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Leader (1850-1860), 25th November 1854, Edition 2 of 2, Page 6, THE RUSSIAN ABBLr. The Morning Chronicle...

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      Incidents. Have There Been Mtjrmuhs?—An ...

      engage 2000 navvies from the railway contractors wiia would b & Ear more effective in the treaolies than 3 , 000 saMiersi . A revolver and spade would fit out each man . A SoGCBSriON FOB THE NoK-Coj £ MISSIONEP . Viscount Molynenx , son of Lord Seston , has been gazetted to an . enBigncy in the Guards , " without purchase . " M . P . writes to the Daily . News , aj & d thinks if the money was not wanted , the ensigncy should have been given to some non-commissioned officer who had distinguished himself and in any case not to a Viscount who could afford to pay for it .

      Spies . —A strange incident is said to hare taken place to-day in our lines , which , if true * shows the astuteness of the enemy , and the want of presence of mind on the part of some of our officers . A man in the uniform of a French officer sauntered coolly through our lines to-day , was civil and polite to all he met , entered into conversation with those who were walking about , smoked , and chatted , and laughed , and at last got into a sort of discussion respecting the strength and weakness of our position in the rear towards Balaklava . Nothing doubting , our officers expressed their opinions freely , pointed out our weak points , and spoke plainly of the difficulties of our position . At length an . officer of the

      79 th , who had a . more practised ear than his comrade , was struck by the strange accent and curious idiom of the . soi-disant ^ Frenchman , which , in any one "but , a ^ Frenchman , would have excited no suspicion v Taut still he was : afraid of making a mistake , and had too device ready at hand to test the truth . However , he sent off to Sir Colin Campbell to say that he suspected there -was a Russian spy amongst them . The supposed Frenchman was not to be caught so easily . His quick eye detected the despatch of the messenger , and so he gradually drew- qff from our lines towards the valley , but in a manner sqflatural as to perplex those to whom the officer had communicated his misgivijags , and when he had gained a good ofJBng he quickened his pace into a run , and got right away into the Russian lines , leaving his late companions

      gazing open-mouthed after him ! Ifc argued no common coolness and audacity to undertake such a mission , fox had the gentleman in question been captured , he would assuredly have been , hanged a & a , spy . The IFrench executed speedy justice the other day on a spy , whom they found disguised as a Tartar arabjee within their lines , and shot him . as , soon as they had Jfojuid out all they could from him . But these Baisslans are , very ruses . The sentinel before the house . « f , the IProvost ^^ Iarahal in Balaklava was -astonished , bo see a horse , with a sack , of coraa on its back > deUberatelj * walking past lum . in , the mqonlight the other night . He went over , to seize the animal , when the sack of corn , suddenly became changed into a full-grown Cossack ,, who drove the spurs into his steed , and had . vanished ere the sentry had recovered his speech . — Times Correspondent .

      The Rev . Mr , Wheblb . —We deeply regret to announce the death of the Rev . John Wheble , one of the Roman Catholic chaplains to the army , which took place , from dysentery in the Crimea , Mr , Wheble was endeared to alL who knew him by his thoroughly good and amiable disposition , and we doubt whether those of his own faith who loved him for his devotion to it were not equalled by his friends of othsr persuasions , who admired him for his genial ,, frank , and tolerant , mind . With , the army he was

      principaUjt attached , to tihe Second . X > ivi 6 ian ,, an ( l , WQ are told that , ftom Sir De Lacy , Evans , to thq ypungeat drummer , every man mourns him as a , friend . Mr . Wheble was a young roan , well off as regards the goods of this world , and when , last spring , he volunteered to leave his quiet curacy at Chelsea to en * - counter the hardships and dangers of the war , he made , perhaps , as great a sacrifice to duty as any one of the gentlemen of England who have left fortune , home , and friends * to fight for their country in the Ea 8 t .-r-7 V » ies .

      M . P . ' b , at Ink » uma . n .- "Two members , of I ? wHament were killed at the battle of Inkcrman . on the 5 th- ^ -Weiit . nCol . B , W . Pakenharn , of the Grenadier Guards , jaomber for Antrim ; and Lie . ut .-Col . James Hunter , Blair , of the Scots tfuailier Guards * M . J ? . for Ayr . 3 lirssu 5 S Ba « hajchxv , in Ba ^ tjcb . —In the battle of the 5 th a Russian major was discovored by n Branch officer , w 3 io understood tho language , inthe a « t of ordering hia men to cut ; to pieces the French and English wounded in tho action . Our own poor

      follows , it appears , had to sufler moat from thia atrocity , and the major , having boon taken poisoner by tho IFbench , wa , a on tho point of being sent hey © on board the l ' anama with 1 ' rince Napoleon . XiOiici Raglan , however * demanded of General Canrobert that tho monator should bo given up to hint ; and tho Prince states that , on his departure , tho military tribunal , had sentenced him to b © hanged , —Timtnf Ccmntani ' mpple Correspondent , Another letter say a : ~~

