The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1893-04-19

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the Crimean war. The great fortress
was in precarious condition seeing that
| Prince Menschikoff In massing his troops
prior to the Alma fight had left 1t sery
| poorly garrisoned.
General Todleben, then a lieutenant.
colonel OF engineers, was in charge Of the
Notifications, and when the news came OF
the reverse the Russians had Sustained
at Alma, he at once suspended the more
elaborate work then In progress and bent
all his energies on the task OF covering
the forts with field work in order to
| sweep the ravines with musketry and
| shot. The northern side of Sebastopol
most needed Todelben's attention, as the
allies were advancing from that quarter,
but II was also Of the first importance
that the south side be guarded against
| attack.
Vice Admiral Korniloff was in general
| command at Sebastopol, and had under
him fourteen line of battle ships and
seven frigates lying in the Roads. These
vessels were manned with large naval
force, which, in case of necessity, could
be landed to cooperate with the garri-
| son.
| The retreating Russian army under
Menschikof had now reached the left
bank of the Belbeck, close to the city,
but the ground presented physical OBJ
stacles rendering the position untenable,
so the Prince thought of occupying the
east of the post road between the Bel
beck and the Tchernaya, but here he
failed again for the same cause. IL was
therefore finally decided to move to the
south of the city and to this end the
| army crossed the Inkermann Causeway,
while the Tarouteno regiment was de-
tached to increase the garrison in the
| north fort.
Assembling his officers, Admiral Korn-
| ilof told them that tho victorious allies
would probably advance on the north
east and force the Russian feet to retire.
He suggested the desperate alternative
Of sailing from Sebastopol harbor to at
tack the allied fleet at Cape Loukoul,
aud IL the attack proved unsuccessful.
they were to grapple with the enemy and
blow up their own vessels alongside
those of the former. The allied armies
would then, bereft of their naval sur
port. easily perish before the Russian
troops on land and the Russian feet be
extinguished In blaze of glory, deliver.
ing the country.
But his officers did not take to Korni-
lofts plan and when the Admiral solicit
ed the aid of Menschikoff, the latter re-
piled with an orderEto sink seven ships
at the entrance to the Roads to bar any
hostile fleet Korniloff sadly complied
with this order. issuing Instructions ,ac;
serdirsiy., Tnenvr Oldest line oil battle
ship, and the two oldest frigates were
those selected for the work Of premature
destruction and ten others were moored
on the south side of the Roads to cover
the north side with their guns when the
enemy should appear in that direction.
All the other vessels except the steamers
were placed In the South Bay then to be
sunk should the fortune of war decree
that the city and harbor must be yielded
| to the enemy.
Late In the afternoon of the 21st OF
September the orders were carried out
| The sad procession of the doomed vessels
| moved to the passage of the channel al
| the mouth of the Roads between the
Alexander and Constantine batteries; and
the other craft took up position along
the shore. The array of ships at the en-.
trance to the channel impressed the
enemy with the notion that the Russians
were about to give battle, and in view OF
possible attack Korniloff deferred tho
landing of the artillery from the ships
about to be sunk, but at 6 D. m, the
| signal to carry out the order to sink the
vessels was given by the raising Of the
national colors above the city. All night
work was necessary to effect the re.
moval OF the material from the ships
and wonderful activity was displayed
so that by daybreak on September 3,
five ships slowly disappeared under the
| waves.
pathetic occurrence marked the de.
struction of the Tri-Sviatitelia, a line.
| M hat la uyh a. o...l. II
though the water poured through the
breaches purposely made In her timbers.
| At last the "GTomonossetz" was directed
to fire into her; the gallant sailors obeyed
and watched the operation with full.
hearts. When the, water finally closed
over the grand old ship, the rugged tar.
actually wept.
| Meanwhile Todleben had energetically
pushed the Notifications on the south
side OF Sebastopol, covering IL with field
| works near the Bastion du Mat This
battery was armed with seventeen guns.
All that the brave defenders accom-.
plished was done at the cost of the
greatest self sacrifice and most unceas.
ing toll. There was no time to construct
anything hut the earthworks, and the con.
victs from - jaiis were pressed into
service.
The allies had arrived on September
27, and the besieged garrison were 10
hourly dread of an attack, knowing the
weak defenses would succumb In any
determined assault. They were, besides,
now deprived OF the presence of Menschi.
kof's army, which vacated the position
south Of the city and proceeded eastward
to Baktchiserai. The allies, following
In the wake OF the Russians, crossed the
point where the latter turned to the east.
thus menacing the southern side. They
also threw up batteries there, forcing the
Russian war vessels to leave. Tho position
OF the besieged was not a reassurfng one,
with their comparatively small garrison
and weak defenses beyond which at
distance of some three miles lay In
trenched an Invading army Of 10000