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Leader (1850-1860), 22nd September 1855, Edition 2 of 2, Page 3, WAR MISCELLANEA. (jisN nsitAf-i CANnottM...

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      - ;, The War. * The Flood Of Important N...

      relieved , ifcis clear that th § y must in time come to , an & xk . The Russians , some . time about the middle ; of August , made-a . reconnaissance , and inadvertently exposed themselves to fire . It is said that in this aiFairthey lost a General ( KoukiQleflfekiD , a colonel ( Tajgrflne . } ,. fire captains , and two , hujidred men . jhesJJilssiaus are thought not to contemplate an attack , but to be benfaupon reducing the plajsebyfamine * FQttfche relief of the town . it is proposed to draw 20 , 000 Bjen from the Crimea ( to be replaqed by the Turkish Contingent ) , and 5 OGO from the Danube , so as to make up an Asiatic army of 70 , 000 men , including those already there . Omar Pacha is expected to land at Redout-Kaleh , Cholera is raging at Erze-r

      l & um . Russian accounts from : Tiflis state that new troops base arrived there " from Orenburg , " and the army of ; the Caucasus . ifr asserted to be at this moment in eo high a state of efficiency that an expedition to Batoum is talked of , and it is said that Prince BebutofF has reinforeed the corps at Achaltzik and ordered it to march thither . Tie ^ Vienna Fremden Blatt asserts that the Russians have concluded another armistice with Schamyl for the term of six months .

      Whether the war is to continue on a still more extended field , or whether the partial reduction of Sebastopol will precipitate a peace , is of course doubtful for the present . But already rumours are flying up and down that Austria has signified her willingness- to undertake once more the work of mediation , and has proposed fresh Conferences at Vienna . France , it is added , has consented to negotiate , but only at Paris . The demands of the Allies , we are assured , are still very moderate , and

      tjhe original programme has been retained , with the addition of an indemnity for war expenses . Should Russia refuse these terms , Austria will immediately , 4 *; . There i 3 also talk of a fresh treaty between I ^ rance and England , on the one part , and Turkey on the other , the object of which is to invest the Westeirji Powers with the right of keeping garrisons ajr Constantinople , Varna , Adrianople , and GalUPP &; ' Yarna and Sinope to be ueed as maritime sfcatfoWby the Allies . So much for rumours : in a few days , we shall have solid facts .

      THE FRENCH BATTERIES OPENING FIRE ( SEPT . 5 th ) . Suddenly , along the earthen curtain between Nos . 7 and 8 Bastipns , three jets of flame spring up into the air and hurl up as many pillars of earth and dust , which are wanned into ruddy hues by the horizontal rays of the Bun . The French have exploded three fougasses to blow 'jn . the counterscarp , and to serve as a signal to their jj ^ e n . Instantly from the sea to the Dockyard-creek , t here seqms to run a stream , of fire , and fleecy , curling , rich white smoke , aa though the earth had suddenly been rent in the throes of an earthquake , and was vonjlting forfch the material of her volcanoes . The lines of )^ e French trenches were at once covered as though the Very clouds of Heaven had settled down upon them

      and were whirled about in spiral jets , in festoons , in clustering bunchos , in columns and in shoots , all comijjjngled , involved together by the vehement flam . es beneath . The crash of such a tremendous firo must have been appalling ; but tho wind and the peculiar condition 6 f ; £ ho atmosphere did not permit tho sound to produce ? j y great effect on our camp : in tho city , for the same reason , tho noise must have been terrific and horrible . The Iron storm tore over the Russian lines , tossing up , as if in spprf ; , jets of earth and dust , rending asunder gabions , and * Bquelphing" tho parapets , or bounding over among ; tt $ e houses and ruins in their roar . Tho terrible files of Iron , about four miles in front , rushed across tho plain , ^ try ing death and ruin with it , swept with its heavy ' t ^ d irresisti ble wings tho Russian flan ks , and searched

      thoiy contro to tho core . A volley so startling , simultaneous , and tremendously powerful , was probably never yet , uttered since tho cannon found its voico . The Sfcusitfans eoomod for a while utterly paralysed ; their batteries woro not manned with strength enough to enable them , tp reply to such an overlapping and crushipg fire ; but tho French , leaping to their guns with astounding energy , rapidity , and Htrongth , kept on filling tho very air with tho hurtling storm , and sent it ty unbroken fury against thoir enemies . Moro than two hundred pieces of artillery of largo calibre , admirably served and woll directed , played incessantly o » the hostile linos . In n low moments , a groat veil of empko— - ' . « a war-cloud rolling dun " — . spread from tho guns over on tho left of Scba » topol ; but tho roar of tho shot did not coaso , and tho cannomulo now pealed forth

      in great irregular buretp , now die & J away into hoarse murmurs , again swelled up into- tumult , or rattled from end to end of the line like-the-file-fire of infantry . Stone walls went down , before the guns at once , but the earthworks yawned to receive shot and' shell alike . However , so swift and incessant-was the passageof these " missiles through the embrasures and along the tops of the parapets that the enemy had to lie close , and could scarcely show themselves in the front line of defences . For a few minutes , then , the French had it all their own way , and appeared to be on the point of sweeping away the place without resistance ; but ,, after they had fired a

