The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-06-25

ane Asss malta 1t hand and bring the detsiIs NJ
'ne 81, oaties OF the 22d aad 23i OF May
Inc Monitenr publishes the following desn.fch
from General Pslissier to the Miui,ter Of ~ /,
10 an account OF The action on the niob,s If ~.
22d and 23d of Msy:- $50
BEFoRR ssBAsroPoL, May &c, 1855.
Monsieur LIE Marechai-Siuce the storminp of
tne Russian counter approaches In front of the
Central Basion, on the night Of the % of NAV
ana the occupation OF that important work by onr
troops the enemy. to impede our progress and tske
our attacks 10 flank, turned their attention 10 the
Quarantine side and erected there new line. of
seeing BY gabionage the ambuscades at the az
tremhy OF the bay with those OF the Gem eterv And
70 connect the work By continuous covered vav
with The right lunette of the Central Basion.
10 the night between the 2lst and 22d by an en-.
ormous effort of labor, skillfuliy concealed. thev
commenced laying out that vast place darmes. 10
threatening Tor our left attack, and 20 Convenient
Ior enabling the enemy to assemble large bodies Of
men and make considerable sorties
The danger of this Russian work was eyident.
saw at once ita extent, and ordered General De
SALES, commander of the First Corps, 70 carry
tnat position and turn the enemy's new works
against themselves-a delicate and difficult opera
tioo. - strong resistance and obstinate ssruaae
might DO counted upon under the ire of formidable
batteries.
The General of Division. Pate, wa. charged with
the opsration. Two attacks were organised-ons
ou the amouscades at the bottom of the bav the
other on the smbuscades OF the cemetery By the
southeast angle OF the enclosure; they were to be
simultaneous.
After having carried the new gsbionades of the
enemy, the object was to maintain ourselves in
advance With sufficient soIidiiy to protect the work
ana to transform the Russian work to our own
use. But the development Of the lines wss inn.
mense; two successive phases were to be expected
10 the action-oue of battle aud one of labor THE
conest took place on the night between the ood
snd 2sd OF Msyj II commenced a. nins o'clock 10
the evening
Our left attack was led BY General of Brigade
Beuret. and consisted of three comma nies al the
Tenth battalion of Chesseurs.a.pied. three bstta
iions OF the Second Regiment of the Foreign Le.
eion and oIe battalion of the Enesy-eiGhth of the
lima. .-
The right attack, intr1ssed to General au Ia Mot.
ferouge, consisted of picked companies Of first
regiment OF the Foreign Legion, supports by two
battalions OF the Twenty y-eighth line, with bat.
talon CT the Eighteenth, and two baitaola of vol
tigsurs ct the Sarde ressrve. Other Is sattalions
were ready to march 10 case General Pats should
need TeioioTc6ments.
The sleny, whether they had detsrm .sed on
great attack, or with the intention of &C, apetinq
their lines la one ntght by great effort Ind Cow
erins their work by vigorous demoustr' tiOn and
an effeciual protection against our attatxs were
there In great force to receive US. We estimated
at more than twenty batfslions the forie of the
enemy our brave soldiers had 10 attack az defeat
According to prisoners there twenty, ak bat.
tallons
The action commenced On a signal afyen by
General Pate, with inexpresstble impstucsity In
a few minutes all the ambuscadss ON onr right
we're In our hands. The veterans of the Foreign
Legion had carried everything before them, and
supported by the 25.h of the Line they established
themselves In front of the Russian works, cover.
ing our workmep. But formidable masses of
Russians soon issued from the Quarantine ravine,
Joined in the combat, aud disputed the ground
with an extraordinary obsifnacy.
The two battalioDs of the 2sh, the battalion of
the Ssh. and the Voltiguers Of the Garde, were
successiveiy engaged and this heroic struggle
lasted till dsybreak. Five times the nest dis.
taut srnbuscades were taken and retaksn by the
Russians and our troops. These bayonet aaelees
were terrible. Two other battalions OF Voltiguers
of the Garde the 9th Chasseurs aspied, and the
9Th of Line were called to the battle ground
some to fight some to carry off the killed and
wounded all did their duly.
