American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1855-09-22
LATE FOREIGN NEWS.
ARRIVAL Ole THE AFRICA
The Allied Attack On sweabors.
What England Lost and What Russia Gained
From the London Times, Aug. 90.

we must say that the actual results
are an immense deduction from the
boosted victory. Just consider how
the matter really stood at the close of
the bombardment between ms and the
Russians. We had not silenced their
batteries, but we had silenced our own.
! we were silenced, not only for the
present but for the whole season, for
anything that now appears. The two
immense fleets were helpless, eycent TO
keep the Russians in harbor. We had
left our sting in the wound. cit is a
source of universal regret" SAYS our
correspondent, that there was not a re-
serve OF spare mortars sent out, not so
much as to replace tho spoilt ones as
they became injured, and SO continue
the bombardment longer, but because
we might have followed tits blow with
another as severe in different quarter"
Why, the big ships might have carried
any number of mortars, carriages and
all as ballast; in fact one ship is now
taking out mortars enough for the whole
iiotllla. In forty-cight hours perfect
~ new mortar has been substituted for
every spollt one, and the gunboat,
might have presented themselves rs
the heralds of their own victory at Re-
vel, or Riga, or even Cronstadt before
the enemy had time to adapt his de-
fences to the very important fact estab-
hshed at Swcaborg. lie had evidently
made mlscalculation there, and was
notprepared for the means ut our COM
mand, he had probably made the same
mlscalculation elsewhere, and is equal
ly unprepared, if we are only prepar-
ed to meet the blow This unfortuna-
tely we are not. So we are forced to
leave him time to improve the occasion
and our victory at Sweaborg is only a
lesson in self-defence which we give
tussla, at no great cost to her, but an
immense cost to ourselves. Our peo-
pie, indeed, arc attempting to calculate
the damage we have done in pounds
sterling. But if this is to be the sim
gle achievement of the season in the
Baltic, we fear the balance is sadly a.
gaInst us, for the fleets in that sea have
not cost the allies farthing under ten
millions a piece, and the utmost damage
we can boast to have done at Swcaboro
Is a million and a half, or thereabouts.
The mere pecuniary results of the
season, then are immensely against
US. That however is small affair
The worst is that we have thrown away
the opportunities of this year just for
the want oflooking forward, and being
IRE paredfCr the conting NV ~ ,e%
Next year, doubtless, we shall have
mortars enough; but the Russians will
then be prepared for us, and we may
not be able to go through our pretty
but destructive dance of gunboats, Just
within range, with the same success.
The truth is, the Russians learn faster
than we do, and will always be just so
much ahead fus as to set at defiance
our immense superiority of wealth and
mechanical skill; at least they will do
so till there is rather more Of the yiyi-
c1@ 0ls animi, which is ever foreseeinp
andproyiding for the future in our con-
dnct Of the war.
The Bombardment Of Sweaborg. Russian Ac.
count.
lie NOrd publishes an extract from
a letter, dated Helsinfors, Aug. 10
two days after the fleets had left Swea-
borg--in which we read: "After forty
SIX hours bombardment and the expen-
dlture of from $4,000 to 10000 shells
all the Notifications, all the batteries.
and all the works Of defence are left
completely intact. The day after the
departure of the allied fleets the fire at
Sweaborg was completely extinguishcd
and preparations are making for re-
building the twenty houses that were
destroyed. Captains of vessels navi-
eating the Gulf of Finland may easily
satisfy themselves as to the continued
existence of Sweaborg."
The Military Gazette of Vienna,
after quoting the words of the Invalde
Russo, asserting the unimpaired con-
dition Of the works, batteries and guns
at Swcaborg says:
eve learn from an imperial source
that the powder magazines were blown
up, and the noighboring buildings des-
troyed by fire, but the works construc-
ted to guard the entrance Of the haven
are in the complotest state of defence"
The Siege Of Seyastopol.. .0penins Fire.
FOURTH DIVISION CAMP, Aug. II.
AT 4 o'clock this morning tho Eng
lish batteries opened heavy fire along
the whole of their line. The Russians
kept silence for full twenty minutes,
when they replied in good style. The
French were slow in cooperating with
us. 1t was fully 81 o'clock before
they opened on the left, and when
they did it was sort of intermittent
fire their right pansinp when thnir Loft