      TJwro is a foaturo In this war , or rathor tho Ru « aiwv mode of carrying it on , that deserves tho attention , of o-very Eugjiphniap , as . woll at ) bis execration . Again WMl A & tafa WwJHjiw .. ofltawiH as w » U an m « n , for tl * e

      isake of pmttder , prowl about the field stabbing the not yet dead , robbing them of their epaulettes , watches , rings , and even their trousers and hoots . A Russian major has been caught in the very act , and Lord Raglan had caused a court-martial to be assembled , by which , if he be convicted , it is said . Lord Raglan intends to hang him—a most righteous punishment too . How < - ever , Lord Raglan and General Canrobert have forwarded a joint note , under ti flag of truce , to the Russian authorities , condemning in the strongest terais such atrocious acts , and requiring them to take the proper steps to prevent such atrocities , and reminding them that large numbers of Hussion subjects are now prisoners of -war , and that tliey are treated with , more than humanity , less like enemies than friends , and that it would be a grief to them to be obliged to deny them their parole and plajce tliem under dos « restraint .

      Popular feelino in England . —At Manchester , Mr . John Bright has been burnt in effigy . At Newcastle , a member of the Exchange has been expelled with execrations for exulting in some success of the enemy . He was agent of an Austrian commercial company .

      1110 The. Lea D £ R. [Sattjk^At,.

      1110 THE . LEA D £ R . [ Sattjk ^ at ,.

      The Russian Abblr. The Morning Chronicle...

      THE RUSSIAN ABBLr . The Morning Chronicle , in au article full of information , says : — " Besides the . two dorps dUlit & Qi Guards and Gren » r * diers , theRoissiatt army consists of six . corps , which are . at present distributed along the southern frontier of the erapire , ficom Poland , to Georgia . Each of tfcese corps ia composed of three divisions , and in , each , division are , two brigades or four ,. . regiments , each , containing four battar lions . To every corps of infantry cavalry and artillery

      are attached in . a certain ; proportion ;; but we shall confine our . present reinarks to that arm of the , force by which .. atone the position of the Allies before Sevastopol ia liable to be seriously ; aasailad . The strength of a battalion of Russian infantry , is as variously represented , are the resources of the Government which it serves . The figures fluctuate , in fact , according to the moment tary exigencies-of the argument which they are intended to support ; and toia ingenious i n consistency has been fiuqcesafully , imitated amoBg ourselves ..

      " It appears that , on the 3 rd , Prince Menscbikoff had under his command the three diyisionsof the 4 th corps , one . division of the 5 th , and two divisions of the 6 th . — being , in all , six divisions , containing ninety-six battalions of 600 strong , ox 57 , 600 men . To this force must be added three , battalions o £ rifles , of GOOmeo . each , and eight battalions of marines , which do not number more than 550 men . each ; , so that the entire strength of infantry , within and outside Sebastopol , on . the day in question , cannot have exceeded 6 , 4 , 000 men . It is true that , besides tho four battalions usually present in the field , each , regiment of the Eussian army has one or more of reserve , -which , under certain circumstances , may be brought into active , service ; and it happens that one of the divisions now ia the Crimea consists partly of such reserve battalions . The distribution of these reserves is

      not , however , more difficult to ascertain , than that of the active army ; and we believe it will be found that our statement of the force at Prince Mensehikoff's disposal on the 3 rd in & tant . includes all tho infantry who , on that day , wore near enough to the soene of action to influence the destiny of Sebastopol . If this assumption be correct , it follows that , on tho 5 th , after , providing for tho defence of the town and tho north forts ,, the Russian generals might haye employed 45 , 00 . 0 or 50 , 000 men in the attempt to force the Allies from their , position . But

      that day witnessed , a diminution of the enemy ' s numbers to the extent of nearly 1 . 0 , 000 men ; and it is not probable that , for many weeks to come , lie will bo able to replaco the losses which he then sustained . "Wo do not doubt that every effort will be made to outnumber tho besiegers ; and , for that purpose , the Russian troops along the southern frontier of . the empire are being gradually sltiftod ; eastward—thug drawing nearer to tho scene of actual war , while , at tho same time , diminishing the army which has esxeitod the uneasiness of Austria . "

      The Allied Eobcj2s I» The Pacific, Wu Ha...

      THE ALLIED EOBCJ 2 S I » THE PACIFIC , Wu have be « n hearing , for a long time , of Russian mon-of-war 4 < dodging" British and French men-ofwar in the Pacific ; and have thus been somewhat prepared for what has now occurred . The French and English vessels had joined company in the cruise . On tho 28 th of August tho squadron arrived before Petropaulovski . Potropaulovslci ia situated on the eastern coast of Kumschatkn , near its southern extremity , iolatitudo f > 3 north , and longitudo 159 cast , from Greenwich . It is a fortified town of some 2500 inhabitants , and is ono of thoso advanced posts which , for tho last half century , it has been tho policy of Russia to establish on tho frontier of her dominions , in time of poaco for the convenience of her commerce , and in time of war as places from which operations by eoa might ! be supported . Tho admirals decided on an attack . On tho 20 th

      the Russian batteries opened on them . Behind tile batteries were three Russian men-of-war . There , was an interchange of bombarding during , the whole day . Next , day the fight was resumed , and ia the middle of that day the English admiral ( Price ) was killed by a shot from his own pistol , which , said ' the sailors , went off accidentally . The French admiral then took the command . On the third day a lan . d attack was made , and a battery -was taken , but the assailants had to re-embark . $ ejct day . a second land attack was decided on in a council of war- and . 700 men were landed on the 4 th of September-:- ^ .

