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    June 16, 1855.] THE LEADER, 557 —~ — —* ...

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    T H E W A R. Whether It Be A Coincidence...

    originally proposed to disembark , and which is a fine smooth bay , round a low point running out immediately under the village of Kazatch-Bournou . The water in the straits is so shallow that large ships cannot ascend higher than about three miles from this spot , but the steamers and vessels in which the whole of the British infantry and artillery were embarked could set at least a mile nearer to-it .

    All the vessels got as high up as the depth of water would permit , and came to an anchor about eleven , when the English and French troops began to get into the boats , and small steamers , which were assi gned to them , towed them to . the shore , and the gunboats and smaller war-steamers were stationed to scour the beach and protect the disembarkation .

    Although we had observed some six or eight pieces of light artillery following us along the shore , no opposition was made to the disembarkation , and the first of the troops reached the shore at ten o ' clock , which , as soon as they were formed , were pushed on to occupy the village on the rising ground bordering the marshy plain on which they landed , for the purpose of covering the remainder of the disembarkation . As they were the most numerous , and as your Lordship had done so on a former occasion , I placed the French on the right and the British troops on the left , intending to hold the Turkish Contingent in reserve .

    boon after the disembarkation had commenced several loud explosions were heard , and it was soon discovered that the enemy had blown up the magazines of all his batteries on Cape St . Paul , and was retiring by the road leading to Theodosia or Kaffa . It therefore became exceedingly desirable that I shoiild advance to occupy the ridge of which the cape is the continuation ; but , as only a few of the Turkish troops had got landed , and but little of the artillery , 1 contented myself by requesting General D'Autemarre to patrol to the cape and towards Kertch , and took up the best position I could find for the security of the troops and the protection of the disembarkation of all the necessary material and horses during the night , just before dark—which , in an open steppe , where we were exposed to the attacks of cavalry , was an operation of some difficulty . In the course of the evening several more loud explosions were heard , and it was soon discovered that he had also blown up and abandoned the whole of his works here and along the coast between this and Kertch , and spiked all the guns . He had also set fire to and destroyed some large corn magazines in Kertch , as well as two steamers in the harbour . ; and the Cossacks , as usual , burnt all the forage and farm-houses in their way . As soon as the batteries on Cape St . Paul were abandoned , or soon before , some of the smaller war-steamers were enabled to round Cape Ackbournou , and enter the Bay of Kertch , when they engaged and endeavoured to cutoff some of the enemy ' s steamers attempting to escape into the Sea of Azof . They succeeded , I believe , in capturing a small one ; but the other two managed to eet through .

    The disembarkation of horses , guns , and materiel went on during the whole night , under the zealous and active Superintendence of Hear-Admiral Houston Stewart and Captain Sir Thomas Pasley ; but , with all this , there was a good deal to be done at daylight this morning , and I was ultimately compelled to proceed with only three of the guns of the Turkish Contingent , and Avithout any of their officers' horses . Under the circumstances , however , I considered it imperative to proceed , and the whole force marched off their ground at six this morning , —the French in contiguous columns , followed by their artillery ; the British in echelons of columns , covering their flank , and their own artillery and baggage ; and the Turkish troops in contiguous columns of battalions , covering the rear of the whole , until they approached the precincts of Kertch , when the whole of the troops broke into an ordinary column of route . The town of Kertch is clean , and remarkubly well built , and the troops passed through it with the greatest regularity , and without the . slightest disorder ; subsequently the day became excessively hot , and , tho march being a long one , the men puttered greatly from fatigue and want of water , which was only to bo found at occasional wulls . Wo managed to get in here , however , by one o ' clock , where we were soon after visited by the three Admirals , and found a large squadron of small steamers and gunboats , ready to proceed Wto tho Soa of Azof , under tho command of Captain Lyons , of tho Miranda . result ol tncsu besides tho

    a no operations , opening of tho passage into that fiea and tho destruction of tho Miemy'tt works , has been tho capture of fifty of his guns , many of them of tho largest calibre and tho beat construction ; and , if tho enterprise has from circumHtancoM lot nddod greatly to tho glory of her Majesty ' s arms , t has , as already stated , ho far been attended by comp lete success . That success , however , is mainly to bis attributed to * > o judicious arrangements of Admirals Brouat and Sir i * . Lyons , and to their -Indefatigable ! attention in carryng thorn out , as well as to tho able and willing assisttnco they have received from tho onptuins and other 'ulcers of tho French and British navy under their ospoctivo commands ; nor must 1 omit to mention the Qvariablc and willing assistance I have on all occasions

    received in the course of this service from General D'Autemarre , commanding the French Division , and from Redschid Pasha , commanding the Sultan ' s troops . I omitted to state that in passing through Kertch this morning , observing that an iron foundry there had been employed in the manufacture of shot and shells , as well as in casting Minie * bullets , I caused it to be . destroyed , with all its new and expensive machinery . Yours , & c .