      few rounds from each of their numerous gups , the Russian artillerymen got to work , and began to return our allies ' fire . They made good practice , but fired slowly and with precision , as if they could-not afford to throw away an ounce of powder . The French were stimulated rather than impeded by such a . reply to their astonishing volleys , and their shot flew with increased rapidity along the line of the defences , and bounded in ajmohg ; the houses of the town . But what were we doing all this time ? What was our admirable Naval Brigade ' our gallant siege train doing ? They were just working their guns as usual , and had received no orders to . open general fire .

      Our Quarry Battery , armed with , two mortars and eight cohorns , just four hundred yards below the Redan , plies the suburb in the rear of the Malakhoff vigorously , and keeps the top of the Redan clear . Redan and- Malakhoff are alike silent , ragged , and torn .. At most , the Redan fires three guns , and the adjoining batteries are equally parsimonious . The parapets are all pitted with shot and shell , and the sides of the embrasures are greatly injured , so that the gabions are sticking out ,, and are tumbled down in all directions . After two hours and a half of furious fire , the artillerymen of our allies suddenly ceased , in order to let their guns , cool , and : to rest themselves . The Russians crept out to repair damages to their works , and shook sandbags full of earth

      from the parquette over the outside of their parapets . Their gunners also took advantage of this sudden cessation to open on our sailors * batteries in the left attack , and caused us some little annoyance from the " crow ' s nest . " At ten o ' clock , however , having previously exploded some fougasses , as before , the French reopened a fire , if possible , more rapid and tremendous than their first , and continued to keep it up with the utmost vigour tijl twelve o ' clock at noon , by which time the Russians had only a few guns in the Flagstaff-road and Garden Batteries in a position to reply . We could see them in great agitation sending men and carts to and fro across the bridge , and . at nine o ' clock a . powerful column of infantry ci-ossed over to

      resist our assault , while a movement towards Inkerman was made by the army of the Belbek , Fxom twelve till five o ' clock p . m . the firing was slack ; the French then resumed their cannonade with , the same astounding vigour as at dawn and aft ten o ' clock , and neve ? - erased their volleys of shot and shell agajnat the place till halfpast seven , when darkness set in , and all the mortars and heavy guns , English as well as French , opened with shell against the whole line of defences . A description of thig scene is now impossible . There was not one instant in which the shells did not whistle through the air—not a moment in which the sky was not seamed by their fiery curves or illuminated by their explosion . Our practice was beyond all praise . Every shell burst

      as it ought , and the lines of the Russian earthworks of the Redan , Malakhoff , and of all their batteries were rendered plainly visible by the constant light of the bursting shells . The Russians scarcely attempted a reply . At five o ' clock , it was observed that a frigate in the second line near tho north side was smoking , and , as it grew darker , flames were soon to issue from her sides . . . Men and officers rushed to tho front in tho greatest delight and excitement ; and , as night came on , tho wholo vessel broko out into one grand blaze from stem to stern . Tho delight of the crowd on Cathcart ' s-

      hill was intense . " Well , thjs is indeed a sight 1—to see ono of those confounded ships touched a , t last 1 "In spite of tho efforts of the Russians , the flames spread , and soon issued from the ports and quartor / rgallery . At eight o ' clock , tho light was so great that the houses of tho city and tho forts on . tho other side coujd be discerned without difficulty . Tho maste stood long , and towored aloft like great pillars of firo ; but , pno after tho other , thoy yielded ; tho docks fell in about ton o ' clock ) and at midnight tho frigate was burnt to the water ' s edge . —2 Y / # ea Cwreppoiytent .

      ..M-Bwssamm. *85ftj Timm. /L^ &. M Bib. ...

      .. m-BWSsamm . * 85 ftJ Timm . / L ^ & . M BIB . . 908

      War Miscellanea. (Jisn Nsitaf-I Cannottm...

      WAR MISCELLANEA . ( jisN nsitAf-i CANnottMHT , it is confidently stated , has declined to bo mada a Field-MarshaJ , because kin accoptanco of that dignity wpuld duniiuah the lustra of Ctonpral Polisejor's honpur . Tiiip , Ricsui / rd op Ting Wai ; ., —A year has not yet elapsed since tli > a Allied arinioa sot foot VI tho Crimea . Within that tune , they have won three pitched battles , and twice assaulted a fortress of extraordinary magnitude . Thoy have encompassed tho works of tho enemy With tronchos extending over inoro than thirty mjjoa of ground ; thoy have armed those trenches with tho heaviest ; ordnance , and kept up ho incessant a ilro that not only an incalculable amount of projectiles has boon consumed , but flvo or six siogo trains have boon worn

      out . They have created at Kamiesch , Eupatoria , arid Yeni-Kaleh , three military stations which the Russians have not dared to assail , and Balaklava has become a populous mart . A railroad connects the harbour and the camp ; an electric chain binds the Crimea to Europe , and conveys to us in a few hours the tidings of these triumphant successes . -Upwards of 200 , 000 men encamped within the lines of the Tchemaya have been conveyed thither and daily fed , clothed , and housed from the resources of Western Europe . AH this has been effected in spite of the rigour of winter , the heat of summer , and the distance of 3000 miles from our shores ; and within one little year from the sailing of the expedition the leading objects of the campaign ar-e accomplished , and Sebastopol is in our power . — -Times .

