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Leader (1850-1860), 3rd November 1855, Edition 2 of 2, Page 3

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      The Avar. Full Accounts Of The Capture O...

      only sixty sail of the line - two of them steamers Lremain in the neig hbourhood of Kmburn , and that only five gun-boats are anchored in the liiman . The allied fleet has been seen in the vicinitv of Kherson . . Laro-e French reinforcements are still sent out ; and the English and Sardinians likewise are augmenting their army . ' Generals Bosquet , Meliuet , and Frochu , have returned to France . From Asia we have scarcely any news . Omar Pasha lias established liis head-quarters at Soukoum-Kaleh ; and 12 , 000 horses have left Erzeroum with provisions for Kars , with which place it is said Om ^ r is in communication . The North yields as little intelligence a ? the extreme East ; but we learn that three French gunboats , on their return from the Baltic to France , have arrived at Elsinore , as well as the Eugliah hospital-ship , the Belle Isle ; and that great part of the fleet will winter in the Baltic Lieutenant-General Sir William John Codrington , K . C . B ., is our new Cominander-in-Chief in the Crimea . The coolness exhibited by him at the battle of Inkerman , on which occasion he was the first to discern the approach of the Russians , and his general devotion to his duties during the whole of the war , seems , as far as we can yet judge , to stamp him as a man fit to hold the highest place . He is now in his fiftieth year . HE FALL OF KIKBDRN—SIR BDlltrsi ) LYONS ' s ACCOUNT . Under date October 18 th , Sir Edmund Lyons communicates a detailed account of the operations which terminated in the reduction of Kinburn . The expedition under Admiral Stewart reached that fortress on the 14 th ult . ; but , owing to adverse winds , it was not until the 17 th that operations could commence . The floating batteries mortar-vessels , and gunboats , then opened lire and before noon , the buildings in the interior of the fort were in flames , and the eastern face had suffered very considreably . "At noon , " says Sir Edmund "the Roj'al Albert , Algiers , Agamemnon , and Princess Royal , accompanied by Admiral Bruat ' s four ships of the line , approached Fort Kinburn in a line abreast , which the shape of the coast rendered necessary , and the precision with which they took up their positions in the closest order , with jibbooms run in and oniy two f ..-et of water under their keels , was really admirable . " At the same moment , the squadrons under the orders of Rear-Admirals Sir Houston Stewart and Pellion pushed through the passage between j Otchakoff and the spit of Kinburn , mid took the forts in reverse , whilst the St . Jean d'Acre , Curacoa , Tribune , and Sphinx , undertook the centre battery , and the Hannibal , Dauntless , and Terrible , that on the point of the spit . " [ The result of these arrangements is already known . ] THIS FALL OF KIN'DUKN ' . — . RUSSIAN ACCGOUNT " Telegraphic de-patch from Nicholaieff , forwarded by order of his Majesty tho Emperor , on the 17 th of October . Owing to the situation of the fortress of Kinburn , which rises at tho extreme point of the peninsula of the same name , on tho left bank of the liman of the Dnieper , and at the very entrance of that water , the communications of Nicholaieff with this fortress had been carried on only by way of Otch ikolf , and were maintained by me ins of rowboats , and of a marine optical telegraph established at Otchakoff . " On the appearance of tho enemj- ' s vessels in the limnn , the direct communication by water with Kinburn ceased . From all tho information received the day before yesterday , yesterday , and to-day , from Otchakoff by means of this telegraph , the following result is obtained : — " Tin ; fortress of Kinburn , after hiving sustained on tho 15 th a brisk canonado , and a bombardment of gun-bouts , mortar bontn , mid steam-frigates stationed in the liman , replied to it on its own side by n rapid and well-directed lire of its own guns . At nightfall tho fire ceased on both nidus . Yesterday ( tho 10 th ) it was renewed , and continued tho whole day , but with less vigour . This morning at nine o ' clock , eleven additional wteainfrigatGH and if ninety-gun ship of the lino joined the vessels previously ly ing in tho limnn , nnd tho whole commenced together * a most violent horizontal and vertical lire , in which the remainder of tho enemy ' s fleet joined from the soa . " This infernal fire continued until half-pnst two in tho afternoon . At that time , tho fortress , all the buildings in tho interior of which were in flames , ceased to roplj ' , and tho enemy then discontinued his fire . At throe o ' clock , two boats bearing a flag of truce approached the fortress , into which half an honr afterwards entered the enemy ' s troops , forming part of those who Und previously made a descent on the land . Aftorwnrds , tho vessel lying in tho limnn' proceeded in the direction of Otchakofl' and tho Nicholiiicff battery , situated in the opposite coast ; but up to tim evening they have not opened rtre . " TIIIC UUMSIAN VKH 81 ON OF TIIK ATTACK ON 1 CAIIS . Tho following ia from ( he Inoalide Jiiusu : — " General Mouravioll" announces , under tho dalo of tho I ) nth of September , that , having boon informed that tho Turkish