      " Everyman was to receive 60 cartridges , and an additional supply of ammunition was to be placed in sloops . Captain de la Grandiere for the French , and Captain Burridge for the English , -were to be in command of the troops on land . The day was passed i n making preparations . On Monday , the 4 th of September , at three o ' clock in the morning , the drums called all hands , to quarters , and the troops for the land were taken on board the Virago , which landed them on the low portion of the peninsula .

      " The troops took up the marel , the English . Marines in the lead . On arriving at the battery , the guns were spiked . Tie troops , leaving the battery , mounted the hill at a quiek step , and entered into a thick brushwood Here they ivere received by a lively fire of' musketry , to which they replied in the midst of the brush . The Virago , leaving the troops , -went to the point at the north , from which a constant fire was kept up . Htere , on a brook , near the t 6 wn , a battery of five guns was unmasked , and then silenced by the Virago .

      " In the meantime the fight in the brushwood was very severe . The sailors fought like madmen , under the destructive fire of the Russians . Captain G . A . Parker fell , charging a . t the head of the English Marines ; M . Bourosset fell at his side . Lieutenant Lefebre , of the Eurydice , was killed . Mr . Howard , aide-de-camp of the English admiral , had his arm broken . Unable to sustain the unequal struggle the order -was given to re-embark . The first object of the landing was attained . The battery was evacuated , the Russian cannoneers -were dead upon their guns and their cannons spiked . To have gone further would . have cast savere losses ; to have dislodged the Russians from the wood , of which the size -was uixknown , would have required a . siege . Th & troops

      retired slowly . One company of 100 men , hidden among the ruins of the battery , gave the advancing Russians a check , and under this protection the English and French carried off their -wounded . On board the Forte the carpenters were busy in repairing damages . On the next day , the -6 th , thoso killed in the assault- were buried at Tarenski- On the 6 th the squadron made ready to dppart , and . on the 7 th departed . During the day two vessels -were seen , one a three-master , th & other a schooner . The Virago took the schooner , and the President took the & itka , a vessel of 800 tons , from Ayan , in Okhotsk Sea , with provisions and arms fox Petropauloyskl The cargo of the Sitka was valued at ? 200 , 000 dollars . The sckoouei was burnt on the high , sea . on the 8 th .

      " During , the -whole course of the expedition the most thorough good feeling prevailed between the French , and English . On land and sea , in the harbour of Honeluluj and under' th . 0 fire of Petropaulovski , the officers and sailors of the twa nations have learnt * by continual intercourse , to love and esteem each , other . The two nations , rivals in other times , now friends , obey the same thought , and mix their blood upon the field of battle- In the Polar Seas of Asia and on tho shores of Bomarsund they are animated by tho same sympathy and emulation . The brave Parker , cheering our sailors forward , died at their side ; and around him our officers and sailors fell , decimated by an invisible enemy . A friendship founded upou mutual esteem , and cemented by such , recollections , assures tho pcrmanont union o £ tho two greatest nations of tho earth . "

      There are various , accounts as to the force' at Petronanlovski . It is said there , were eiglifc batteries , tricuuti « g , 8 Q guns , besid . 03 tke two men-of-war , which , did good service as batteries , ; in alt 144 guns . The population is reckoned at 2000 since tho lato addition to tlio garrison . The place is a strong position , fortified by nature , and is capable of resist-, ing a superior force , The strength of the Allies i » easily computed . La Forte is a first-class frigate , carrying 60 guns , of -which 8 aro 80-pounderB , and 52 ' aro ao-pounders , with a . orew of r > 00 men ; the Eury « dice carries 30 guns , of which 4 aro 80-poundors , and 26 avo ao-poundcrs , with 2 B 0 mon ; and tho Obligado

      carries 12 guns , nil : ) Q-pwndors and 120 men . The English vessels , tho President , 60 , the Pique , 40 , and tho Virago , 6 , carry togolhur 208 guns , which , added to tho Ifrenoh , make au aggregate of 310 guns on tho aide of the Allies . The English loss way considerable It is well understood tUut tho tallied fl « ut would havo demolished Potropaulovski had it not been for n luck of provisions . By some oversight there was no Btoreship attached to tho fleet , and tho aquudwns were obliged , by the shortnoss of their provisions , tQ sail to a port whore they could replenish their stores , otherwise tho bombardniont would have bean cantinuM until tho placo wus reduced to ashes .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 25, 1854, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_25111854/page/6/