      FfiBNOH GENERALS KILLED AND WOUNDED ON THE 8 th . —General Bosquet was wounded on the 8 th by a fragment of a shell while encouraging the troops by his example . Four French Generals are stated to have fallen , viz ., Generals Saint-Pol , Breton , Marolles , and ¦ Rivet , the latter chief of the staff of the 1 st corps . The Generals wounded ace , besides General Bosquet , Generals Mellinet , of the Imperial Guard , La Motterouge , Couston , Bisson , Trochu , and' Eondeves . The latter has since , died of his wounds . General de Failly is not i among the wounded , as had been rumoured . TheFubet in the North . —The Driver has arrived at Dantzic , having quitted-Nargen on the evening of the 1 . 1 th , The Allied fleet still remains anchored at Seakar and Nargan . No rumour was in circulation as to the movements which the fleets might have in contemplation .

      VhzeyAdmsbaij Bruat has been promoted to the rank of full ; Admiral , for the part he has taken , in the reduction ofrSebastppoIFrench- Mttskets for the Bngush Army . —An order for 20 , 000 muskets for the English army has just been given at St . Etienne . "Lb Nord" on " the Situation . "—The new organ of Russia , Le Nord , again impresses on its readers the high strategical importance of the abandonment of South Sebastopol . Admitting that the Russians have been to a certain extent beaten , that " the maritime and other establishments have been successfully destroyed , " that " the fleet has disappeared beneath the waves , " Le Nord contends that the honour of Russia has been vindicated beyond cavil by the gallantry of her resistance , and that her object is to defend " a principle , " not " a point of honour . '" The writer adds : — " The defence of

      this principle ought not to remain concentrated round a heap of stones ; it could only be continued by a rational disposal * of resistance . " Prince Gortschafcoffiias there fore moved his army to a position in which its strength is doubled . " With respect to the political- results of the recent operations , Le Nord asks : — - " Are we to be allowed to believe that , from a sentiment of humanity , the one side will be satisfied with laurels , the other with the respect imposed by the strength of the new position , and that both will shake hands as enemies who respect each other ? These are- questions which it is not for us to decide . It would appear to us that , if by the events of the 8 th and 9 th of September Russia has got out of a bad military dilemma , the Western Powers have cut a political Gordian knot which impeded them . It is a crisis for both parties . We trust that it may prove tp be for the advantage of the friends of peace . "

      Captain Ward . — This officer , who , practically , had the chief command of the English battery of 32-pounder howitzers at the Tchernaya , has received a very flattering letter of thanks from General La Marmora . We subjoin a translation , as the Captain does not appear to have received hiai fair amount of notice : —¦ * ' Kadikoi , August 18 . MoHsieur le Commandant , —It affords mo great pleasure to thank you , and to aay how much I appreciate your co-operation in the affair of the 1 Gth , in uniting your artillery to mine for the defence of our position when vigorously attacked by the onemy . In congratulating you , Monaiour , on tbx > eaqceUent preservation of your men , I hope , that , on tha first opportunity , wo shall again have the satisfaction of fighting together . —Accept , Monsieur la Commandant , & c , Alphonsh r ^ A Marmora . " This Fronow Emlpbrok ' s Than-ks- to the French

      anjo English ARMiBS .-rTTThe following message was transmitted from tho Esencfa . Emperor to Marshal Peliasior : t— " Honour to you ! Honou * . to our brave army Congratulate all in my name . " He also directed the Minister of War to sond tins following to the Marshal :- * - ^ The . EnipoEor charges you , to congratulate the English army , in hia namo , on tho constant valour and the moral forcp which ifc has displayed during this long and trying campaign . " T « jb Russian Empbror ' s Commiseration with this of

      RUSSIAN Army . —A dospatch from St . Petersburg , Sept . 11 th , says : — " Tho Emporor has issuod an order of tlMi day to tho army , communicating the fall ortfobastopol . His Majesty tlmnka tho garrison of » fP ^^* for the bravery thoy havo ( IbpM ™ *? Ti"t wat atronghoVl to tho very last , and 4 wtom ***} * £%%£ vincod all the troops of the Jfiwplw WJ * ff *™ « £ thoir example lu sacrificing ^^^ Z ^ dthXT sako of protecting tho ™ *»»>** l *™^ that ho still j tt ^^ s &^ s & j -i ^

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 22, 1855, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_22091855/page/3/