In the midst OF this sapguinary and glorious
struggle 1t was impossible tor the engineers to
work We were obliged to destroy the enemy's
work, 30 a. to prevent them holding them them.
selves, and we were compelled to adjourn The
second act of our enterprise TO the following pieht
Az the dA wn broke, the Russians had CT sssd sht
ing, and our batta lions returned to the trenches
leaving tbe ground covered with the enemys sIair.
On the lett attack the ambuscades were carried
with the same impetuosity. There, also, the Rus.
SLAMS rsknrned to the charge with extraordinary
tenacity. Numerous assaults were made at the
point of the bsyonet; but after two hours, the
enemy, discouraged, beat a retreat, and our epgi.
lG6r9
gabionade which became definitely our conquest
On the following night 1t was necessary to COM
plete what we had 80 vigorously commenced
ordered a second attack, expecting full success
from this new effort Of our brave infantry.
General of Division Levaillant was entrusted
with the Accomplishment OF this task, with 10 bat
tallions OF which two, of the Voltiguers of the
Garde, acted as reserve.
Four of these battalions, under the orders of
Gen Courston were charged to cover our conquest
q thnx. linz 1ohf nm ha ov fof
six others, comm andsd by Gen Duval, were to res
take on the right the gabionade running parallel
with the great wall of the cemetery to beat the
enemy, and allow our engineers to make the works
definitely our own.
The action commenced at the same hour az on
the previous evening. The impetunsty of these
brave hattalions belonging to the 46Eh, 98,h 14th
and seth, was Irresistible. The ambuscsdes were
sides, retrea,ed keeping up a skirmishing fire,
which gradually ceased. The engineers immedi.
pteIy set to work, despite fire of grape and every
sort OF missile from the p'ace--Col. Guerin aud
Commandant Dursnd de Viiiers conducted the
works with as much intelligence as vtgor.
Oar success has therefore been complete. The
considerable work upon which the enemy had
counted to arrest our attacks is In our OVID hands
their gabions cover us their own ambuscades are
turned against themselves. Those which we
could not combine In our system have been de.
strcyed.
These various actions were accomplished with
out considerable loss and we have paid for our
victory with generous blood. await on this head
the report cf Gen. de Salies.
Yesterday, upon the reiterated demand of Gen.
Osten Sacken, dag of truce was hoisted, and an
armistice concluded for carrying off the dead
We handed over more than 1900 corpses TO the
enemy This field of slaughter reminded US of
our old struggles with the Russians, and as those
memorable times, the honor of arms 10 these
bsyonet 6ghts always remained entirely with our
Infantry
According to the number OF dead given up to the
enemy and the results secertained from recent as
fairs we are assured that the Losses of the Rus
SLAMS are at least four times OWE; they give to
these engagements the proportions Of a battle
These calculations are, however, under those made
by prisoners and deserters.
Our artillery under the direction OF General LIE
Bpsf, gave prove of extraordinary vigor and skill
IL constantly swept with its FIRE the ravine where
the enemy assembled their reserves. Our pro-
jectiIes did not csase to make ssnguinary gaps In
the Russian masses each tine they mustered for Q
fresh attack cannot praise too highly the coup
dea and cooiness of General lie Beef
The Commander In Chief. PELrssrRs.
PRINCE GoRrscHAKoFF's ACCOUNT.
The following h Priace Gortschakct's scceunt
Of the important attack on the 23d, hitherto re-
ported only by telegraph:
SrsAsroPoL, May %. 1855.
On the night of the 2ls We opened trsuce a.
q counter spprosch, opposite TO the cemetary 10
C,,n, NJ the Centrai or Quarantine baStiOos end