Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-10-12
The Ev.euat,on of the south side of sebastopol by

snt of P,inca Gor,scbakoff in evacuating his posi-
ton after the capture of the MalakoH tower, with
some further information than had before appeared
in regard to bis present position
Although some time must elapse before we can DC
in possession of information sufficiently mnut@fo i
explain all the causes of the late signal triumph OF
the allied armies and especially OF the preclpi"
tate retreat of the Russian garrison from the south
side of Sebastopol yet some facts nave reacneu "s
from other quarters which throw additional light on
this remarkable and abrupt termination OF the siege
1t is clear from the telegraphic dispatches OF the
allied generals, and even from the report OF frnce
Gortschakof that when the enemy withdrew DO lily
in the night of the 9Th and 9th OF September from
the town of Sebastopol and the Karahelhala suburb
he cannot be said to have been driven out of his
place by direct force Git would have been more hon.
orable the Russians if he had) but the evacua-
ton was resolved upon from moral and physical
inability to continue the defence of the fortress ana
probably in pursuance of pre-arranged strateglcal
plan The position of the town and OF the Russian
army after the fall of the Malakaf Tower, was very
bad, but it was not quite desperate. nor was the
danger of an immediate character Marshal Pells-
sier, TO whom happy to give on this occasion
the title he has so gorousy earned at the head OF
the French army, reports that the multiplicity OF
the works of defence and the material means applied
TO them far exceed anything hitherto in the his
tory of war;" It had repeatedly been asserted by
the Russians that even after the tall OF any OF the
great outworks of Sebastopol the beseigers would
find every street converted into mine and every
house into battery. Nor was this boast I'M
founded one; such was actually The state OF the
place; yet no attempt was made TO prolong the re-
sstance of the garrison in these last entertainments
The MaIakof Tower the key of the position, and
il was occupied by the French troops but some days
must have elapsed before this work could have open
ed decisive fire against the other parts of the town.
All the other bastons remained at nghttail on the
9th in the hands of the Russians. The Malakhof
itself is but the outwork of the Karabenya suburb,
and no part of the town, properly so caIle, to the
west of the Great Rayne and Artillery Harbour had
been entered by the allied troops. General DE Sal
les attack on the Central Bastion failed altogether,
and the Garden Battery, the Flagstaff Battery, and
the Quarantine Battery still protected all this portion
of the works. In fact by popularity which dis
tinguishes the result of this siege from all others in
history, the allies took the place at last without
terng it, for the Russians across the water "a
hours before the allies had passed beyond the walls
Even after the French flag was waving from the
commanding emnence of the Malakhoff Tower the
victorious troops do not appear to have advanced he
yond that position, partly because they would have
had to storm the second line of the enemys defences
and partly because it supposed that the Russians
had extensively mined the ground from which they
had been driven with much blcodshed At that
moment, then at nightfall, on the It'll September II
cannot be said that Prince GortschakoH COM
PEELED 10 fly with precipitation from the scene of this
terrible contest; but, he adopted that with
out hesitation, we must look for the motives of his
conduct to some other facts which have come 10 our
knowledge.
We have reason to believe that even before the
close of July, Prince Gortschakoff had reported to
the Russian Government that his position in Sebas.
topo was rapidly becoming altogether untenable
and that great effort must be made at any price
TO relieve the place. that he must abandon
it. 1t is easy to conjecture that the increasing
haustion of the garrison, the enormous and unoeas
ing consumption of the stores of war, the difficulty
of obtaining water and wholesome food, especial y
since the destruction of the supplies from the Sea
AZof the discomfort and dependency of the troops
and the steady approach of the works of the be
siegers, whose vertical fire fell with terrific
force upon the city, all contributed 10 make the Rus
sian feel his position to be most torlorn and hope
less Under these circumstances council of wa
was held at St. Petersburgh, and the opinion of thu
highest military authorities was taken by the Empe
ror After considerable debate, and some difference
of opinion flor understand that Prince Paskie
witsch and General Osten- Sacken opposed the mea
sure taken by the ma ority of their coleagues),
, was determined to attack the allied forces tn
+ lines of the Tchernaya. Confident hopes en-
tertained that the fortune of that day would repai
the disasters of the Alma and of Inkermann, an
5 compel the invading army to raise the siege. TIL
D battle CT the 10th of August, in which brav
Sardinlnan allies bore conspicuous part, an
which was decided by 1.-THE uncompromising valour 0
three divisions of the French army. had been antic
pated with the deepest interest at st. Petersburg
and in many other parts of the empire, 1t ended il
calamitous defeat Within three hours the Who'll
strength OF the Russian relieving army, with its re
A Inducements, was oyerthrowD and we believe tina
the enemy lost that occasion no less than 500
men. either by the artillery of our guns, by the bay
onet, in the waters of the Tchernaya and the
a nal We must be permitted to say that of all tn
s faults committed by the Russian commanders in thi
6 war; the attack on the Tchernaya was by far III
e most extravaganza 1t had no chance of ;cess.
was utterly defeated in three hours by a small frac
% ton-not one -fourth-of the allied armies; and S
g. confident the British troops, who brougt
j. up in reser, of the result Of such attack on
h French and Sandman allies that while the battl
], was going on our men did not even stand to the
10 arms The battle of the Tchernaya was, in fact,
" desperate effort, and from the moment of that dees
Ct we are satisfied that Prince Gorschako had resolve
s. to desist from so fatal and hopeless struggle
m soon as successful attack of the enemy on II
works OF SebastopoI gave him on excuse to retrea
u. He began to prepare his bridge across the Gre
% Harbor-a work. be it observed, which does credit
o. the skill and energy of the dock yard yorkmen. tt
" harbor of Sebasopo believe TO be at least 700
n 800 yards across, and to lay such bridge of raft
w sufficiently strong 10 provide of retire
- for defeated army is remarkable proof of the r
=. sources of the arsenal. The bridge afforded Prin
h. Gortschakoff the sole Of saving his army
n. Had it been destroyed by chance she'll he wou
At probably have been reduced to capitulate, for
he communications with the Belbek might have be-
nd Intercepted by the allies Hence, doubt, his e
treme anxiety to avail himself of this resource wit
F. in the few hours of darkness which followed the ca
nd ture of the Malakhoff Tower; and it must be i
no terred that attempt to prolong the resistance
1 Sebastopol by holding the second line of defence
h the forts Of the town would have exposed the Ru
G slams to the danger of having their means of esca
" entirely cut of. Whatever may have been the
feet of the confagration which ragged during t
re- night succeeding the battle and on the following da
it is impossible that few hours can have suiced
Oh destroy the works and masonry of such place
Sebastopol. The guns and heavy stores of war MI