St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1893-06-10

the forts with field work in order t.
sweep the ravines with musketry ant
shot. The northern side of Sebastopo
most needed Todelben's attention, as tn
allies were advancing from that quarter
but it was also of the first Importance
that the south side be guarded agains
attack.
Vice Admiral Korniloff was in genera
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 nava
force, which, in case of necessity, coulc
be landed to cooperate with the garri
son.
The retreating Russian army under
Menschikoff 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. 1t 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-
iloff told them that the 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 Lookout,
and if 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 sup
port, easily perish before the Russian
troops on land and the Russian fleet 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 order to sink seven ships
at the entrance to the Roads to bar any
hostile fleet Korniloff sadly complied
with this order, issuing instructions &C
cordingly. The five oldest line of 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 at
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 the
landing of the artillery from the ships
about to be sunk, but at 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.
A pathetic occurrence marked the de-
struction of the Tri- Sviatitelia, line
of battle ship, which refused to sink al
though the water poured through the
breaches purposely made in her timbers.
At last the "Gromonossetz" 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 tars
actually wept.
Meanwhile Todleben had theoretically
pushed the Notifications on the south
side of Sebastopol, covering it with field
works near the Blstion 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 but the earthworks, and the con-
victs from the jails were pressed into
service.
The allies had arrived on September
q, and the besieged garrison were in
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-
koff'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. The position
of the besieged was not a reassuring 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
men, rendered confident through recent
cesses in the field.
The voice OF the brave Korniloff had
been heard making a CHEEKY call on the
citizens of the leaguered town to aid in
the manual labor on the defences. The
response, immediate and enthusiastic,
was mainly notable for the noble manner
in which the women of Sebastopol joined
in it. Casting aside all other considera-
tions, remembering only the peril of their
city, deaf to all save the calls of duty,
these undaunted emulators of the hero
Inc of Saragosa stood forth to defend the
sacred soil of Fatherland. Selling pick
and shovel, they threw themselves into
the work with an energy that knew no