Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-09-09
Sen meClellan's Report On the Siege Of
sebastepsl and the Art Of War In Eu-

seoastepsl and the Art Of War In Eu-
rsps.
The world will never tire of hear H. of the
battle of Waterloo and the siege Of Sebastopol
Each was apivotal event on which the destiny
OF great nations for q time turned. In the an
mails Of war, the latter stands unrivalled among
field operations for the reduction Of fortified
cities. France, the most martial Of modern
nations, contributed to the gigantic strife l,676
guns, nearly all of which were Of the largest
calibre. They exploded 1000, 900 pounds of
powder in front of the beleagured city, throw
ing into il and its covering works, l ,250, 900
rounds Of shot and she'll. England, her ally,
threw at the same time Of like material 253, 900
rounds.
The magnitude of the reply which Russia
made to the combined assault of her foes, is
shown in an extract frhm the report of one of
the American Military Commissioners sent to
the Crimea, who says: The immense number
Of rounds fred by the Russians during the
siege, was strikingly illustrated by the quanti
ty Of shot and shell with which the ground
was thickly strewed within the radius Of the
works Of attack. One of the ravines leading
to the town, on the left of the English attack
was known as The Valley Of Death in the
bottom Of it, in some places, our horses liter
ally walked on pavement of cannon balls
lying close together" This memorable siege,
which eliminated in the bombardment and as
sault Of Sept, 1855, was ushered in by the bat
tie Of Alma, and was diversified by the action
Of Balaklsya, immortsliZed by the muse of
Tennyson, by the deadly ARRAY of Inkermsn,
where more than one-third Of the force en-
gagged was killed and wounded, by the brilliant
conflict Of Trakter. called by Mcclellan, the
battle Of the Tchernaya, and by innumerable
sorties, and hand-to-hand contests by night
and by day in the trenches, In rife pits, and
In the open field.
In his report to the War Department, as q
member Of the commission to Europe, Captain
ah III IN =. A.
tary operations with bold, free pen. In point
ing out defects in the movements and opera
tions OF the respective belligerents, Mcclellan
specifies the failure of the allies to promptly
follow up the victory Of the Alma by pursuing
the Russians, and either cutting off their re-
treat towards SebastOpol, or annihilate them
altogether-which, as is now well known, could
have been easily done. He also mentions the
strange oversight of the Russians, after they
Knew the allies had landed in the Crimea in not
instantly closing the harbor of Balaklava, by
sinking two or three vessels in its narrow mouth
and thus rendering useless the fort which
the British made the base of their operations
and where they sheltered their transports, and
whence they drew all the supplies for their
camp. He likewise condemns the dilatory
conduct OF the allies in not dashing into Sc
bsstopOl after the triumph at the Alma, the
south side Of which was then scarcely defended
at all, and while the Russians were utterly de-
By delay they gave them time to initiate and
carry forward that wonderful system Of earth
works, which, planned by the genius of Todtle-
ben, and defended successfully by the energy
Of Menschikof, Liprarpi and Gortschikoff, so
long defed the combined skill and bravery of
the two most martial nations of modern times.
So soon as it became evident to the Russian
commander that Sebastopel was the prize for
which the allies were going to contend, McClel-
Ian insists that his failure, ere the allies had
taken up their positions, to occupy the heights
of lnkerman and throw up earthworks, and
place cannon thereon, was a most inexcusahle
blunder. And, on the other hand, after the
allies had set themselves down before the city,
their failure to do the same thing without the
delay Of day was equally inexcusable. The
heights, it will be remembered, constituted the
extreme right Of the English position, denom-
mated large portion Of their camp, were con-
nected by rayines with the suburbs of the city,
and were the scene Of the surprise of the Eng
Gsh pickets on the 9th Of November, which
opened the terrible conflict of that day and
came 50 near destroying the British army.
While admitting that it is comparing small
things with great he nevertheless ventures to
contrast the celebrity with which we landed our
troops and siege train at Vera Cruz, and the
early day at which we opened fire, with the
long delay that followed the landing in the
Crimea, ere the allies invested SebastOpol and
discharged their first gun. At Vera Cruz we
second day of the landing; and in spite of de-
lays In forwarding our siege-train, we opened
FIRE on the 18th day. Whereas, with their
siege-train on board their feet, it was thirty
four days after they landed ere the allies
opened feeble cannonade on q town thirty
miles distant from the point of disembarks alton.
In answer TO the stereotyped excuse for all the
blunders Of the allies, viz: a deficiency Of men
and means, he makes the significant remark
that, by undertaking an important operation
without full and reliable information as to the
details to be overcome, and the means of re-
sistance In the hands OF the enemy they neg
lected one Of the clearest rules of war. His
comparison Of the French, English and Rus
sian modes Of constructing their several works,
and their varied offensive operations during
the siege, are instructive and just now pecu-
liarly Interesting, as indicating his own east of
mind.
He praises the French engineers, and spe-
cially applsuds "the technical skill and patient
courage evinced by their officers and men in
pushing forward such excellent approaches,
under . most deadly FIRE. At a great expense
of labor and life they pushed their works to
the incredibly short distance Of thirty PAGES
Of the counter-scarp Of the terrible Malakeff,
ere the final assault of the Sth of September
He dses not think as highly Of the English en-
ginsers, and says that in constructing their
trenches they systematically abandoned the
excellent system taught and practiced with so
much care at Chatham. Down to the period of
the last bombardment, they had carried their
approaches only to within 225 PAGES of the
Great Redan. He eulogiIes in warm terms the
skill, courage, and endurance with which the
Russian engineers, and the officers and men of
arms, resisted the protrscted and oftimss fu-
rious onslaught Of the allied forces. His de-
soription of the horrible affrsy Of the storming
of the Russian works Is graphic, but displays
the cool hand Of the scientific soldier, rather
than the glowing pencil Of the artistic rhetori-
clan.
McClsllan's reports upon the cavalry of
Russia, Prussia, Austria, France, England
and Sardinia, cover one hundred and forty
three pages, and embrace large number of
plates, diagrams and figures. The report upon
the cavalry Of the United States, and its COM
parison with that Of other countries named, and
his regulations and instructions for our cavalry
in time Of war, covering eighty pages, and in
cluding many plates and diagrams, is Of the
highest Importance to all now connected with
or who think Of entering that arm of the ser
vice. Horses, he says, should be selected for
their activity, hardness and endurance; men
for THAR li1htuess a1ility and intelli0ence