The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-01-02

An AMERICAN IN THE CRIMEA.-The follow
ing extract from private letter, addressed to
a gentleman in this city, will be read at this
time with more than ordinary interest. The
writer is gentleman of education, travel, and
keen observation, and one whose opinion IN re-
gard to military matters is entitled to much con
sideration. 1t will be seen that he regards the
north sideof Sebastopol as an almost impregna-
bic position:
CoNsrANrINopLE, Nov 4, 1855.-We went
to Sebastopol the other day, and spent a week
/ in the English camp. went all over the town
two or three times. A more demolished place
was never seen. Every house in it has been
gutted BY shells, and what was left of wood
work the Russians burnt before leaving. How
ever, YOU have had opportunities of reading full
accounts of affairs at that place, SO will con-
fine myself to our personal adventures. We
were well received by the British commander
in-chief, and quartered on Cathcart's hill
which commands an excellent view the town,
harbor, opposite side, and of the renowned
Malakoff and Redan. We got passes from the
English, French, and Sandman generals, which
enabled us to penetrate everywhere. even when
shell and shot were falling. The Russians on
the north side keep up a constant firing on dit
ferent parts of the town, where they imagine
there may be quartered troops, and they have
learned, by their last twelve months practice,
to throw a shell with the precision almost of
rifle ball A friend and myself were outside of
the city on its south side, opposite fort Con-
stantne, and were counting the number of shots
that had struck her during the naval lombard
ment, which we could easily do with our glasses.
And we were in full view to them, and they
probably took us for officers of one of the allied
armies, they senta shell at us, which was devil
ish near putting an extinguisher on US and our
search for knowledge. 1t passed couple of
yards overheard, and exploded short distance
in the ground behind us. Whilst we were in
the town they were constantly peppering away,
and sometimes they brought down what re-
manned of house with great crash.
The docks are beautiful basins, constructed
of white sand stone found here in great abun-
dance, the coping is of pink granite. There is
room to dock eight ships at once. In one were
the remains of large steamer, nothing but the
iron work remaining, the wooden parts being
burnt away. The docks are the only structures
that remained uninjured, only few shots hav-
ing struck them, but orders had been received
to blow them up. They are too small to admit
the large class of vessels that are now built, but
would do for the old class line f-batle ships.
| The whole barbor is studded over with the
masts of the numerous vessels that have been
sunk during the siege. Those that were sunk
last year are by this time entirely destroyed by
worms, which are very destructive in the Black
sea, and those last sunk will soon be rendered
valueless from the same cause They will offer
! no obstruction whatever to the navigation OF
the harbor when once the masts are removed,
which is easily done, for there is sixty feet clear
of water over their huls. The tops of the
three deckers barely reach above water, and
as you know the length of a three-decker's S
mast, you can Judge the depth of the water.
The Russians are strongly entrenched on the
north side, and twice the force that the allies
have in the Crimea cannot drive them out Ii
the Russians meet them in the field, and are
beaten. so that the allies can invest them and
cut off their supplies, they may be starved out
If they have provisions enough they can laugh
at every thing the allies may do TO drive them
out. There must have died of the latter, since
the landing in September, 1854, not less than
one hundred thousand-I mean from every
cause, no fewer than two hundred thousand sick
and wounded have been sent away from camp.
These estimates may appear exaggerated, but
they certainly are not. During the six weeks
preceding our arrival there, young Bonaparte
told us that the French had received fifty
thousand men to fill vacancies. The British
army that landed at Eupatorla last year is
nearly extinct suppose the per centage of
those left is not over Is per cent. The present
race of soldiers that have been sent from Eng
land lately offers great contrast to their old
well drilled ones They are mostly boys, and
appear barely able to stand the fatigues of
camp duty, let alone those Of acampaign. The
same may be said of the new French levies.
went all round the French and Sandman
outposts, and witnessed some firing between an
outpost of the Zouaves and Russian one.
believe the former got it up for my own graft
ication, for when asked them where the Rus
sian outposts were, they pointed them out to
me, and I found they were much closer than 1
thought, but did not see them at first on account
of their gray great coats. The Zouaves said
they would wake them up, and thereupon sent
them some MIME balls, to which the Russians
replied, but believe no damage was done to
either side, certainly otto the Zouaves. This
was opposite the ruins Of Inkermann, where the
great battle was fought. After Witnessing this
specimen of Zouave valor, rewarded the ser
geant Of the post with cigar, and rode on to
the field of battle of the Tchernaya, or Tractir
bride, where the Russians were severely han
died. The Sandman outposts are in beautiful
spots, strung along the valley Of the Tchernays
as far as Baida, which, by reference to the map
you will see is at a considerable distance (about
fifteen miles) from Balaklava. They have
erected redoubts on every hill and commanding
point, and made excellent macadamized roads,
leading to every part of their different encamp-
ments They are all building themselves ex-
cellent huts for the winter, and in the way of
making themselves comfortable, they as far ex-
eel the French as the latter do the English.
The British troops have all been converted
into narvies, and you see them in thousands
making roads with all speed against the rainy
season, which is now imminent. Their rail-
way is pretty much of humbug, and be-
lieve it was made more for home effect or bun
combe than from any real use that it would be
to the army. Their camps are scattered miles
of fo- g.,