Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-07-27
THE RUSSIAN VERSION OF THE HAVOC
&EEAlR.
IL FLIo OF TRUCK DESIRD'

|
TRE FLAG OF TRUCK DENIED
rba cI,owinv;. TRANSLATION from the French IL
the Journal de 81. Petersburg, OF the letter a'",'
cd by Admiral Dundas 10 The ConiiaHaes' III o''~
OF the Russian troops q. Hea;'fors:-
ION board Her M;jesty's chip tho DUKE I"
Wellington, of SCskHr. June ID
.Sr.-I take sd, antage Of the first opportunity
communicates with you respecting what l nave Jms
I.arnt from the commander OF Her AaJe-y sun
Cossack He complains 10 me t'ns ,sb;ls Iandn
,.;,b aog If trucc with tho intention 81 putting :"
sior. som. Russian Subjects whom we n'u "'i
IN r.,ain prlsuners, having captured mem W. ~
800 ,"nrSt;np vessels which the cruisers unuet
some ton1't an and destroyed, were cruelty put Il
%rass' nn , 5,h inst, ut Hangu-Udde BY troops Stu
toned there. Ill tho orms Of the crew wcr,
| at ,I. bo,,um of the boat. mus s'"h'c" '"c!
| Piie' ,"JdnIy surprised by superior armed i"rre
i;ahs ru,hrd upon them from the houses III TIT
,h,rLood, and attacked them ind'srrlnnatciy'-
nnr men did what they could to explain the ".yect
w.; ,;.s;un and uf. red Resistance. for resstac,
ir .nrh circumstances was uut Of the question:
INV myself p,sip ely that one Ut The Russian prs
nur. understood ihy English language, and IN. Rus
s,u officer seems To have been able 10 reply in t!'
| sn,n, touplu when addressed in the two languages
calling his attention The flag Of truce which he
fused 10 recognize. 4 fire Ot inuskctry Was open
upon ihr nutfrnsive crew OF the b"ni, and upon the
| urisunrrs we had come To set at liberty. WOUND
|
., and savage manner. The firing continued until
| all we're killed. or supposed 10 bcsn Oir man only
severely wounded, aud who was Thought drnd
ce.duI making has escape un board the boat. when
| Il few hours afterwards he was picked up by the
srI. Four q; the crew were found dead ~ thu bottom,
| OF lhu boat.
| "rhrir wounds prove that they must hGvc b, an
ire al; more tnnI'!icc, which fac; confirmed by tie
| Testimony OF Ihu survlvur.
81 huyr only to add that the entire uf :hc
|
,ui.y, and that the nrdrros attack Oi which COLL
PLAN was i'll wsu provoked, and not ut al! ncces-
| oary.
| "In calling your attention TO these facts | hope
| .ha not DO making VAN appeal TO your honor Us
an officer give me such explanations As you may
| ,eem suitable under the actua! circumstances, ANA |
ain happy take advantage of this circumstance 10
| afford you The means Of defending the character ot
your fas.
alt is to the parents only of the unhappy victims
| of this affair that any rrpuratlon can nuw be made,
! and il would be certain consolation for them 10
know with certainty either that all nrc dead, Or that
il there survivors, there Is hope that they Will
| recover from their wounds.
al send YOU therefore, annexed, lie: Of officers and
sailors supposed TO have been killed, and shall feel
| grateful to you for any information you can give
| me respecting this unhappy nhuir.
| 81 have the honor 10 remain, &c,
ar. DUNDAS,
"Rear. Admiral ComnRndnr.in-C Chief Of Her Britain
ni' Majesty's Squadron in the Baltic"
To this letter the Journal do ST. Petersburg pub
fishes the following reply:
| "EIELsIyoFoRs, June S (lTth)
"Monsicur Observation-Disclosures replying to the let
| ter uf your Exc.liency nf tho Sd tljh of June,
must observe with regret that the vessels Of III. Eng
i.h fleet hoist Russian colurs the eusly cap.
turc any Russian vessel they come across The Jour
mis- have sufficiently made known how, from the
commencement OF the the flag If truce had been
abused OH every ~ take sUund!ngs aud Ia make
~
| InulfclIsve towns and villages, inhabited by peace
ful populations has been but too we'll proved by all
that has taken pluce i'll the Baltic.
