Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1855-09-29

| Gear in Sebastopol. We make Snme interesting
extracts from the letter, which was written at in
tervaIs between the 4th and Sth of July:
You have no idea how much destruction one
bomb will create be large one; and the EreBch
are helping us to them at present of enormous d-
menSionS aud III considerable quantities; the ef
feet OF which is we have considerable numbers of
men wounded and killed every day.
had formed a very erroneous idea OF Sebasto-
pol from the different drawings had seen OF It.
You remember one we had which represented the
city as fit Situates. on level plain, &c. You
see little engraving, but very bad, aud one that
does not represent one-half the ground, over this
sheet of paper. Nothing but sight with the
natural eye can give man any idea OF The place
any way correct. 1t is naturally very strong
place; but cannot see that the Russians have
any advantage in the location Of The ground. The
hills all around an the South side are equally as
tall as those Of the city and those lhatare held by
the Russians. One thing they have, adecided adj
vantage in surrounding completely, as they do,
three sides Of us, and with their vessels half the
other side. ALI their IRE is concentrated 10 one
point, while that of tue Russians has 10 be diver
gent in all directions. You see the advantage at
once hiatt gives them. When our men of
duty they are nearly exposed to the same dagger
as when on, because the bombs and cannon balls
ure wbizzng all over the city all the while. When
the French, IN the other hand, of duty they
90 back 10 their camp, which IS situated without
Shot OF any of our guns.
LeIeve that there is at least half as many kill
ed in The city while of duty as there is at the bas
lions at the present time. During the tune
that they attempting To destroy battery, of
course more are killed at The baStlonS. All the
fighting, save that which IS done durIngan assault
or SoTt.e, is done from behind The baStionS. You
know something OF The construction of g baStion,
suppose. II is nothing more than an embauk-
nent OF dIlt, With pinces cut through Iur cannon.
The French have the same as we do, and in this
particular we have no advantage over them; and
then they have decided advantage of us in their
artillery, which will carry much further than ours;
have excellent artillery, but it is not heavy
Another thing they have that does great deaf of
execuIion-tIe Mime rifle. You have heard it
sCOAen OF in gu terms, but its value an m>tru-
ment af war has never been spoken of in terms
too high. We lose great many men from them,
nd these French know SO we'll how to take advan-
tage Of little i'll the ground to make rifle
pit. -Four or five Of them get in here, and one
shoots while the others load for him, aud they do
vast deal of execution 10 arIilerymen. These pits
are thick all around the city, aud you may boot
at them with cannon but with little ell ect, for
soon as he fires his rifle he dips down i'll his hole,
aud you see nothing more until you hear the crack
Of his rifle again; and they pretty TO get
man, and the balls, which are conical and Vrry
heavy for gun, generally 90 through and through.
You never find them lodged without they had
struck bone, which is sure to be broken and
shattered in every direction, rendering amputaliou
necessary.
But Russia has the best soldiery in the world.
They hlve no fear about them i'll this particular.
They are efficient l1Um the SOiliery of all cuuu-
tiles. Ii is impossible 10 get up panic IN the
Russian army, they will stand with the stubborn
ness oil mule, and be shot Gown by thousands,
and never think OF running, without they ale Of
dered to do so. They know nothing but 10 obey
~ a nj nj
million and tell them TO stand and fight; ii they
had all officer with them That would stand | be-
ieve the last one might be shot down, and you
would never See the least movement towards Iun-
ming.
Although we lose a good mny men, do not
think more than the enemy when they make an as
Sauit upon U.S. then we rake lhsm down-yeS, 10y
thousands. have seen two assaults made with
the attempt TO take the MaiakoE hill, or tower us
II is called, the tower that stood on 1t Las been
knocked 10 pieces some time ago. but it is now for
tilted with haStiOms,) on the 18th of June. You
have long since read accounts Of 1t in the new
papers. They made two desperate attempts 10
take it, during which their loss must have been
truly immense. | never wItne SSed such a Slght
before. One or them took place about daylight
and lasted until eight O'clock, and when the sun
was two hours high 1t was as dark as night. We
rather got them through, drove them back oveE
thsir dead; which lay IN heaps over the hllisides.
THIS must have been bad day for then. We lost
great many men, but can alToIl 10 lose a
hundred where France can one. The Russian
soldiers are like flies; kill one and ten will come
ami take his place.
by the sinking of the ships, thereby forming a
barr!cade, we have no use Tor but two of our for
tteSSes. those dearest the sea. BY this means we
can take the cannon from the others 10 iuru(y from
the land side, WHICH We have done; but the can
non of the 70 treSSeS most too heavyis The only
fault one could have to using them on Land. But,
although we have taken great many cannon from
the oresSeS for this purpose, thete is enough lett
here to sink the Whole OF the immense fleet that
is lying out here If they to attempt to enler
The Elarbor. The Qualifications for this purpose,
think, ate on scale Too grand. Yuu can form Ito
idea from engravIngS what an appearance these
fine forneSSrS make. y cannon ball makes but
little impression on them; III Tact none Of impUt.
lance.
On the north side OF the bay is also succession
| of hills, some OF which are very high, and running
IN every direction. You find them ali baS;ionS
iucng in every direction. These bastiOns aud re-
doubts extend up the bay for mile or so from the
city, and some of them very elective, pouring
nearly continual stream of balls across the bay.
| think it very doubtful whether the French would
be able 10 hold this city Tor any length Of time II
they could get possession Of II, from the fact that
the hills OIL the north side are taller than those oil
the south, and the city aud the batteries on them
think, would force them to leave il. In the moi
the south side. Will finish this by saying that it is
the best fortified place ever saw. There is moi
hill or mound where a cannon could be placed
| with advantage but you fud item.
man naturally feels little lonesome here when
he is by himself i'll place like this, with no other
American. am the only man left Those VIII"
have been here are either dead or left Tor hume-
When arrived here 1 found two American ply
ScIanS, but they left soon after. They were not
ell pleased, aud betoIe any thing of the
benefits TO be derived by being here they prriuui-
ced he great deal against The place; but lear II
was their own fault; III tactl know 1t was il they
had any thing 10 complain Of.
1t is true thugs here are not as one could ex
pect TO find at Paris. Every thing is very dear
here; you pay twenty-five cents for every plate OF
portion of your beef, your bread, mutton, butter,
&c. Coffee and tea every time you order is TWEEN
ty five cents. They pay man, however, enough
for him to live on the cheap scale and make his
dinner of OF two plates; but an American must
not do that. The officers OF the Russian army are
the nobility and although they receive but little
pay f!onl the Government, they spend great deal
of money. And another thing, they are all edu-
| Gated men. You find ScaLceIY nnN Of than W hn