New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-21


though the Russians decidedly informed of our pro-
jccts, were on their guard and ready to rspel tne
assault, / may be permit ted to believe mat II ue
attack could have been general and instantaneous
along the whole extent Of the line, II there had been
audiences and unity Of action in the efforts OF our
brave troops the object would have been attained.
Unfortunately such not the case and an lnconcey
able fatality caueed our failure.
WAS still more than / 600 metres from the spot
where was TO give the signal when brisk flsade,
mingled with grape-shOi, told me that the action had
been seriously commenced toward the right. In fact
shortly before O'Clock, Gen. Mayran thought he saw
nv signal in a bomb with its flaming fuze that had
been fred off from the Brancon Redoubt. He was IN
formed, but to no purpose, Of biz mistake
This brave and unfortunate general gave the order
TO commence the attack. The columns of Sauun ana
de FaiIly dashed forward at once The first rush was
magnificent; but hardly had these heads OF cor,hne
advanced when they were assaied By shower OF oas
and grape This overwhelming grape came not merely
from the works we wanted 20 carry Dut RON tne enc
rnvs steamers also which auived WIN iuil steam o.
aud unanswered with equal good fortune anu san.
We however must have inf cied some danase On
then This prodigious fire arrested the effort OF our
troors II became impossible for soldiers 70 inafGl
forward but not one made single SeP III e~es' ~
ms ,hep that General Mayran, twice it ALREADY was
struck down by grape shot, anu co'NPcieU :" s'o up
the command Of bis division.
An this was the work Of moment and General
yavren bsd been already carried OIL the field OF battle
when gave the signal from the spot had reached OF
the Lancaster battery. The other troops then engaged
In order 10 support the premature movement OF the d
vision on the right. This valiant division, dsuniied
for an instant by the loss Of It's General rallied prompt
iv 10 the voice of General dc Fally. The troops en-
caeed supported by The 2ad battalion Of the g5th Reg
mcDt Of tie line AID one battalion OF the Nolgeufs
of the Guard, under the orders q me brave Soohel
Boudvile, kept srm near ridge where the General
~ them, and maintained their ground with n;re-
pi,sSs M mesl time being informed Of this stua-
~ 'b;oh might become critical, gave orders 10
SrrsI Regnault De Saint jean Augely 10 fcnd i2ar
bsttsrons Of the voligeurs Of the Guard taken from
he general reserve, TO the succor OF lIis oiv'sGn
Generals Mellinet and Uhrich marched WIN ihis me
noon rallied what was scattered IN the Careemng LA,
vine and came up with their solid support to General
de Faiy, by Occupying the bottom OF the r9YlHs'
General MelliDet repaired IN pe!so" 90 General de
Faiv,s RIGHT with BATTALION .. grenadiers which had
been attached the evening before to the guard at the
rayino, and was very useful TO him by securing hs
right.
The central attack had no better success. General
Brunei had not yet been aOc 10 conp,eve III n's
arrangements when the cluster Of rockets that were 10
serye az the signal burst IN the AIR For twenty or
twenty-five minutes all the right had already Deen
nrematurey engaged. Nevertheless hs troops marched
with resolution, but their valor failed under tue steq1y
FIRE Of the Russians and against unforeseen obstacles
Al the outset General Brunei was mortaliy wounded
by amusket-ba in the center OF hs chest. Inc nag
Of the 9ist broken by ball but 1t Is needless 70
add that these glorious fragments were drought pacA
by this brave regiment
General Iafont de Villiers took the command of the
division and cOnhded that OF the troops engaged to
Colonel Lorencez. These kept steady while the rest
of the division occupied the trenches, 10 DC prepared
against the eventuahties Of the combat
On the left, General dAu'emarre had not been able
IN engage before Brunets division; besides he could
not account for the hurried fire of musketry he he ard
in the direction of the GARDENING Bay But at the sig
nal anpoined for the assault he let loose with impetu
osty the 5ih Foot Cbaseurs and the lst battalion OF
The 10Th Regiment of The ine, who by creeping along
the crest of the Karabenaya Tsyne r1seGsq T rne n
scaed this nreuchmeut aud thus entered the enceldte
itself Already the sappers OF the engineers were
planting the ladders for the remainder OF me Igth ana
26th Reeim - whose general, ID Autemarre, was hur-
Yyipe on the movement behind his valiant head OF the
column One instant we could believe IN success
Our eagles had been planted on the Russian works.
Unfortunately this hope was speecly dlssipaed. Our
allies had encountered such obstacles in their attack OF
the great Redan and they had met such fire OF grape
that in spite of their welknown tenaclty they had
been already compelled to make movement OF re-
treat Such was the spirit of our troops that despite
this circumstance they would have pushed ON ana con
tipued to charge home the enemy; but the want OF
simutaneous action ia the attack of our divisions
left the Russians free to overwhem us with the reserves
and the artillery of the Great Redan and the enemy
lost not n moment TO direct against our brave root
Chssseus all the other reserves of karahenaya.
Before such imposing forces The Commandapt Gar
pier of the 5th battalion already wounded hve times
with eunshot endeavored, but IN van, to hold the
ground that had been won. Obliged to reure before
Numbers he recrossed the i0trenchment Gen. Moi
rallied his brigade reinforced by the 39th oil the lne
thew wished 10 attempt fresh offensive movement IN
order TO insure the of this new effort ana on
word being sent by Gen DAutemarre that his reserve
was reduced 10 the 74h of the line, sent him the
regiment of the Zou0yes of the Guard but on the ar
rival of thefe veterans of African wars, the move
ment no longer having the unity so desirable for
conn of this ygor, with one sitgle division unsup-
ported either on the right on the lef and cut up by
the artillery of the Redan, against which our allies
were suspendng their attack, did not fail soon to
perceive mat every favorable chance WAS exhausted.
fresh effort would merely have occasioned useless
efIuson Of blood. II was hali-past = gave orders
in all directions to return to the trenches. thus opera
ton was effected with dignity, much order and cool
ness and without pursuit of the enemy on any one
point part Of the Russian trenches continued even
TO be held by our men, who got away in succession,
nor did the enemy venture to profit by ms advantages
and attack them.
Our los has been great we took care from the very
commencement of the action TO remove most of the
men hit by the enemy But certain number of those
glorious dead remained stretched upon the gacis or IN
the moats of the place. The last honors were paid
them on the following day.
Beside Gen. Brunei and Gen. Mayran the latter
succumbed last night, we have to regret an officer
beloved and appreciated by the whole army the young
and brave de Iaboussnere lieutenant colonel OF the
artillery killed while ascending the slope of trench
crowded with troops and while repairing with one OF
his batteries TO the Brancon redoubt IL is heavy
lose; there was much promise about him. a great
many brave superior officers were struck down while
setting the pohiest example. STAFF officers, regimenia
officers fulfilled their duties worthily and the soldier
was admirable everywhere.
We had 81 oficeIs killed and II taken prisoners
l,544 ron commissioned officers and prva'es killed or
missing 90 officers and GA men conveyed TO the am
bulancts the evening of the 18th.
Many wounds considered very severe are far from
being 40 dangerous at first believed. The bear
ers Of these bouorabescar will shortly reappear be-
meath their oolols.
These losses have neither qaenched the ardor nor
abated the confidence of these valiant divisions All