    G . Beowtt . Field-Marshal the Lord Raglan , G . C . B ., & c . KEPOKT FEOM LIEUTENANT M'KILLOP . Her Majesty ' s Ship'Snake , off Yeni-Kaleh , May 24 . m , —I have the honour to inform you that , in obedience to your signal granting me permission to intercept a Russian war steamer , I proceeded into Kertch Bay , exchanging shots with the batteries at Ackbournou in passing .

    I succeeded in cutting off the steamer and engaging lier , but not until she had placed herself under the protection of the forts of Yeni-Kaleh . After a sharp fire on both sides for three-quarters of an hour , I was fortunate n succeeding in setting her on fire with Lancaster shells , from which she blew up , the crew with difficulty getting away . She had apparently soldiers on board . During this engagement the forts of Yeni-Kaleh hulled the ship , and kept up a well-directed and continuous fire the whole time , which was returned with apparent good effect with our heavy shell . Three steamers also came down from the entrance ( to the Sea of Azof ) and opened fire on us with very long range guns , their shot frequently passing over us at about 4000 yards . I continued to engage the batteries and steamers after the arrival of the ships sent up to my assistance ^ until recalled by signal from the Miranda .

    . The whole of the sailing vessels standing towards the t Sea of Azof were intercepted and afterwards captured ; ' two steamers , also intercepted in Kertch Bay , were blown up by their own crews , and a gunboat sunk . The batteries along the coast , which fired upon us while chasing the steamer , also Mere blown up . I should feel I was neglecting my duty unless I mentioned the zealous and creditable manner in which the officers and crew performed their duties ; being very short-handed rendered working the guns for so many hours a work of great labour . I beg to recommend for your favourable consideration Mr . N . B . Herbert ( second-master in charge ) , who with much skill conducted the ship through the intricate and comparatively unknown passage , under the guns of Ackbournou , and inside the shoal ^ Yeni-Kaleh , without any accident .

    L am equally indebted to Mr . Sydney E . Wright , assistant-paymaster ( an officer of long and meritorious service ) , for his assistance as a volunteer executive , who , with Dr . Roche and Mr . George Wilson ( senior engineer ) , manned and worked the 12-pounder howitzer , sinking a gunboat . I am happy that no casualties occurred , and the Snake received but little damage , —one shot through the mizen rigging , carrying it away , and one through the hull at the water-line . I am , & c , H . F . M'Kiixop , Lieutenant and Commander . Rear-Admiral Sir Edmund Lyons , Bart ., G . C . U ., Commander-in-Chief .

    ItKPORTS FROM CAPTAIN K . M . I / VONS . Her Majesty ' s ship Miranda , off Arabat , Sea of Azof , May 28 , 1855 . Sir , —I have the honour to inform you that , on hauling down your Qng on the afternoon of the 25 th , I proceeded with the stcnm-vessels under my orders , named in the margin , * and the French steamer Lucifer towards Uerdiannk ; at dark we stopped for the French steamers Me % ere , Brandon , and Fulton . These having joined , at 3 a . m . on the 2 Gth we all went on in company ; at 3 . 30 p . m . on that day we anchored ofl * the lighthouse on tho spit at Bcrdiansk , in such a position as to command tho harbour and beach and a largo number of merchant vessels . I then sent the boats of the squadrons , tinder Commander Shcrard Osborn , accompanied by the boats of tho French ships , to destroy these vessels , as well as some lying about four miles off " , and a storehouse . All tin * was completed by dark . During this time steamers of the two squadrons wore chasing and destroying vessels in other directions . At daylight of tho 27 th I weighed with tho ships under my orders , accompanied by the four French steamers , and anchored ofl" tho town of Bcrdinnsk , tho 'Miranda in fifteen feet , and the gunboats in proportionally less water , in a position which effectually commanded tho town and beach . Here wo found rnn on shorn and burnt to tho water ' s edge and abandoned , tho four Hteamers of war which had escaped from Kartell , under the command of Rear-Admiral Wolff , whoso flag was flying in tho Moloditz . I now landed tho small-arm men and marines of tho squadron under Commander Lambert , of the Curlew , accompanied by thooo of tho French ships , with orders to destroy all shipping and Go-* Vesuvius , Curlew , Swallow , Stromboli , Medina , Wrangler , Viper , Lynx , Recruit , Arrow , Snake , Beaglo .