      | troops had received reinforcements in" the vicinity of Batoum , and that the enemy proposed to make a movement upon the Gouriel and Akhaltsyk , and at the same time advance from Erzeroum upon Kars , he resolved to attack the latter fortress on the 29 th . f Three columns were selected for this operation : the first under the command of Lieutenant-General Kovalevskv , the second under Major-General Maydel , and the third ' under Major-General Count Nyrod . In addition , an intermediate column was formed , commanded by General Prince Gazarine , as well as a general reserve , confided to Lieutenant-General Brummer . Finally , a detachment , led by Major-General Bazine , was intended to act according to special orders . " The columns maiched to the attack in the greatest order and with the greatest intrepidity . The attack of Major . General Bazine was even crowned with success ; but , unfortunately , almost at the beginning of the engagement , several of the commanders and the superior officers under their orders were killed or wounded . The result was , that the unity of the operations was broken , and the most brilliant efforts , during a bloody conflict , which lasted several hours , could not restore it . General Mouravieff having convinced himself of this impossibility , advanced the reserve , and under its protection the assaulting columns effected their retreat . The obstinacy with which our troops fought is above all praise . During the engagement , they took from the Turks fourteen flags I and some field colours , and spiked or dismounted several J pieces of artillery . '' Our loss is not yet exactly known , but it is very considerable . The loss sustained by the enemy must also have been very great . Of our generals , Prince Gagarine , General Kovalevsky , and Major-General Bronevsky are seriously wounded , and Major-General Maydel less dangerously . " The blockade of Kars is re-established as before the attack . " A despatch from General Williams to Lord Clarendon has been published , but does not add any details of importance . In addition to the names of Lake , Teesdale , | and Thompson , that of Mr . Churchill , attacTie to the j English mission in Persia , is honourably mentioned as j directing the fire of a battery throughout the action ; and Dr . Sandwith , who had charge of the wounded , and Messrs . Zohrab and Rennison , interpreters , are alluded to i with high praise . DRUNKENNESS IN THE CAMP . To the wholesome labour and activity that now prevail , as well as to the fineness of the weather , the healthy condition of the army ia doubtless due . It certainly is not attributable to sobriety and abstinence , for I regret to say that drunkenness is very prevalent among the men . The well-intended kindness of the " Queen's six-! pence " is doing , I fear , much harm , used as it is by a very large portion of the soldiers as a means of excessive drinking . The consequence of this , and of the insubordination and many offences it leads to , is a large amount of punishment of various kinds —extra guards , stonecarrying , and flogging . The cartwheel ( here substituted j for tho triangle ) is frequently rigged , and the Provost-Marshal and his assistants have plenty on their hands ; but twenty-five lashes , or even lifty , are all insufficient to wean the British soldier from bis favourite vice . I hoar of regiments in which there are literally scores of men under punishment of ono sort or other for intoxication . One regiment was cited to me ( I refrain from naming it ) in which there were sixty offenders of thissoit atone time . In another , nine sergeants were broken for drunkenness . On Saturday , there was an issue of hack pay ( the extra sixpence ) , and I n « ver witnessed a more disgraceful sceno than was presented by the part of tlio camp in which I happened to bu at about an hour before sunset on Sunduj' afternoon . I have no reason to believe that it whs confined to that part of tho camp , but I mention only that which I and a military friend who accompanied me actually saw , an wo leant against a railing enjoying tho beauty of the evening . Half the ) men who passed along a truck a little in our front wer « more or less intoxicated . Some were merely unntendj ' , others staggered nnd straggled out of tho path . Homo woro pugnacious , and we saw two fight * begin , which were only put an end to by tho arrival of a patrol . Nono inoro than myself , would advocate every reasonable indulgence to an army which has deserved so well of its country as that of the Crimen , displaying , aa it has done , on repeated occasions , and for long periods , tho utmost valour , fortitude , and patience . Hut . if moans are not found of cheeking tho grout drunkenness that at present goes on here , the result will l > n a grievous iwandal to the Horvlce . At tho same time that I gladly record tho physical vroll-boing of the troops , I am bound to declare my conviction that they have never , since tho commencement of tlie war , been in worse discipline and subordination . ' — Times Correspondent . The Aia-ikd FucKra okp Ookhsa . — Monday , Oct . H . —A hot , bright huh lighted up tho round mirror of Hoa of which wo woro tho centre this flue morning . Although many big ships were near , and a groat flotilla was moving all around the edges of our groat circle , her Majesty ' s ship l'Anonynio appeared on thin-fine Monday morning to be the central point on a bright dickering ' shivering , mirror , fringed by columns of smoke or framed

