The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-05-22

wiiIlDg nSuus anu Warm nesItss 70 give Sm
the best we've got in "der machine"
PHOENIX.
From the special correspondent OF the N. Tribune
THE SIEGE OF sEBAsTOPOL.
Report of an American Officer.
Paris. April 26. 1856.
have received intelligence from Sebas.
topol through privste source which gives q
character to the operations now going on
there quite different to that derived from the
interested statements of the French and
English Journals.
II 10 true that some Of the defenses of the
town near the Malakoff tower and the Bias.
ton du Mat had been destroyed by the allies,
but these were the most advanced works Of
the Russians; they were erected under the
FIRE of the enemy's cannon and were imper-
fectly constructed; they were Of no great
value in the defense o: the place, and were
relinqushed without much Of struggle
Their destruction was anticipated BY the
Russians, and argues nothing toward the
final result. II is not ill the sssaulting
party places itself in advance of these works
that the guns of the fortress can be brought
to bear with crushing effect; 90 that at the
latest date nothing had transpired before Sc
bastopol to indicate an advantage in favor of
the allies. The pretension Of the latter that
their guns possessed a superiority over those
of Of the Russians 10 not true. according to
their own admission made on many occasions
since the commencement Of the siege.
| The most important defences Of the Rus
sian garrison are mounted with the large
marine guns taken from the ships of the Rus
sian fleet, and these guns are made after
models of tho best and largest guns in the
French and English service. At the proper
moment these will do their duty in the de-.
fence Of the place. The last Russian dates
from Sebastopol are to the 18th, and these
demonstrate clearly that she feebly defended
Russian outpos,s, one taken and slight sd.
vance made toward the city, the allies have
been arrested, their FIRE diminished, the
amount of harm which they are accomplish
ing against the heavier Russian works re-
ducsd almost to nothing, and that these ir,-
juries are sreadily repaired during the night.
Added to this. certain ,imidity reigns in
the allied camp from the belief that all the
most accessible approaches TO the city ore
mined, and only await the pressure of large
body OF troops to be exploded.
It is repeated from time to time in the
English and French journals that the guns OF
the large fort L'Etoile du Nord, on the other
side of the inlet from the place, will not carry
balls further than the cathedral in the center
of the city. This assertion 10 fatty contra.
dicted by an American officer now with the
allied army, who is every way qualified to
Judge. This fort, which is the strongest oil
all the defences of Sebastopol. 10 mounted
with two hundred guns, and domineers fhe
city completely.
i It is furnished with the large marine guns
before spoken Of, which will carry with very
fair effect to the Malakof tower, or TO any
portion of the city wall proper, on the side Of
which the attack is being made bv the A /
lies. This large fort however, with those
which are near il, was built TO protect the
difficult approaches to the city on the north
side, which they perfectly do, and at the
sane time to act as auxilisries against an as.
sauiting party from the south side or ne
means, later on, OF dislodging an enemy who
might gain admi'tance to the city. 1t has
now become serious question with the al.
lied generals whether, il able to gain the in
terror Of the city, they will dare to risk their
almost annihilated army under the play oil
six or eight hundred guns from the DEPOSITS
bank of the river and in strong position
where they will have no guns to meet their e re
effectively. Admitting then that these forts
|, do not enter seriously into the question Of
the taking Of SebastopoI, they do, however
enter seriously into the question of holding i,
or of the final success Of the campaign.
The report that q division of the allied
army was about to attack Liprandi in the
open field ispndoubtediy untrue, for we learn
from another and more impartial source
that, Notwithstanding the boosted impregna.
bility the English at Balaklava, there are
serious intentions Of evacuating that place
through fear Of the same Gen. Liprandi
whose command lies in the vicinity, anc
, whose forces are rapidly increasing il
strength.
The sbsurdity Of attempting to carry on
campaign with any degree Of effectiveness
against large forces Of Russians, must b.
obvious to every one who will consider tbs
circumstances under which the campaign i,
attempted. 1t will be recollected that one.
half Of the notifications, and that the stron.
: gest hall, are free, and permit the garrison t.
D Introduce at will the reinforcements and am
> munition required for the defence of the side
; attacked; that at the side attacked the de.
lenses are OF immense extent and great soil
dity; that they are defended by cannon piled
: upon cannon. served by men who have be.
. come expert in their use, and that, in order
I to carry any one point, 50 AZ to effect an en-.
, trance into the city, il will require an i'm
mense concentration of the allied forces n
{ that point, thus rendering weak and exposed
I to sorties and flank movements the remain
der of their position: How then viii they
b sAl. liz IL .~7ah-- Of ~ IL, II ~