Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-06-21
THE ALLIED SUCCESS.

From the London Times, Nay 20.
The victorious occupation of the town of
Kertch by the allied forces, the command we
have thus obtained of the Crimmerian Bos-
phOnls and the Sea of AZOii, and the establish
ment of our power upon another point of the
highest strategical importance in the Russian
territories, are events which augur most auSpi-
cousy for the success Of the campaign in
which we are now about to engage, and place in
our hands another material pledge for the
triumphant termination of the war. The salts
faction which this achievement will excite in
all parts of the world where sympathy is felt
for the cause of the Allies is increased by the
fortunate circumstances that this success has
been obtained without sing lie casualty. In
spite of the warning given to the Russians by
the recall of the first expedition nearly three
weeks ago, the result shows that they had
not means to place the Straits of Yanikale
III an efficient state of defense; they evacuted
and destroyed the forts which guarded the
Sea of Azoff on the arrival of the combined
fleet; and thf birthday of the Queen of Eng
land was Worthily celebrated by planting the
standards of England and France upon the
hill, which tradition has described as the
tomb of Mithridates.
This results is the more glorious and the
more extraordinary, as the Russians must
long have fOreseen that such an operation
would sooner or later be attempted, and there
is no point in the vast domniOns of Russia
the loss of which is more formidable to that
empire. Indeed, if the Allies proceeded no
further than to occupy and hold the Straits of
Yenikale and the adjacent peninsula of Kertch
hicb "a oooflt- .lafaY1aIla H.
having the command of the sea, they would
remain possession of the key to one of the
principal approaches to the Russian territories.
In 1851 no less than 900 trading vessels
passed the Straits Taganreg, Marianopol,
Berdianski, and kertch all commercial towns,
which it has been the policy of the Russian
Government to protect and foster with the
utmost care for the last 20 years, exist only
by the freedom of trade between the Sea of
Azoif and the Euxine.
The whole exports of the valley of the
Don and its tributaries, and the communica-
ton between the Don and the Volga, which
places the trade of that mighty stream in con-
nection with the markets of Europe, all de-
pend on this neck of the Sea of Azoff; so that
ii is no exaggeration to assert that our occu-
patton of Kertch will be felt in the interior of
Russia even to Kazan and Nishni Novogorod.
On the Asiatic shores of the Straits the Rus
slams have also destroyed their Notifications.
so that both sides may be occupied and the
allied forces will threaten or blockade Anapa,
which is the key to the whole Circassian
coast. kertch itself is n flourishing town of
about twelve thousand inhabitants, built en-
tirely of substantial stone houses. The In
habitants are chiefly Greeks and Tartars, and
for the first time since the commencement of
these operations our troops will find them
selves in contact with what may be termed,
by comparison, a civilized community The
climate, though cold in winter, is healthy and
genial in this season. The surrounding coun-
try, which is termed by the Russians the
District of kertch- Enikolsk, is luxuriantly
fertile wherever it is cultivated; it is separa-
ted from Kaffa by about sixty miles of undu-
lating plain, lying between the Sea of Azoff
and the Black Sea, and the isthmus dividing
the Bay of Kaffa from that of Arabat is not
more than twelve miles in breadth.
A more favorable position either for mill
tary or commercial operations cannot be
found, and in the fourishing days of the Cri-
mea, both in antiquity under the Genoese,
and even under the Khan of Khazaria, the
chief seat of power and of wealth was always
on this eastern extremity of this peninsula
These facts being we'll known, it it difficult
TO explain why this expedition was not made
at a much earlier period of the war, for the
forces which languished during last July at
Varna might have long since seized the forts
of Yenikale. 1t is true that the soundings
which have enabled Admiral Lyons and Adj
miral Bruat to plan this successful attack had
not then been taken, and the manner in
which they were obtained is curious. A Brit
ish naval officer, whose name has unfortun-
ately not yet reached us, captured vessel
having on board private carriage belonging
to the Russian Governor of Kertch. With
this material pledge in his possession, he
sent in polite message to the Governor, sta
ting that the English cruiser was unwilling
to deprive him Of his private property, and
would have great pleasure in restoring the
carriage to its former owner. The offer was
accepted. and the ships boats entered the
Bay of Kertch with the vehicle on board,
sounding as they went BY this means it
was ascertained that there was a passage for
the small steamers to within short distance
of the coast, and the Governors carriage made
a track for the British feet.