The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1855-10-02 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

THE WAR.  STORMING AND CAPTURE  OF SEBASTOPOL.  THE anxiously-expected news embodying details of the sanguinary conflict which resulted in placing the town of Sebastopol in the hands of the Allies has at length arrived, and these details are now patent to the public. That the struggle was a sharp and deadly one was felt by all; but even anticipation seems to have fallen greatly short of its dreadful reality. That the assault was gallantly made and desperately resisted, was a truth of which every one felt satisfied, judging from the importance of the prize contended for and the oftrepeated valour exhibited by the competitors for it on both sides. Now that the information is before us in all the amplitude of its heroic details, we feel in some degree perplexed in the attempt to realize in the mind's eye the various combats, successes, repulses, renewed conflicts and ultimate triumph of those dreadful struggles which ended in the capture of the town, and the final expulsion of the Russians from all the strongholds on the southern margin of Sebastopol creek. According to pre-arrangement between the English and French commanders, the bombardment, which had been kept up with unceasing vigour for the three preceding days, was discontinued at noon on the Bth of September. At that time a detachment of Zouaves and French troops of the line made a daring and successful dash at the works of the Malakhoff, which, after a desperate resistance, they succeeded in capturing and retaining. The success of this great and glorious operation was the agreed-upon signal for the English attack upon the Great Redan, and also for simultaneous attacks by the French upon the Little Redan at Careening Bay, and on the Central Bastion. All these attacks were made with the devotion and the resistless sweep of heroes. The several points were successfully carried, though contested by the assailants at desperate odds. The English attacking columns, notwithstanding that they had to traverse an open space for a considerable distance between their entrenchments and the breach in the salient angle of the Great Redan, exposed to a dreadful fire of round and grape shot, succeeded in forcing their way through the breach and establishing themselves within the walls of the Redan. Here they were exposed to a murderous fire from traverses which swept the enclosed area on two sides, while they were so cooped up as to prevent the possibility of returning the fire, or moving to dislodge their opponents. Yet this dreadful and unequal combat they sustained for nearly two hours ; but were ultimately compelled to relinquish the fatal ground which they had conquered and retained at so enormous a sacrifice of life. The attacks on the Central Bastion and on the Little Redan failed likewise from similar causes, and after a corresponding amount of devoted heroism, in their first capture, and obstinate though only temporary retention.  The Malakhoff had always been felt to be the key of the position on the south side of the harbour, and fortunately the attack on it, aided by the diversion occasioned by the other assaults, was completely successful, and it remained in indisputable possession of the Allies. The Russians, convinced of the hopelessness of further resistance after the fall of the Malakhoff, almost immediately evacuated the town, after having set fire to it in several places, and attempted to blow up and destroy the principal fortifications. In the course of the following Monday, two days after the capture of the Malakhoff, the Allies took undisputed possession of the town, and the whole of its defences, on the south side of the harbour, the enemy having precipitately withdrawn to the northern forts.