Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-04-24
Details by the Nashville.
SIEGE oE sERAsropoL.

since the Qdto VI preFiUuS uuNiSco, thcfo Has
been series of fierce sorties and assaults between
the Russians and French, for possession of the rife
ambuscades in front of the French position, and
under the Malakoff Tower. These rife pits, which
have led to 30 considerable sacrifice of life, are
placed in front and to the right and left Of the
| tower, and are about six hundred yards from the
allied works They are merely excavations in the
| ground, faced round with sand bags and banked
with EARTH loop-holed for rifles. They are six in
number, and each contains ten men, sixty in all.
| General Bosquet considers 1t point Of honor to
| take and hold or destroy these ambuscades. He
has, several times, by night assaults driven out
| the Russians, but as the pits are covered by the
fire Of the city batteries, the French have hitherto
found it impossible either to destroy or hold them.
The Importance of this position to both besiegers
and besieged is very great.
The Malakotf round tower Is regarded as the key
of the defances, and hence the energy Of the Rus
slams in strengthening it, Considerably in sdvance
of the tower Is the elevated mound, hill, now
called the mamelon," on which the besieged are
erecting battery of great strength. A little fur
Their in advance Is the eminence recently seized 30
skfully by the Russians, and fortified with earth
works it Is now crowned by square redoubt,
with sixteen guns visible on Its three outward Sides
bat they have sot yet opened fire. Outside Of
these defences are the rife pits. The Russian bat
teries at Inkemann, their forts on the other side
of the Tchernaya and the works Of Malakoff cover
this redoubt and converge on the approaches in
front oft. This explanation win convey an idea
Of the strength Of the position which the French
nightly contest. Dates Of the encounters are Is
follows:
MARCH 18th TO 10Th.
On Saturday afternoon the 10th March, the
firing was very heavy from the Russian batteries
and their engineers were working busiy on the new
redoubt. Omar Pasha arrived at the camp March
18th, and council of war was held, at which were
present besides Raglan, Canrobert aud Omar Adj
mirals Stewart and Sir Edmund Lyons. The exact
purport Of Omar Pasha's visit did not transpire,
but II was rumored In camp that he sought some
assistance, which could not be granted, and that
the utmost he can therefore do unaided will be TO
hold Eupatoria. Electric communication Is COM
pleted between Ragan's quarters and Balaklava,
aud the railway Is in working order TO Kadiksi.
During the night Of March 14th there was
fierce aifaiI The Russians had advanced some
ritiemen in front Of the French lines, who caused
considerable annoyance When night fell, demi-
brigade OF French went down and drove them out.
All the city batteries along the front Immediately
opened and continued furious cannonade for half
an hour during which stronger force Of the enc
my advanced on the French and compelled them
TO retire, with loss Of sxty-6ve men the Russian
loss being probably more severe. The Russians
reoccupied the pits.
In the night Of the 18th the French renewed
the attack, and succeeded with comparatively lit
tie loss, In driving out the enemy's rifenen, and
occupying the pits with their own. The French
continued to hold those on the right under heavy
tire, over the 10th and 18th March.
Night of the 18th yet another encounter took
place At halfpast o'clock In the evening the
French, who had retired before the FIRE from the
batteries, marched down TO reoccupy the ambus-
cades, but found the Russians bad anticipated
them. A fierce conflict Immediately commenced,
but Il was evident the Russians were In strong
| force, and the French we're again and again borne
back by the weight Of fire. For four hours and
half they persevered in their attempts and all that
time continuous roll of musketry rang out, bro
ken only by brief pauscs in the advance. In these
ulls the British could distinctly hear the voices Of
| the French officers cheering on their men," En-
avant, mes enfans r. I" En- apdnt, Zoudpe, r'--and
| the tramp of feet and the rush Of men followed,
then roll Of musketry was heard, diminishing in
volume to rapid file fghtng-then Russian
cheer--then more musketry--a few dropping shots
and the voices Of the officers once more. The
Zouaves bore the brunt Of the fight and the action
was somewhat peculiar, as artillery took nc part in
H. The British I'D, Sd, 4th, and light divisions,
were told of for action, and the entire British
camp remained under arms until the French de-
sisted from their attack, but as the gallant French
made IL point of honor to take those pits with
| out aid, no assistance was offered The French
L
killed and wounded, besides few prisoners.
On the 18th reinforcement OF $4,000 men en-
tered Sebastopol. None Of the Russian batteries
fred shot to-day. Some persons surmised that
the bcsiegcd were short Of ammunition; others
that the silence arose from ceremonies connected
with the death Of the Emperor Nicholas, the IN
telligence of which event had reached the city
three days previous and caused the church bells
TO be rung twenty-four hours, and the shipping to
bo;s, tho;r n. ra halfmast The Russiana continue
70 throw up defences from the ravnes Of Inker
mann TO the seaside south Of the Belbek. To-
day another body Of Russiane, apparently about
| $4,000 strong, was observed to march towards
Mackenzie's Farm, aud were reported TO have
crossed the Tchernaya and advanced upon Baidar
At4P. M. of the 18th, Gen. Canrobert, with
small escort, passed down the Woronsow Road,
by the British right and carefully examined the
"pitss AT nightfsIl a strong force Of French,