The Nevada journal., 1855-10-19
Affairs before SebastoDoI.

4ANaA ID USSAoiho VI uOtH-uS VI tne iuture Z
prospects of the seige Since the inven-
ton of artillery there has been no similar
example Of superiority of defense over an
attack, so long prolonged. By the old
rules of warfare against fortified places,
where the beseigers were protected by
masonary bastions, it was demonstrablc to
day when place must fall before prop
er attacking force. Thirty-six days from
the opening of the first parallel was the
limit to which the most gallant garrison
was expected to hold out Regular sci
entifc approaches were made, the force of
artillery leveled at the stone walls increas-
ing in inverse ratio to the diminishing
square of the distance, and the garrison
marched out from their ruined citadel, no
longer capable of defense. The superior
ity of attack over the defense has been
acknowledged in all time since the inven-
ton of gunpower that sends projectiles as
well over bitches as level ground, and to
any required altitude, while from the lar
ger circle of attack to the space of defense,
a greater number of guns could be brought
to bear upon any given point. But in
the seige of Sebastopol, new elements have
entered into the defense, making the re-
suit reverse the usual rule of war, and Civ
ing the defense a superiority over the at
tack The Russian government, disre-
garding routine, that ties up the allied,
and especially the English operations, put
in chief conduct of the defense of Sebasto-
pol, young officer of genius, and he has
worked results that have astouished the
world, and scientific military men as much
as anybody else. The allies appeared be-
fore the then little known city of Sebasto-
pol when it was protected only by the har-
Dor defenses, the VIII ite tower, and low
stone wall, entirely inadequate to protect
the city. An instant assault would have
carried the city, but the allies being by
the fault of routine, without adequate field
artillery, could not have held the city
The attack therefore was not made, but
the allied engineers set at work in the old
fashioned way-opened their first parallel
at the Irregular" 1900 yards from the de-
fenses, and set down "for a regular seige." :"
Projectiles thrown even from that distance
were effective against stone walls, and in
two days the white tower was in ruins
But the young Russian officer was not
idle. He reversed the rules of war, and
instead of remaining in his walls to be ta-
ken Secundum artem, he assumed here
tofore acknowledge d sole feature of attack,
and opened parallelin front of his walls,
fanked so as to be inaccessible to assault,
and then another, and so advanced as
rapidly towards the enemy, as they did
towards the city, throwing up vast earth
works, against which even the awful iron hail
of the allies of April, in which in nine days
threw $50, 900 shot and shell, were thrown
fell harmlessly. Where stone. bastions
would have crumbled to ruins, earth works
were scarcely damaged, while the enlarged
circle of defense gave scope for the en-
ployment of an increased number of guns.
The hoary headed generals of traditional
fame, who had set themselves down before
Sebastopol, were astonished at such re.
suits. And now after the second sum-
mer's campaign, they seem to be nearly
as far from taking the prize as ever. A
leaf stolen from the art of attack has en-
tirely frustrated their purposes, and Sc
bastopol is now what it was not before, al
most impregnable The allied feet be-
fore the harbor has done nothing, though
the experience of Bomarsand seems to i'm
ply that if it had stood in to within 300
yards of the harbor defenses it could with
little danger to itself, level the stone forts,
and silence potent force that must great
ly annoy the Allies if they ever effect
lodgment in the city.
In the seige tho Russians have proved
themselves greatly superior to their foes,
but in the field they have only displayed
bravery without skill The full details of
the battle of the Chernaya are before us,
and although the Russians were disastrous
iy defeated, it seems more through the
fault of their generals in executing the
proposed attack than in the want of cour-
age of the soldiers, or of a proper plan of
operations. Indeed, had it not been for
the timely succor of the Sandman artillc
ry, the French would have suffered severe
ly, and the Russians gained a position