"On the 18th t26!h Of May,l cutter, do not know
from which ship, landed with u little white tag near
the village OF Twcrminnc. Not finding any troops
! stationed the village, the crew Of the cutter
wanonly fire 10 sume huts and boats, despite the
white flag.
belonging to the corvette Cossack made for the Ham
20 coast. This boat had the British ias flying The
officer in command Of her prctends TO have holsted
little white hag in her Prov on stick. Neither the
men duty at the telegraph on the neighborIng
heights, nor the military post on the coast, perceived
this pretended white flag 1t was, consequently,
quite natural that they should attack the cutter aud
iis crew m as the latter landed.
"Lieutenant Louis Gencsie pretends that servant
carried by his ride silCk with the white dag on IT..
| The soldiers and officers Of our advanced posts,
questioned as the existence OF the iag affirm that
| they never saw it mt all.
M. Geneste pretends that he WINS sent with nag
OF truce TO give up some OF tho crew OF merchantmen
captured during that fortnight. Ii such has been his
| intention il would have been much simpler paul.
a. the Cossack came from the nrighb"rho"d OF IRON
| stadt to have sent them 10 Sweabors. or to nave
landed them some island from when theE co''i'
| easily have reached the cast.
"l'he Captain uf the Cnssack ought 10 know thn'
the bearer Of u flag of truce cannot mad ought NOT L"
be received upon the first landing place. prom"n'"ry'
| or rock it may sut him 10 select
"My uutpusts see, and will continue 10 see III s"'h
missions only military rcconnosances, winch use
similar prrtexts TO MAKE explorations and secure
| provisions. -, ,,
"The hustile md by means trucc-llke character
Of ;his mission is, moreover, proved:
| a. By the lua,ird nrlns seized. Three muskcs
show hv their exploded cnps TINT the crew ol the
! boat made ol them in the struggle.
| "2. By the care shown i'll providing the cutter
| with }6J cartridges, aud chest full "i mcchii;iiy
ARTICLES which Is actually in our pOs'cssIun.
"On the following day the Coss'Irks kept up
heavy lire during hour ugus tue rih4c ~ lia'i'
70 and Its pesc.Iu nhnDiants aud few days later
tho lst l3thl uf June, the attack was repeated 10
se: ire the telegraph and to destroy some houses
instead of going To SwcrbrS 10 demand explanations
"Dcspite the superiority which steam and screw
Civ. Your vrs,rl, they II" not ccase 10 MOIST the
| Russian flag To our coHstlug rcssrk
In the same manner some yards ct white can
! vass have evidently been turned to account to taxi
suundin,s and make explorations.
III nm willing {" believe, VI. fAdmircl, that ths IL
dJnr without your knowledge. Allow he to express
the nope that You vii! III future p:n!itbIt the ni,.ipn'
Of sucil pracu!r ! flags of truce The crew OF Lieut.
,irn,-ir's boat wer, cau.It III lh.ir"wI trap Scv"i
,c,. were killed, four wuudt1 aud the rc!iiii'.ri
.c prrsol.es, iiic list iuciJsc will inform You
lac affair uh!y !msici ,ut. |; was iinp'sabh
10 dsiin s the l. :g.Ish from the prisoner sailor
they Trough with ihsm. Onr u! thrn, Lind'tiOI'i
VINO spnku English, the first man Killed, ana "'
uhers wpre WOUNDED. .
zine responsibility OF the whole affair rests will
tn. irresu,ariIy with which missions VI this sort arr
made.
alt appears to me that it would DO more suitable Il
make COMMUNICATIONS 70 S1enborg, aud lIruSt then
10 so,ne vess- ecnt there in the same Inanucr as y"'
sen; Your letter oi the Sd ,l5,h) Of June.
"rhu Cossack sEuuid not hnvn dcv'ntcd from W.
rule. Vessels Wishing 10 en:er into p.rcy eho"'
llulst q white hH. OF in:gr drGen,cns, anil aac''.
beyond irms range, and await boar u rc'''c "r!
message in wrlling. We will never receive al:
other. Tie Cu,s.t.x did nothing of The SORT
seems to me that the honor o your Nag Ought 10 On
net the ,,sl strict and srru;,uus Ubserranco u ~.
, rules established IN surh uct:uHiUnt.
"rhe honor Of my flag wall never permit me
! depart f"., them. ,
, Il can assure YOU that tire wounded arc well take
/ cure of, and the prisoners well treated.
, Il have tho honor tn DC Monsieur ! Admlrai
Tour very obrdvni servant, -c
Aid dc Cnmp-C;cnornl Of AIS Maj sly IN