Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-11-21
EDGEFIELD S: C., NOVEMBER 2 1866

( General Simpson send his best troops 10 tn
ASSAULT Because Ohe ansM er is eyldenD b
wished to preserve his best soldiers for an al
tack which really would succeed, and though
the young recruits fit enough food for powder
Such is wpr!
Let MS return to the narrative. The Malakot
is taken by the French almost without the los
of man; their great loss was in the defenc
some hours afterwards. Instantly the Ang j
hoisted for the English to commence. Abou
1000 poor soldiers, who Of course believe tha
the attack is a serious and not false attack, ar
sent across space of 200 yards, exposed botl
in front aud in flank to batteries of 68-pounders
They arrive a; the foot of the wall out of breath
after losing by the discharges of grape about
third Of their number. The rampant is scaled
Notwithstanding the Russians on The other side
who are driven back, and the British obtain {
footing in the salient angle Of the Redan. But
as natural and inevitable consequence afie
going through such tremendous risks, there is {
certain degree of confusion among The survi
yors. One regiment is mixed up with another
and there is not the same order, arrangement
and discipline as there would have been ha6
there been nothing but fair open fighting. Not
withstanding this our poor fellows occupied the
place, and held The Russians in check-not fol
an hour, as stated by Pellissier, but for nearly
double that tIne-and that against immense
masses of the enemy; for We are informed that
after the surprise of the Malakoff, the greater
part of the Russians engaged there rushed ia
the Redan, to share in the repulse Of this hand.
fuI Of English. After desperate and heroic
defence against such immense odds, the devoted
band of British were pushed almost by physical
pressure out Of the Redan, and the greater part
ahnihated.
Such was the behaviour Of the English col.
umn of attack, as detailed in the dispatches oi
PeIissier. Neil and Marmora, and the French
one and all agree in saying that no troops could
hive behaved with more courage. aieiLe
noustache said to me the other day, what SOL
diers but the English would have marched 400
yards against such tremendous enfilading fire
of artillery, would have mounted the breach
after being decmated by grape, and that, when
opposed by much superior force on the other
side; and, finally, who would have retained their
position in the fort for two hours against over
whelming odds?"
Tie Times special correspondent Qike an i'll
bird that files its own nes) attacks The poor
soldiers, because, he says they were in tonfu.
sion and did not obey the order Of their officers
to jump into the traverses into certain destruc-
ton. But how does he know That the soldiers
refused TO obey this order or that such foolish
order was ever given by the officers? The cor
respondent was not there himself to see. He
must, therefore, have taken his report from
some one of the officers who had wished 10
exaIt himself and his class at the expense OF
the poor soldiers. And yet this writer, in order
that he may send to his paper a long pompous
letter, does not hesitate TO caumniate and vilIfy
our poor soldiers in the face of Europe, and
that upon hearsuy evidence, the very day after
the action, without leaving himself the time Of
verifying his structures. His letters, as we'll as
the articles of the Times upon the same subject
have been translated into the French papers, and
there is but one opinion in Paris as TO the con.
duct of the Times and his correspondent-that
Of disgust and Indignation. The general say.
ing here is, that the correspondent is 4 preten.
tious bockhead, who does not in the slightest
degree understand military affairs, and who has
not hesitated, in order to send q long detailed
account to his employers, to attack not only
the General in Chief but to caluminate the
poor soldiers.
While the English troops were devoting them
selves in the manner have described, the French
in the Malakof were comparatively free from
attack, for the great assaults OF the Russians to
retake the Notifications only commenced about
halEpast two. Pelissier had then double the
time OF respite he asked from General Simpson,
and during this time the French had made the
most of their time. The approaches on the
French side were levelled so as 10 allow the en-
trance of artillery and the rnpid advance of The
reserves. A number of field pieces by this
means were brought up and placed in battery,
and the Imperial Guard were entered for the de-
fence, in addition to the troops employed III the
assault. The cannon of the Russians were
turned against the enemy, and the place in
manner fortified againrt the Russians themselves.
After this, as Pelissier said, the Malakoff was
secure, and could not be retaken. 1t is true,
after the Russians had finally repulsed the Eng
lish, but not Ii then, they returned to the as
saut of the French in the Malakoff; and they
brought their whole army to this operation
But it was too late. This attack was desperate
and courageous in the extreme; but they falled,
after immense slaughter on their part, as well
as that Of The French. Such, however, was the
desperate and powerful nature of their attack,
that all the French with whom have conyersed
admit, with the greatest frankness, that had the
assault of the Russians been made Immediately
after the first French success, before they had
time to fortify themselves, the French would
have been certain 10 have been driven out OF
the Maakoff, and The affair would have ended
as it did on the 18th of June. The French are,
therefore, right in saying that the English, by
their heroic resistance in the Redan, are entitled
to rs much credit and honor for the final reduc-
ton of Sebastopol as are those who were en-
ployed directly in the capture of the Malakofi.
Such, Mr.. Editor, is The opinion Of all militia.
ry men in Paris, and, indeed, OF all classes; for
our generous allies do US full credit. 1t is only
the ignorant, carping, and coneeited corresponl-
dents, with the Times ut their head, who talk
of the blood of the English soldiers being shed
ingloriously and useless|y on the 9th OF Sep
tember.-I remain, &C.,
JAMES AYTOUN.
Paris, Octaber l, 1856.
We like mischievous children, and tor this
reason: they are apt to make good men. Good