Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-08-24

by the two important battles of Bal
aklava and Iukcrmann, neither OF
which, it appears, would have Ia
ken place but for the plumbers of
our engineering department.. II one
thing was from the first more evil
dent than another, it was that the
English army had undertaken task
which was beyond their strength
numerically. 1t was almost physl-
cally impossible that they should
carry on an important siege with
only $4,000 men, and at the same
time defend Balaklava and the long
line Of heights from that place TO
Inkermann, besides bringing up all
their stores aud supplies from
place six or seven miles in their
rear. All this was apparent to eve
ry one but in the face of these
facts the engineers commenced an
immense entrenched camp in front
of Balaklava, as if they had 10000
or 30, 900 men to spare to defend it.
The town itself was already de-
Tended by circle of lines describ-
ed with mile radns, and therefore
as extensive as those of Sebastopol
itself but they commenced on a
two and a half mile radins to con-
struct a series of redoubts in front
of that place, though for what pur-
pose has never been explained
The ground offered no facilities for
defense the profile of the works
was such that cavalry could ride
over them no htnking expedients
were resorted to; and they were too
small to contain anything like an
imposing garrison. With 1000
in each, and 10000 or 10000 in
the rear, they might have been of
use. But all we could afford were
200 Turks and few sailors and ar
tillerymen. The Turks were raw
recruits, fighting in foreign coun-
try under the orders of men who
did not understand their language,
and whose every act was an o1ense
to their prejudices. The bait was
too tempting to be resisted. Lii
prandi crossed the 'Tchernaya, and
bounced on these devoted troops.
They held their posts longer than
they ought to have done, but at
last fled, and were cut down by the
Russian cavalry before they could
reach their supports.
Immense was the obloquy heap
ed on these poor fellows for theii
conduct on this occasion, and the
prestige of the Turks for a time
was lost but if blame were fairly
appropriated, the whole Of it should
on this occasion be thrown on those
officers who placed men in a posi-
ton where their services were use
less, and their destruction inevita-
bic. The attempt to retake the
captured guns by sending 700 light
cavalry TO charge 10000 men III a
position, was a less mistake than
the first, and was redeemed by the
heroic brilliancy with which it was
executed. Had half the labor been
spent in fortlfying the gorges of In
hermann that had been thrown a
way on these redoubts at Balakla-
va, the battle of the 9th of Novem-
Der would probably never have
been fought. The Russians, how
ever, seem always to have been
| keenly alive to the DEFICIENCIES Of
our scientific departments, and they
watched their opportunity on this
occasion with consummatc SKILL
They saw that the very key of our
position was overlooked and neglec-
ted and they planned their attack
with such secrecy, that had it been
executed as designed nothing could
have saved us. As il was, we were
completely surprised by their ap-
proach, and at 9 o'clock on tina
eventiul morning the fate Of III,
, Allied armies hung on the slender
est thread had the Russians beer
able TO penetrate hundred yard
{ further, and deploy their superio
, forces on the plateau, they coul,
= have marched over our thin and de
I cimated ranks and if defeated i
!, front, with the town in our flank
e nothing could have saved our beini
9 driven into the sea. The lines o
= Balaklava were not closed in th,
rear, not a sod had been turned il
front of Kamiesch Bay, and there
was not rallying point in the
whole plateau where even 1000 men
;. could make a stand.
We were saved, however, partly
by the mistake OF General Solmon-
off, who mistook his orders and lost
his way, but far more by the in
domitablo heroism of our own
troops, who, though surprised and
surrounded, defended themselves
with consistency and courage which
has seldom been equalled, and prob
ably never surpassed, in the annals
Of war. With the 9th of Novem-
Der ended the first act in this great
drama. Hitherto we had nothing
to regret. The mistakes were not
greater than probably happened in
all past wars, and they have been
nobly redeemed.
THE RESULTS.
When the battle OF Inkerman was
fol ghi, the bombardment had con-
linued for nearly three weeks with
out doing any damage to The enemy's
works, which were in fact stronger
a., H., 80. g.. J..