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Leader (1850-1860), 30th June 1855, Edition 1 of 2, Page 616

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      officers and rank and file , killed , 144 ; wounded , 1058 ; tnissmff , 150 : officers kitled and wounded , 93 . The fosses / of the French were less on the 7 th of June , when the Mamelon was taken ; and the greater number of the casualties occurred , not in the actual assault and temporary capture of the Malakoft batteYies , but in the attempt to stay there under the fire of the neighbouring defences . Only two French divisions were employed in the assault—those of Generals Mayran and Brunet . Both these generals were seriously wounded . We read a s follows in the Daily News : —

      " The Russian Government publishes a despatch from Prince Gortschakoff , dated the evening of the 19 th , praising his troops , and announcing that the fire of the Allies had all but ceased . A small Russian reinforcement of infantry is moving down to Sebastopol . Owing to the difficulty of feeding large corps in the Crimea since the operations of the Allies in the Black Sea , the Russian Government has given an increased extension to the camp at Nicolaieff , assembling there the divisions which would otherwise be encamped in the Tauric Peninsula .

      " Advices from Paris state that no further assault on the Malakoff batteries is expected to take p lace until French breacMng batteries , in course of construction in front of the Mamelon , are ready to open fire . " Letters from Odessa state that fears are entertained there that the Allies , having completed their work in the Sea of Azof , will visit , for the same reasons , the mouths of the Dnieper , as well as Kherson and Nicolaieff , at the embouchure of the Bug , which , since the 24 th ult ., have become of more importance than ever to the Russian commissariat , and where the Czar has ships and naval establishments . A reconnoissance of Perekop is also again spoken of . " A . TRUCE FOR BURYING THE DEAD ( JUNE 9 th ) .

      The interval afforded another opportunity , rapidly taken advantage of , c f getting a nearer look at Sebastopol ; and the Mamelon , as the most important of our late acquisitions , was the attractive spot , whither every one who had the time and chance hastened . The French working parties had broken ground on the ascent , and were connecting their lines , distant some two hundred yards , with the fort by new parallels , and were also reversing the Russian trenches outside , facing towards our advanced works . The rugged , channelled , and shotbruised outline of the fortress grew larger and more real as you wound up to it ; but the interior , altogether unknown till that moment , excited a more vivid feeling , and alike outside and inside attested the fierceness of the

      struggle and the pluck of the assailants . The surface of the ground within was cut into holes and pit 3—here Iik . e an old stone quarry , there like a bit of Crimean vineyard ; some of these were the effect of bursting shells with well-timed fuses , some the cunning apparatus of the hardy and prolonged defence . The corpses which cumbered the earth and were in process of removal gave out faint tokens of coming putrefaction ; fragments of bodies and marks of carnage were interspersed with ruined gabions and broken firelocks ; Russian guns , dismounted and dented with shotmarks , lay tumbled below their embrasures ; fifty or so were concealed beneath the debris ; and some quantity ~ of hidden powder

      was also rooted out of the subterranean recesses which abounded in the rock . These nests , excavated in the inner faces of the intrenchments , were left warm by their previous occupants — food and implements of labour were found in them , and , among other things , a bit of fishing-net in course of construction . The nearer view alone revealed the stupendous character of the earthworks , and , if astonishment were not now a stale sentiment , the eye-witnesses would have been simply astonished at the amount of labour lavished on them . The traverses appeared to be some eighteen feet in height . An English lady—where will they not go ? whore do they not go ?—was brought by her husband , an officer , to survey the place . — Times Correspondent .

      The same writer relates that , during thia brief suspension of hostilities , " a Russian officer fell into conversation with one of our men , and , giving him his card , said , ' I wish thia was all over , and wo wore good friends again ; wo aro all tired enough , but our orders aro to fight it out to tho last . ' At the termination of the armistice , there wore some signs of insubordination among tho men who wore in contiguity with ours . " OENICUAL PBLJSSUCU ' a ACCOUNT OF TlUi OAI'TUKti OV THE

      MAMisr-ON . Tho Moniteur of Monday contains General Peliasior ' a despatch , giving a detailed narrative of the capture of tho Mamelon Vort and tho Ouvrages Blancs on tho 7 tU of June . Tho White Works ( which aro works of counter-approach constructed by tho Russians on tho 22 nd and 27 th of February ) woro carried by the first impetuous rush of tho French , who soon established themselves in thoir acquisition ; , tho battery of tho 2 nd of May , defending tho entrance to tho Careening' Day ravine , wns seized , and tho guns spiked ; tho rctroat of tho onomy from tho Whito Works was cut oil' '; tho Mamelon was occupied , under a ' troinondous flro from tho Redan and tho Malakoff batteries ; and borne away by tho enthusiasm of tho moinont , tho French penetrated into tho dltoh of tho Malukoff , and tried to enter tho

      enceinte . From this , however , they were necessarily driven ; fresh columns of Russians attacked the Mamelon ; a mine or a powder magazine exploded ; and , in the recoil , the French were for a time obliged to recede from their position . But , being speedily reinforced , our allies again dashed the enemy out of the Mamelon , and remained definitively masters of the " green mound" and of the works upon it . The advantages thus obtained not only give us a greater command over the fortifications of the town itself , but they have destroyed the effect of the Russian counter-approaches , which have fallen into the hands of our allies .

