The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-10-10


FIRE at the same time as the French.
SILENCE, REST, N COOLING OF GUNS.
Our Quarry Battery, armed with
two mortars and eight cohorns. just 400
yards below the Redan, plies the suburb
in the rear of the Malakoff vigorously,
and keeps the tops of the Redan clear.
Redan and Malakoff are both ragged
and torn. At most the Redan fires
three gus, and the adjoining batteries
are equally parsimonious. The para
pets are all pitted with shot and shell,
and the sides of the cmbrasures are
greatly injured, so that the gabions are
sticking out, aud are tumblcd down in
all directions. There is no more of that
fine polishing, and of that cabinet-ma-
ker's work which the Russians bestowed
on their batteries; our constant fire by
night, our rilemen, and incessant shell
ling, have prevented their assiduous anx-
iety as to external appearance being
gratiied. After two hours apd a-half
Of furious fire, the artiIlerymen of our
allies suddenly ceased, in order to let
their guns cool, and to rest themselves.
The Russians crept out 60 repair DANA
ges to their ;sorks, and shook sandbags
full Of earth from the paquette over the
outside of the paEarats-TIeiE gunner
also took advantage of this sudden ccs-
sation to open on our sailors batteries
m the left attact, and caused US some
little annoyance from the crows nest"
RE OPENING OF FIRz-NIGur, N BURST
81 SHELLS
At 10 o'clock, however, having pre-
viously exploded some fougasses, as be-
fore, the French re-opened a fire, if pos
sible, more rapid and tremendous than
their first, continued to keep it up with
the utmost vigor till II o'clock at noon,
by which time the Russians had only a
few guns in the Flagstaff road and Gar
den Batteries in a position to reply
We could see them in great agitation
sending men and carts to and fro across
the bridge. and at 9 O'Clock a powerful
column of infantry crossed over to re-
sist our assault, while a movement to-
wards Inkermaun was made by the army
of the Belbeck. Soon after our fire be-
gan, as early as six o'clock, the working
parties which go over to the north side
every morning. seemed to be recalled,
and were marched back again across the
bridge to the south, no doubt to be i'll
readiness for our expected assault
From IL till 5 O'Clock =. NJ. the firing
was slack the French then resumed
their cannonade with the same astound-
ing vigor as at dawn, aud at 10 o'clock,
aud never ceased their volleys of shot
and shell against the place till half-rast
7, when darkness set in, and all the
mortars and heavy guns, English as
we'll as French, opened with shell against
the whole line of defen"es. A dcscrip.
ton of this scene is now impossible
There was not one instant in which the
shells did not whistle through the air
not a moment in which the sky was not
scanned by their frey curves or illumina-
ted by their explosion.
THE BURNING SHIPS AND THE ILLUMINA-
TON.
Our practice was beyond all praise
Every she'll burst as it ought, and the
lines of the Russian earth-works, of the
Redan, Malakoff, and of all their bate.
RIGS were rendered plainly visible by the
constant light of the bursting shells
The Russians scarcely attem ted a re-
ply At 5 o'clock it was observed that
a frigate in the second line near the
north side was smoking, and as it grew
darker flames were seen to issue from
her sides. Men aud officers rushed to
the front in tho greatest delight and ex-
element, and as night came OH the whole
vessel broke out into one grand blaze
from stem to stern. The delight of the
cro.fd in Cathcart's-hill was intense =
"Well, this is indeed a sight Ito see
one of those COMPOUNDED ships touched
at last !" In spite of the efforts of the
Russians, the flames spread, and soon is
sued from the ports and the quarter
gallery. At 8 o'clock the light was so
great that the houses of the city and the
forts on the other side could be discern
ed without difficulty. The mast stood
long, and lowered aloft like great pillars
of fire; hut one after the other they
yielded the decks fell in about 10
o'clock, and at midnight the frigate was
burnt to the waters edge.
MORNING AGAIN, AND THE GRAND CRASH.
Se>t. 6.-Last night a steady fire
was kept up all along the front to pre-
ven the Russians repairing damages
At 10 p. NJ. orders were sent to u
batteries to open, as soon as there was q
good light, the following morning, but
they were limited to so rounds cach.-
At $50 the whole of the batteries, from
Quarantine to Inkermann opened with
a grand crash. The Russians were ST.
lent as before. The ~capnonade was
maintained as it was yesterday. There
were three breaks or lulls in the tempest;
from half-past 8 till 10, from II till 5,
aud from half-past 6 till 7, the fire was
comparatively slack. Then the firing
was renewed and lasted all night.
ANOTHER DAY-BREAK N MORE SHOT
AND SHELL.
Sept. 1.-THE cannonade was resum-
ed at day-break, the Inkermann bate
ries firing briskly. A Council of Gener-
ais was held to-day at headquarters, the
sick were cleared out of the field hospi-
tails, and it gradually oozed out that the
assault would take place tomorrow at
IL o'clock. The firing was tremendi-
Gus all day, but clouds of dust which a
high wind from the north drifted into
our faces, rendered a view Of the place
impossible. About three o'clock a two
decker was set on fire and burnt all
night. A steamer towed other vessels
near her away to the dockyard harbor,
but the lines Of men-of-war are still in
tact. Flames broke out behind the Re-
dan in the afternoon. The lombard
ment was renewed at dusk. A Sardi-
nian corps marched up to reinforce the
French. There was a heavy explosion
in the town at IL o'clock, 2. NJ. The
men all take fortv-eipht hours' morris