Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1855-11-01


ers lacerated beyond recognition. The
, quantity of broken gabions and gun
carriages here was extraordinary; the
ground was covered with them. The
bomb proofs were the same as in the
) Malakoff, and in one of them music
book was found, with a woman's name
in it, and a canary bird and vase of
flowers were outside the entrance.
TIE INTERIOR OF sEvAsToPoL.
WEDNESDAY, Sept. i2.
1t is delightful to abandon the old
heading, "The Siege of Sevastopol," :"
which for the last months might have
been stereotyped, but it is not clear what
is to be put in its place, for the enemy,
having abandoned the south side, SEEM
ed prepared to defend the north side,
and to erect there another monument of
engineering skill and to leave there the
memorials of their dogged resolution
The wonder of all visitors TO the ruins
of Sevastopol is divided--they are as
tonished at the strength OF the works,
and that they were ever taken; they are
amazed that men could have defended
them so long with such ruin around
| them.
These feelings are apparently in op-
position to each other, but glance at
the place could explain the apparent
contradiction. 1t is clear in the first
place that the fire of our artillery was
searching out every nook and corner in
the town, and that it would become ut
terlv impossible for the Russians to keep
any body of men to defend their long
line of parapet and battery without such
murderOus loss as would speedily ami
hilate an army. Their enormous bomb
proofs, large and numerous as they
were, could not hold the requisite force
to resist general concerted attack made
all along the line with rapidity and
without previous warning. On the 9TH
er hand the strength of the works
themselves is prodigious. One hears
our engineers feebly saying, "they are
badly traced" and that kind OF thing,
but it is quite evident that the Russian,
who is no match for the Allies in the
open field, has been enabled to sustain
the most tremendous bombardment
ever known and an II months siege,
that he was rendered capable of repuls-
ing one general assault and that sub
sequcnt attack upon him at four points
was only successful at one, which for
tunately happened to be the key of his
position and the inference is that his en-
gineers were of consumate ability, and
furnished him with artificial strength
that made him equal to our efforts
The details of the French attack will
no doubt have been made public ere this
letter reaches you. 1t is sufficient to
say that of the three or four points at
tackled, the Little Redan and the Mala-
koff on the right, and the Bastion Cen
tral and the re-entering angle Of the
Flagstaff Work on the left but one was
carried, and that was closed work.
The great Redan, the Little Redan,
and the line of defences on the left were
not taken, although the attack was reso-
lutte and the contest obstinate and bloody
for both assailants and defenders. Whe-
ther we ought to have attacked the
Great or Little Redan, or to have
touched the left at all, is another ques-
tion which it is not for me to touch upon
or decide. 1t is certain that the enemy
knew his weakness and was too good a
strategist to defend a position of which
we held the key. Sevastopol in flames,
his ships sunk, told the story the next
morning, and some 10000 French and |
English soldiers were its commentators. |
Could we have done so. it would have
been well for the English to have claim
ed the honor jUining in the assault on
the Malakoff, the tower Of which we
had beaten into runs, and to have alb
stained from attacking the Redan, which
could offer a desperate and as events
proved a successful resistance till the
works around the Malakoff were taken.
The surprise throughout the camp on
Sunday was beyond description when
the news spread that Sevastopol was on
FIRE and that the enemy were retreating.
The tremendous explosions which shook
the very ground like SO many earth
quakes, failed to disturb many of our
wearied soldiers. When rose ere day
break. and got up to Cathcsrt's hill.
there were not many officers standing
on that favorite spot; and the sleepers
who had lain down to rest, doubtful of
the complete success of the French, and