      in by the masts of the distant fleet , fine as cobwebs on the edge of some ancient cheval glass of Louis Quatorze . .... There stood an extensive city , built on the curve of a high sea shore , with descending terraces and broad flights of steps to the beach , which was enclosed trjrbroad quays and the walls of ports and casemated batteries , all shining "brightly in the morning sun . Broad esplanades or boulevards lined with trees towards the sea-front ran along the top of the bank , with a background of stately mansions worthy of the best '' rows " near the Regent'spark ; and we could see a numerous and gaily-dressed crowd of men and women all along the promenade gazing on the dark clouds of smoke which were slowly drifting in on them from the distance . Behind and in continuation of this esplanade are splendid residences , with pillared porticoes and ornamented peristyles , magnificent public institutions—tho temples erected by despotism' to civilization in hope of making peace with her—barr . uilcs , palaces , governor ' s house , prisons , rising in front of a confused and graceful mass of domes , columns , steeples , and spires . One huge dome is of an intense ultra-marine blue , and is topped by a gilt cupola ; another is of bright green , surmounted by a golden star ; here is a Greek temple , there a Tartaresque-lookirig mosque ; there an unmistakeable 'little Bathel , " here a Bj'zantine church ; again , an Eastern minaret-like spire ; further on , an indubitable Sir Christopher Wren steeple . —Times Correspondent .

      Nov. 3, 1855.1 • The Leader. * 1047

      Nov . 3 , 1855 . 1 THE LEADER . * 1047

      War Miscellanea. Courts-Martial In Tiik ...

      WAR MISCELLANEA . Courts-Martial in tiik Crimka . —Private James Salmon , 93 rd Highlanders , was condemned to death by a Court-martial before Sebastopol , for deserting from the trenches , "with intent to go over to the encenemy . He has borne an indifferent character ever since he joined his regiment ; but General Simpson , while concurring in the justice of the sentence , has commuted the punishment to penal servitude for life , " entirely from consideration of the good and faithful conduct of the regiment and of the army . "—Trumpeter John M'Gall , 5 th Dragoon Guards , has been sentenced to transportation for life , for having attempted te shoot Sergeant Edward Plant , under some slight provocation . Tiik Anglo-Jtal . iax Legion . —General Percy , according to the Piemoutc , has resigned the command of the Anglo-Italian Legion , and he is to be sneceeded l > y Colonel Read . Otchakoff . — A . telegraphic despatch from JVicholasift ' to St . Peter-burg , duted Oct . 18 th , gives an account , or rather a bare notification , of the blowing up of the Nicholas Battery at Otchakoff ; and another messsnge , dated the following day , adds : —" Since the despatch of yesterday left , to the present time , the enem 3 ' has attempted nothing of importance . The fleet , whioh is ly ing in the open sea , at some distance from the month of the liman , has not changed its position . The samo number of vessels remain at the mouth of the river . One of the gunboats , while taking soundings , approached the entrance of the Bug . This morning , the vessels moored in the road of Otehiikoff , were reinforced by two mortarboats , eleven gunboats , and two steamers , detached from the fleet . We can count eighty-eight vessels of different kinds . The enemy have increased the number of their tents pitched on the Spit of Kinburn ; there is no movement in this direction . " Tiik 97 th at the Redan . —The following account of the conduct of this regiment on the 8 th of September , is from ihe letter oP an officer to a friend : — 'The 97 h led the way , and placed the ladders against thf parapet of the Kedun , after the Malokoff was taken by the French . The first part of our regiment consisted of one hundred and sixty men , under Major Wolsford , with the ladders . The mnjor was the first to mount one , and was about to get in at an embrasure , when a gun inside was firerf , and the shot took off his head . Our poor colonel , the Hon . Henry Handcock , led the assaulting party of the O 7 th , which consisted of two hundred men . Our present sergeant-mnjor was with him all the time , and has sineo told me that before he got into tho ditch he got a blow of a Htone on tho chest , which ho did not mlntl , The ladder wan then placed for him to mount tho parapet , which lie did , and cot inwido tho llodan , followed clost-ly by the aergennt-major . Ho vras only there a short tfmo when ho was struck by a bullet on the left aide of the head . At the time , ho was raiding his sword and calling to his men to follow him . Feeling himself woutulwl , ho said , ' 1 am hlt ^ but never mind ; follow me , sergeant . Ho only advnncnd a few steps , when he full unconscious , from which Btato ho never recovered . Ho diod fifleon hours after . AH speak in tho highest manner oftlio bravery ho showed , and all regret 1 » Ih loss veiy mneli . I cannot toll y ou how miserable I feel—nil my companlaai either killed or wounded ; out of three hundred andbixty ; i ; trrr ^ srr « arssa s ^ sSs ^^' our adlutant . wna k . ilwi IimMo the Kedan . onr aujitiaiu , ..... nuns .. A' corrofpondent of Ui nJX ™ . " ' - »"" M ^ - ' ' ' » " *

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 3, 1855, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_03111855/page/3/