Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-10-04
tcoRRE.roNDESCE OF THE FREE PREss.l
Letters from England.

LONDoN, cepl' IT, lCoo'
There is no such thing as choice of topic
this week the one event is all absorbing -
Wherever and whenever two men, women, or
children me9t-whether walking, riding,
running, sailing, or sittng-enrly and late,
'lrom morn till noon, from noon till dewey
eve, only one thing is talked about. And
no matter what else any one may have to do,
every body finds plenty of time to talk about
the great event like virgil's shepherds, all
postpone their serious business and CON
grcgatc to have chat drivers, artizans,
tapsters, street-sweepers, beggars, swells, -
all find themselves in one promiscuous crowd,
hearing, communicating, and hurrahing. Go
where you will everybody seems at leisure,
everybody looks at you as though you were
an old friend, and seems to say to you by the
flash of his eye and the glow of the cheek
"lou and are happy men to-day ~
do not know whether you have been tho
victims of hope deferred to such an extent as
We; perhaps, then, you won't understand
our e1uberant joy ; perhaps you will smile
at it. Perhaps you have managed to keep
your arpctitcs from being spoiled, your SYM
rathies from being sickened during this long
interval OF doubt, anxiety, and suffering -
But in England, we have not done this
Without quite dcspairing, we have been
through all degrees of mistrust pain, and
alarm and now when there comes a renewal
of hope, or rather the consummation of hope,
we can't help bursting into exultation. If
you have read the Winters Tale of the Cr-
inca, if you have followed your Anglo Saxon
kinsmen through all the eventful drama,
seen how they endured and fought and died
as brave men should how they endured and
fought and died, not for any selfish end, but
for the security of Europe, and for the best
interests Of civilized man, and if you do not
feel some generou. enthusiasm when you see
Victory at last dancing on their banners,
don't envy your apathy Out upon your
unnatural Tendencies Go and be per-
vcrts to bribed journalism, and to n public
sentiment created for you by demagogucs and
agitators
Bat Sebastopol is fallen. The fleet which
did its work of butchery at Sinope so bravely,
is burned or sunk not plank remains
from which Muscovite, or Ncapolitan, or
Prussian, or the Editor Of the TriJnnc,
could cut u dear memento of its bye-gone
glory. Whether Prince Gortschakoff is
strengthening himself in his northern forts,
or is even now planning how he may best
save his army from impending destruction by
n timely retreat, we do not know ; nor is it
quite evident which course would most in
lallibly ensure his ruin Perhaps he may
hazard another battle perhaps no may
think best to capitulate but something de-
cisive he must do soon: There is no doubt
that his army is suffering from want of pro-
visions. dispirited by defeat and by disap-
appointment ut the loss of their citadel,
deemed impregnable. That the Russians
have fought brayely and obstinately against
the invaders of their soil it is useless to deny,
but that they can much longer hold the Cri-
mca now that their main fortress is gone, or
that in general engagement they can have
much hope of retrieving their perilous con-
dition, is altogether impossible.
As yet we have learned but few particular.
Of the assault which ended in the capture of
Sebastopol. At day-break on the 5th, the
bombardment for which such vast prepara-
tons had been made, was opened along the
whole line. On the evening of the 9th,
Russian two decker was burnt in the harbor.
and two others on the 9TH. At noon of the
Sth, the French under General Bosquet as
saulted and Immediately carried the Mala-
kof at the same time the English carried
the salient angle of the Redan, but were as
sailed with such a discharge of grape from
the enemy's inner lines, that they could not
hold their position The French in their as
saults on the Little Redan at the extreme
left, met with similar success On the Mala-
koT, however, which has three tiers rising
one above another, the French protected
themselves by gabions, and could not be dis
lodged. When evening came on, the Mala-
kof only was in the possession of the allies
During the night the Russians blew up their
magazines, fired the town, and crossed over
on n bridge of RATS to the northern forts,
and on Sunday morning, they We're found to
have placed the harbor of Sebastopol between
themselves and the allies. Gortschakoff
writes to st. Petersburgh that he left the
town only " heap of blood-staIncd ruine 80
but General Peissier (now Marshal PrlIs-
sier) says that he found n vast q" amount Of
mate, 'di and immense establishments " lie
also says that the multiplicity of the works
of defence aud the material means applied
thereto exceed by far anything hitherto seen
in the history of war During the assault.
the Russians stood hravoly hy their guns,
but the appearance Of the French in tie
MalakoT tower caused such u pane among
them, that they could no longer be kept
under discipline. TIA few shells had struck
their bridge, their only hope of escape would
have failed them. aud hence their ragprnrss
to avail themselves Of the night for an immc-
date passage Gortschakotf pridcs himself
on having executed this movement with eek
haordlndry success.
We have not vet had full returns of tho
killed and WOUNDED. In the assault on. the
Rcdan, the British lost nearly 2OO0 men of
whom 500 or 600 were killed 20 British
officers were killed, II3 wounded and ! j.
missing. No General officer is among the
fallen THE French have lost four or five
Generals besides 10 superior officers The
number OF wounded in the French Hospitals
is about l,io0 of whom . 10 are officers
FROM TINS 1t IL computed that the number of
sum must nave been not far from 1900
Your Chronicler,