Washington sentinel., 1855-03-17

enemy made their sortie under a tremendous
canonade from the batteries, and then rushed
IN upon the works, but they were received with
such destructive volleys Of mimic and musketry,
that they were speedily driven over the trench
towards the town. The three guns were fired
right into their retreating columns at short
ranges, and continued to plough them up with
round shot till they got under cover Of their
works. Seven Russians were killed inside
their trenches, and remained there. Many
wounded men were carried off, and it is con-
jectured that two hundred and fifty 10 three
hundred were killed and wounded before they
reached the town. The French lost about fifty
in killed and wounded
Wednesday, Feb. There was an extreme
ly hot contest last night between the French
and Russians; the cannonade, which sounded
all over the camp, lasted about an hour. The
enemy, not satisfied with what they had al
ready done, are still laboring hard at the works
in the rear of Malakhoff Tor the round Tower)
and at 3 o'clock to-day they had about 200
men employed on the earth slopes and parapets
of the batteries. 1t is believed that the neigh
borhood Of this tower is being extensively
mined. The French mortars have already be-
gun to tell on the stonework Of the buildings
opposite their batteries--in few days our al
on the town. Lord Raglan has ordered 10 OF
our l3 inch mortars to be lent to the French.
A formidable fire will be opened by bombs
alone and stone itself must at last give way
before it. As the severity of the lombard
ment increases, it may be expected that the
efforts of the Russians to destroy the works
will be made night after night with greater in
veteracy and yigor, but the mortar platforms
are we'll covered, and are retired behind hume
rous works, though the greater part of the
southern side of the Civilian Town Of Sebasto-
pol lies within 1000 yards of them. The par
apets and trenches are said to be in better or
der than they were on the first day OF the
siege. All the other works are equally i'm
proved, and when the fire re-opens, its volume
and weight will be prodigious. | should state,
however, that the French engineer, General
Mel, who visited the English trenches recently,
expressed decided opinion that the batteries
we're too far to produce any substantial re.
suits
Feb. 8-The Russians have actually return.
ed to the heights over the valley of Balaklava
towards the left of the Tchernaya, and have
occupied the hills and ravines about Kamara
and Tchorgoun in some force. They appear
to be casting up entrenchments along their
front, and it was quite evident, at o'clock
this afternoon, that they were getting up two
heavy guns on space of land close to Can.
roberts Hill," which would enable them to an.
noy our conveys across the plain to the camp
very considerably. 1t is to be hoped that Sir
9. Campbell will once more advance his pick
cts. At present there is no telling the exact
force of the Russians in our rear, but the spy
fixed them at $4,000 men. Military critics say
our generals ought to drive the Russians from
a positisn which causes great embarrassment
and danger to our armies.
The siege makes slow progress on our side.
The French have been bombarding from ten
large mortars for the last twenty-four hours,
without producing, any apparent effect com.
mensurate with the weight of such tremen-
dous mass of metal as they are throwing into
the town. They fire about four large shells
every minute for six hours in the twenty.four,
and then reduce the fire to one or two shells a
minute. The Russians have directed tolera-
bly, strong fire on the mortars, but they have
done no considerable damage of any kind.