The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-10-14
THE FALL OF sEBAsTOPOL.


OF Engineers.
SEHAsropoI, Sept. IL, 1858.
MONSIEUR LIZ MARECHAL-The assault made on the
tortihcatiops OF Sebasopol the Sth and placed us
in possession of the Malako the occupation OF wnen
renders the defence Of the faubouyg almost mpossple
and allows to cut oil the communica oI Inc town
with the north Of the harbor. The enemy nave snywn
that they that conquest TO be decisive AFTER having
nade several attacks ON us with courage which We
are bound pay homage to- finding that enors
q The evening eyacuatng the During the night
hey set FIRE IT, and employed gunpowder TO destroy the
has been SO many years accumulsng in this fortress
They sank all their ships Of the line, fgates and other
Anew carried Oh the bridge Of boats by which they com
inundated with the northern side thus us
the town. the auboug and all that lies the southern
side Of the harbor.
The defence was energetic several points at
taehs were repused bnt the principa-hat which in
asubtu The lat division Of the corps at present
commanded by General MMahon carried the Malakof at
tAe very first rush, and maintained themselves there
eomprehending clearly that it held in its the
fnow proceed to give you account of the arrange
nents which had been adopted TO diminish much
possible the numerous difficulties which this terrible
assault presented, made, as i was, not on place
vast fortress defended by army probably az
that viii sh attacked It.
Near the Of the town our trenches had
81 the and within thirty OF the Flagstaff Bas-
Near the aubourg of Karabelnaia the English arrested
BY the difficulties OF the ground and by the FIRE Of the
enemys artillery could not approach closer than within
40 metres Of the Great Redan (o 81 on which their
In front Of the Malakof we had arrived within twenty
ve metres OF the fertilization which surrounds the town.
and our approaches had placed at about the same
distance from the small Redan of Careenng Bay no ~
mat great result due inconestaby to the supe-
giety which artillery had assumed over that OF the
The Generalsin chief of the allied armies had decided
The general attack ON the place was fixed on for the
Oh Of September, at On the 9Th, early i'm the
1Aat Of the English attacks who had hitherto been
sparing Of their fire. to resume with the greatest
lad in battery along the two attacks upwards Of 500
pieces OF cannon the English 200 more and the Russians
The enemys fire damaged our trenches bat did but
Rttle HARM Ours Notwithstanding the great extent Of
the place, conveged it, and must have caused great
atey preceding the assault the workmen of the infantry
were principally employed in enlargpg the several places
Garmss in advance in widening the passages and
IN transporting to the required spots the OF
The great object of all our efforts was to obtain posses
sn Of the work constructed behind the Maako tower
This work he Kornile Redoubt OF the Russaps) which
an immense redoubt "a sort of citadel in earth occu-
pies height which commands the whole interior of the
karabenaa aubourg 1t takes in the flank of the Redn
attacked by the English and is only metres from the
Spss Of boats become their only between
the faubourg and the town. The fort of the Maako is $50
netres in length and 100 metres in width Its parapes
are 10 feet above the ground and In front Of them is
ditch which, at the points of attacks metres deep
and wide. The first armed with 80 pieces of can
NON Of various caibre In the front part surrounded
BY the psrape is the Malako tower Of which the Rus
aus only kept the ground foor which loopholed In
ttude Of raverses beneath which excellent blinds
where the garrison found shelter and bedpaces arrang
in two tiers on each side Russian engineer officer
garrison ef the fort Of the Malakof, Of which have
thought it my duty to give description, in order
that may judge of the difficulties which soldiers
have had to surmount.
The front of the Malakof, which is 1000 yards in
length terminates left by the Maakof Fort and
right by the Redsn of the Careening Port This
latter work, which, at the commencement of the siege,
armed y The eue ons Of
the two redoubs of the Malako and the Careening Port
we're united BY curtain armed with 10 and in the
rear Of that ncosure the Russians had raised second
which united to the two redoubts. This second in
slosare already partly armed had not any ditch which
could any serious obsta le As to the ditch of
the first curtain and OF the Redan Of the Careenng Port
the rocky nature Of the ground had prevented the Rus
points could be crossed without any serious
diculty In order to these bitches, which
very Deep we had invented kind of bridge which could
- thrown in less thaN minute by ingenious
nan9uvre, in which onr men had been exercised, and
these bridges were very useful to US.
ority that Of the Russians that 1t had senced al
most all the FIRE that bore directly attacks and
their embrasurcs damaged that columns had
longer any fear Of being assaed by grape leaving
their trenches. The parspets had also been knocked
down. and part of the materials of which they had been
formed bad fallen into the bitches short the fort of
the Ealakof had received such number of shells from
our batteries and from those of the English that the guns
which not directly also had their embrasures
Ged up and the earhworks had entirely lost their ORR
ginal form In the rear however, of the first line of de-
fences the Russians had placed several guns and the
columns OF attack on the Maakon were exposed to the
Ere of numerous batteries which the enemy had
struced on the north side of the roadsead and the sh
from which, although fred from very long range,
You are aware, Monsieur le Marechal that from the
moment Of arrival before opo did not hesitate
TO declare that the true point attack the tower
the mameon of Maakho and that this opinion having
been adopted by General Canrober the right attacks
undertaken and executed the I'd corps On the side
Of the town he contented himself with extending towards
ing things at the point at which they we're al the time
the assault decided on there doubt but that
eisve result and, the other hand y was to be pre-
stunned that the attack thnt point failed the
obtained elsewhere would be without any material conse
quences place. however OF such an extent could not
be attacked at only point II necessary to
division Of the enemys forces and also to inspire them
with uneasiness to the security Of the bridge by which
they would have TO make their retreat
in order to satisfy these different considerations,
and success the same time that the blood OF
soldiers should be spared much possible in the
terrible struggle which was being prepared, that the
General Chief decided first making the assault in
the front Of the Maakof and that that attack which
was made under his eyes, should succeed the English at
his signal should attack the Redan and the LIST Corps
the town. in order to prevent the enemy from concen
tratng all their efforts against the troops which should
have taken possession of the fort of the Maakof The
front Of the aaIa' Of was to By attacked By three col
marching directly on the fort by the front OPP
posite to us, was to take possession Of it, and
hold 1t any cost; that Of the right under &C.
neral Duac, was to march on the Redan of the
Careening Port, to occupy it, and TO deach brigade
it's left in order to turn the second enclosure and that
of the centre under General Ia Motteouge leaving the
sixth parallel, having ground to go over, to
carry the curtain afterwards advance the second
closure and send of its brgades to the assistance Of
the first column II 1t should not have yet obtained Pc
session Of the MalakoG Fort
The Importance Of these positions such that
doubt felt but that the enemy would in the event Of
their being taken, make every effort to recover them
and in consequence the troops Of the Imperial Guard
we're given TO the ID Corps. Chef de Bata
Jon Radon Of the Engineers having under his orders
several brgades Of sappers. marching with the first
column, to throw the bridges the dtches seek
for the mines, and everywhere open passage to the
columns and as they should be masters Of the
fort open large passages in the for the arrival Of
other troops and artillery Chef de Battalion Renoux of
the Engineers attached to the right column and Captain
Sehonnage attached to that Of the centre having also
brgades of sappers under their orders had TO fulfil SINH
lar missions. All these arrangements for the service Of
the Engineers had been made by General Frossard who
commands the Engineers Of the I'd Corps In the attack
au.,A tho lad