind secured the possession OF
the Malaknii, | srnt word 70 him no. &" let 1t advance.
Our possession OF this work, however, was encrsct-
icAlly disputed.
By means Of the batteries from the Maison en- Croiy,
If The runs Of his steamers, VI field guns brought I"
favorable points, and OF the batteries on the north
or the rondstrnd, the enemy deluged u with
crapr aud with prriertilrs of every kind. ana com
lnirird great ravagrs in our ranks. The powder ma
ynZ;ur of the Russian Pustern battery hnd Just cXpln-
d.,i, thereby increasing our ln.s, and causing the
,ayle of the alst la %disnpprnr far Il moment. y
great mullv superior officers md others were either
wounded nr killed. The generals DC Saint Poi nnd
dc Marches died Sloriously, aud GehIs. M"lIInet, dc
Punt.vc. aud Buurbnki had hc.n wounded at tho
head of their troops. Three times the division OF
Dulac and dc In Monterouse seized the Rclaii and
the curtain, mud three times they were obliged 10
tnll back before u terrible fire nf artillery AMI the
dense masses arrayed in front Of them. Neverthe.
less the two field batteries OF reserve from the Ian.
caster buttery descended at n trot, crossed the
trenches, and boldly Stationed themselves within
half. range. They succeeded in driving awny the
cucmy's columns and the steamers. y phrt Ut these
two divisions, supported III tins heroic struggle oy
The troops of the Guard, who on this day covered
themselves with glory, mnde good their footing III
thu, entire lett oi the curtain, from which tho enemy
could not drive them. During the rcl1wed combat.
nf the right and the centre, tho Russians rednGblod
their efforts to rccunguer the Malakoff. This work,
which is n sort of eHrihcn citadel Of three hundred
fifty metres in length and one hundred and nifty
metres in width, armed with s~iSty-two guns OF differ
.nt calibrc, crowns n inainclon which commands the
whole interior OF the karabelnaya quarter, tnkes IN
the Redan which was attacked 10y tie English
IL only one thousand two hundred metres from the
South harbor, and threatens not merely the only an
chorace now remaining for the ships, but the only
means Of retreat open to the Russians, namely the
bridge thrown across the roodstead, from ono bank Ia
the other.
mus, during the first hours Of the strife of the two
armies, tho Russians constantly renewed their nj
temuts; but General McMnhOT, in resisting these IN
ccssant attacks, was assisted snccossively ny flhOy
brigade of his division, by the Iouavcs OF the Guhrdt
General Wlnptlens reserve, aiu u part VI .he VT
tiguers of the guard; in all directions he resisted the
enemy, who were everywhere rcpulsed. The Rus
Sims, however, made Il last and desperate attempt
Formed in deep column, they thrice assniled The
brenst of the work, and thrice they were compelled tt
retire with enormous loss, before the solidity Of oul
troops.
Alter this last struggle, wlicl, ended about five il
tho evening, the enemy appeared resolved to abandon
the spot, and only his batteries continued until nigh:
to send US some projcctiles, which no longer did III
much harm.
The %dctachments of the Engineers and Artillery
who, during the combat, were calamity fighting, q
actively engaged i'll their special work, quickly &c
about carrying out the works that were pressing il
the interior OF the fort, under tho direction OF tiei
officers.
According to my orders, General Thirey and Me
instructed Generals Bucret md Frossurd, commands
ing the artillery aud engineers Of the ID corps, t,
take all necessary steps for establishing ourselves
firmly in the Mnlakof, and ON that part of the eur
tain which was in our power, ~ that we might, il
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