New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-09-12

mounted IN h1e % haired ADD oeployef Oefole COMING
ont on the open ground above FOR some moments
thought the French about TO give way and re-
treat; and the Russians become masters Of the hight
but was convinced Of my mistake One could
thens it 10 rue falling back all -ides and clos
ing up into small round mass, but in the t.1nkng OF
eye this opened out ike fan, two 0aek hhes
shot from Il on each side across the plateau, the
center closed undivided itsef and the nett moment
sheet of fame broke from the whole llne, followed
by a cloud OF smoke and the crash Of he musketry
fen Cd our ears in a long, continuous, uniaering
whirr ike the roar of waterfall, drowned every
second by the miehrer thunder OF the artillery,
which had made halt a wheel TO the night, and raked
the crest Of the bill with tempest OF grape. Strongly
No ones sympethies might be engaged for the
French il was impossible 10 repress for the moment
sentiment of pity a. one looked upon the crowd OF
Russians looming out through the smoke a. It rolled
across them feebly returning the fire unable TO ad-
vance afraid 10 retreat, ten thousand deaths IN front
ten thousand more behind-help and hope no Faere.
They paused for q few secOuds seemed 10 hesitate,
but were specify relieved from al embarrassment IS
TO the they should pursue 5y the advance OF me
French whose cheer rang merrIy through The morning
air as they eveled their bayonets and rushed 70 the
charge The Russians gave one 9 HuTah as II they
intended up 10 the scraich, bu; instead OF
sutiDg the action ~ tie word, they Wheeled ABOUT
and flung themselves down the hillside 10 complete
disorder the Sandman artillery again payiag upOn
them as before Some hundreds threw down their
arms and surrendered TO the French, sooner than run
the gauntlet more across the equeduct ana the
river. The remnant Of the column got under cover on
the other eide Of the stream and remained there tor
some minutes untltwO battallons OF PedmOntese came
cut upon the plain and throwing out administers al
vanced upon the river. The Russians now retired 10
haste and 10 very good order skrm!shlng "a they
went Until they reached the high ground which
their cavalry and the reserve OF Their artillery were
stationed. During the pursuit the Piedmontess m4de
some priscuers. The moment was propttious FOR a
charge ofcavalry wao might have cut them up COM
pleteiy.
Major Grovac, the second on the Sardinian eat
major, accordingly broUgb. down their four squad
rons but the colonel objected charge face OF the
Russian cavalry force, fully five thousand IN number,
unless he supported by French or kngsb.
message was &C 0rdin-ly sent TO Gen. Iaurice, the
French general commanding the cavalry, requesting
hun 10 push forward body OF hI- N the rear ~
the Piedmontese, but be declined, alleging that be
had positive orders not 10 pursue, having returned
similar answer 10 q similar request on the part OF Gen.
Erbllon who commanded on the nights. FMS is
traordnary, but true and the only thing one can say
about express hope that there some good
reason for II visible at first sight The greater
part OF the Russian artillery retired, followed up
for a short defiance by the French Chasseurs de Vim
cennes. The cavalry then advanced in an immense
line, forming crescent, from out OF which issued
three guns which fred away to protect the retreat.
I'LL the last column had wound its weary way up the
road to MackeDZie's Farm or disappeared among the
hills toward ChiODliOn.
Nothing now remained bat 10 visit the field OF bat
tle on which the ZOuaves had already descended Ike
vultures ard were removing everything portable. he
which presented itself or the banks Of the river
scriptOn much more fearful than the ordinary horrors
of a battlefield. TIE canal itself was choked with
dead-mOst of whom had doubtess fallen into II living,
after rolling down the hill side and found repOse II.
It's muddy waters-broken muskets bags of bread,
cartridges; one dark red stain on the woI-e chaKy
gravel, often alone marked the sPo, where the toen
first fell, and in q moment aferwsTd tumbed back 10
perditiOn. Many had fallen after scram5lIng up Ia
the brink of the aqueduct, and ere they had time
TO cross il, and If rot caught in the bushes, rolled
into the plain, breaking their bones in the descent,
and lay there az We passed stnekIng IN agony, ard
implorlDg 10 kill them and thus put end 10
their suffering. Never did eye rest upon humanity
in forms mutlated, defaced, and disfgured as
these unhappy wletches, who lay writing there IN
Their bloody rags their faces plastered with
gore and dust that neither wife mother would
have recognized husband in those hlceous
masses OF mortality. Some but they were small MI
nOry sought to drag themselves 20 The shade OF me
few bushes thai sked the river; some sought TO hide
their heads from the fiery heat of the midday under
their tattered garments, and others lay with faces up
turned and gbasuy their limbs sti trembling IN the
last culver and the flee already burrOwing in their
wounds. Men shot down BY any sort of missile, and
lying where they fell CORY and mUtated though they
may be- is sight to wblch one seen gets habitua'ed,
bat wounded who have been rolled over rough
soil and their boues brOf i'll their progress, Is one
o. those sights that rarely witnesses and which
he who Las once seen II never wishes ~ see more.
On toward tie bridge the dead lay thicker and
thicker. On the banks Of the river about II, and
in The river it-ef tney were "heaped and piled,
mostly fbe M n. in the prime OF llie-Inany with a
rfezr grogn0rd air which bespoke long years OF ger
vice Nearly every enc had brandy bottle, either
actually in his hand, or y lIg near him or broken
under him in bis fail. l was riding with Polish
officer who conversed with a great many II the
wounded, who informed US that ld-ge quantities Oh
brandy had been served out 10 the soldiers before tue
action except the arulerymen there were a great
many small platforms lying about. some resembling
ladders with the rungs very close and carried by rope
sings attached to each end, bridges 10 be throSD
across the Gqueduct The great majority, however,
passed without them. The ZOuaves had made gen
era collection Of crosses relics and medal, and re-
tailed them TO visitors in addition to which piekings
from the dead bodies, they made small collections OF
money from the persons of the wounded, managing
dexterousy TO extract it from the inside OF the rou
sens close 10 the knee, where the Russian soldiers
genel ally carry their money, while pretending 10
anime INTO the nature of their wounds thus avoiding
giving any mental pain 10 the sufferers. Some very
fine rifles, quite new, and row seen for the inst
time were found on the field, but were instantly
taken possession Of by the military authorities,
and the sale prohibited. Judging from what saw
Roy self, and from comparing notes with others, and
without being able 70 say how many bodies may
b. IN the adueduct, should say the number left on
the field was fifteen hundred; the usual calculation Is
that twice as many wounded n killed, and
this with between tive and SIX hundred prisoners not
wounded taken by the French and Pedmoutese,
would make tie total loss of the Russians little short
of 600 men krs de combat. The divisions engaged
were the 5th It'll 18th and 18th, most of them be-
longing TO different corps Grmes. One had never
been under fire before, and had made rapid march
from Baktscba Serai, and rested eight hours before
the attack One man, who fell high upon the hill
side assured that he was in the last battalion OF
the reserve and tlst every single soldier had been
sent down from tie bi ;h's so that had we pursued
them we might have gained the Mackenzie plateau
along with them, ana held 1t. Prince Gorchakof
commaI ded IL chief, and Gen. hartlnaof tue as
ssutDg columns. The whole force including cav
a-y and artillery is calculated a. o.. 900 men. There
60 held.