    vernment stores , but to respect private property . This was done without molestation , although we had information that 800 Cossacks with guns were at Petroskoi , five miles off . Many vessels were destroyed , and corn stores to the estimated value of 50 , 000 ? . An 8-inch 62-cwt . gun was also recovered from the wreck of one of the Russian steamers , and is now on board the Miranda . Immediately the boats returned , the squadrons weighed for Arabat ; I at the same time detached the Swallow and Wrangler to Genitschi , to command the entrance to the Putrid Sea , and the Curlew to cruise between Krivaia Spit and Sand Island , and thus prevent vessels escaping us by getting up the Don . On the morning of the 28 th we arrived off Arabat , and engaged the fort ( mounting thirty guns ) for an hour and a half , at the end of which time a shell blew up the enemy ' s magazine ; the ships having been ordered to keep at shell range , and being well handled , had only one casualty , the chief engineer of the Medina being slightly wounded by a splinter . The French senior officer ' s ship received two shots in the hull , but fortunately no one was hurt . The enemy must have lost many men , from the precision with which the shells burst in his works , independently of that caused by the explosion .

    The commanders of the vessels employed deserve every credit for the skilful manner in which they manoeuvred their vessels in a very strong breeze and shoal water without a single accident , and I may be permitted to say none were more distinguished than our gallant allies . The large garrison at Arabat rendering any attempt at landing out of the question , I now proceeded for Genitsclii , parting , with regret , from Captain de Se'daiges and his squadron , who left at the same time for Kertch . I take this opportunity of mentioning the efficient , cordial , and hearty co-operation I received on every occasion from M . de Se ' daiges and the ships under his orders , and my hope that it may again be my good fortune to have him for rny colleague . The allied squadrons have destroyed upwards of 100 vessels during the three days they have been in this sea , principally laden with provisions for the Russian army in the Crimea . Had we sent these vessels in as prizes , we should have lost much valuable time , and not been able to effect so many captures . The active and zealous way in which the officers and ships' companies perform their duties , and the cheerful manner in which they suffer this pecuniary loss for the benefit of the service , will , I trust , meet with your approbation . — I have , & c ,

    ( Signed ) E . M . Lyons , Captain . Rear-Admiral Sir Edmund Lyons , & c . Her Majesty ' s ship Miranda , off the town of Genitschi , May 29 , 1855 . Sir , —I have the honour to inform you , that I arrived here shortly after dark last night , with her Majesty ' s ships under my orders , and joined the Swallow and Wrangler , which ships had already destroyed or captured all the vessels in this neighbourhood outside the Straits of Genitschi ; but a very great number had passed the straits , which are only fifty yards wide , and are commanded by the low cliffs on which the town is built , and were moored inside under the cliff . At six o'clock this morning I sent Commander Craufurd with a flag of truce , to demand the immediate surrender of all these vessels , and of the immense corn stores for the supply of the army in the Crimea , and of all Government property of every description ; stating that , if these terms were complied with , I would spare the town and respect private propert }'; but , if not , the inhabitants were immediately to leave the town . Commander Craufurd was met by an officer , of apparently high rank , who refused to accede to these terms , saying that any attempt to land or destroy tho vessels would bo resisted . The enemy at this time had six field-pieces in position , and with about 200 men with them , and , visible from the mast-head , drawn up from behind the town , a battalion of infantry , besides Cossacks . Having allowed till 9 a . m . for tho reconsideration of the refusal to deliver up the vessels and stores , and receiving no answer , I at that time hauled down tho flag of truce , and placed the steamers as near to tho town and the passage into the Putrid Sea as tho depth of the water would allow , but they wero only able to approach within long range . Seeing' that if tho enemy , who had removed his guns from their former position , could place them in tho town , so as to command tho passage , and that , if ho could place his infantry in a similar manner , it would bo impossible for tins boats to pass tho channel and destroy tho vessels and stores , I directed tho ships to shell tho town , which they did so effectually , that the boats , as per enclosure , under tho command of Lieutenant ' !•' '• V- Mackenzie , got safely through the passage , and set n ' ro to tho shipping ( 711 in number ) and tho corn stores . This service was ably performed by Lieutenant Mackenzie , and the boats returned without accident . Th « wind having shifted about two hours after the boats came off , some of tho corn stores did not catch fire ; conceiving the destruction of this corn , as well aa of some more distant vessels in so favourable a position for supplying tho Russian armies in tho Crimea , to be of tho

    June 16, 1855.] The Leader, 557 —~ — —* ...

    June 16 , 1855 . ] THE LEADER , 557 —~ — —* ^ ¦¦'' ' - ' "' ' . " ' ' " ' ' ¦ 'I -

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), June 16, 1855, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_16061855/page/5/