      FESTIVITIES AT EISK . ~* A journal of our naval operations in the Sea of Azof gives the following account of an odd scene which took place at the destruction of Eisk : — " It was the wish of the Governor that our boats should pull in close to the shore and form order of battle in line abreast , making an imposing appearance , so as to justify him in surrendering ; which we did . The marines and firing partylanded , and were received by the Governor and colonel , providing the officers with mounts . One party proceeded to the westward , and fired some mile and a half of stacks , consisting of hay , rye , and straw , in places six and eight deep ; others to the town , to fire a quantity of grain that the Governor had taken out of the stores to prevent the town being burnt , which they were in great fear of . The parties having destroyed the grain and stacks , which

      they took to be Government property , re-embarked ; but , previous to their leaving the beach , the Governor begged their acceptance of a quantity of stock , which he had ordered down to the beach , which we politely declined . Compliments passed—such as , they hoped they would meet each other under more favourable auspices in lieu of such painful circumstances . The Governor and inhabitants were thankful for our leniency in sparing the town . About this time one dozen of champagne came down very apropos in a drosky , which seemingly our friend the Governor had ordered , and which he insisted upon our opening , and drinking each other ' s healths . Two very swell Greeks , dressed up gaudily in their war costume , were not content with drinking healths only , but drank success to the expedition in French . I suppose our friend the Governor did not understand them . "

      THE SPIT OF ABABAT . The following picturesque description of the marshy tongue of land at Arabat is from a letter of the Times Special Correspondent attached to the Kertch

      expedin : — " The Spit of Arabat is a bank but a few feet above water , and is in some places only a furlong in breadth . It is nearly seventy miles in length , and its average width is less than half a mile from sea , to sea . In' the interior , or on the body of the bank , there are numerous lagunes—narrow strips of water much more salt than that of the adjacent sea . Some of these are only a few yards in length and a few feet in breadth , others extend for a quarter of a mile , and are about one hundred yards broad . They are all bounded alike by thick high grass and rushes . The bottom , -which is found at the depth of a few feet—often at two or three inches—consists of hard sand covered with slimy green vegetable matter . The water abounds in small flounders and dabs , and in shrimps , which

      leap about in wild commotion . ' at an approaching footstep . Every lagune is covered with mallards and ducks , in . pairs , and the fringes of the spit are tho resort of pelicans and cormorants innumerable . The silence , the dreary solitude- of the scene , are beyond description . Even the birds , muto as they are at this season , appear to bo preternaturally quiet and voiceless . Multitudes of odd , cmstaceous-looking polypous plants , spring up through tho reeds , and bright-coloured flycatchers , with orange breasts and black wings , poiso over their nests below them Patches of ground were cleared here and there , and gave feeble indications that young potatoes were struggling for life beneath . Large ricks of reeds and coarso grass had been gathered round tho battery , but were now reduced to ashes . There ia a track beaten into the semblance of a road over

      tho sand from tho battery to Tainun , and it was covorcd with proofs of tho precipitate flight of the garrison . Pieces of uniform , bags containing pieces of tho universal black bread , strings of onions , old rags , empty sacks and bottles , were found along tho track , and some of our party camo upon a largo chest , which was full of Government papers , stamps , custom-houso and quarantine dockets , &c . But tho sun wan intensely hot , and trudging through tho heavy Band very painful . I had boon rash enough , indeed , to go into tho deep roods after florno duck , and intensely did my face and hands

      suitor in consequence . At every stop swarms of mosquitoes uroso from tho reeds , and stung with a bitterness and ferocity - which excited corresponding feeling in those who suffered from thoir assaults . They wero of all sizes and shapos , and woro proboseides of every form ; and their thirst wan oxoossivo . Tho noiso they made trumpeting , buz / . ing , and singing around one ' s ears was so sharp and loud that it gained credence for tho aUtoinonts of one of tho ofllooni of gunboats who had recently returned from tho count of tho SIvanh or Putrid Soa , and who doclanxl that tho humming of tho mosquitoes there in tho evening ' was so grout that it resembled tho blowing off of « toam

      from a boiler , and that the swarms of these spiteful insects filled the air like dense clouds . "

      THE HANOO MASSACRE . Accounts have been received at the Admiralty from which it appears that several of the boa t ' s crew ' of the Cossack , who were supposed to have been killed , are alive , though prisoners . A complete list is subjoined of the killed , and of the prisoners both wounded and un . wouhded : — Killed . —Thompson , coxswain of the boat ; Cornwall , ordinary seaman ; Benjamin Smith , ordinary seaman * Lynn , captain ' s steward ; Joseph Banks . * Prisoners . —Wounded : John Lorton , George Boyle Joseph Gliddon ( right arm amputated ) , Thomas Stokes ' Unhurt : Lieutenant Louis Geneste , Surgeon Robert Easton , Mr . Sullivan , Owen Francis , William Rockelly John Hockey , and Francis George .

      A Stockholm paper has accounts from Helsingfors stating that the English have bombarded Hango , and destroyed the telegraph station . The Russians now admit that the Cossack's boat displayed a flag of truce but allege that they suspected a stratagem to surprise them .

      DESPATCHES FROM LORD ItAQLAN . A despatch from the Commander-in-Chief , dated June 12 th , has been published ; but it does no t contain any news of which the telegraph has not previousl y informed us . From the enclosures -we learn that the casualties from the 4 th to the 6 th ( query 7 th ?) of June , inclusive , were—1 officer , 7 rank and file , killed ; 5 officers , 5 sergeants , 1 drummer , 64 = rank and file , wounded ; 1 rank and file missing . Those from the 8 th to the 10 th , also inclusive , were—19 rank and file , killed ; 5 officers , 10 sergeants , 105 rank and file wounded . Naval brigade ( 9 th and 10 th of June ) : 1 killed , 14 wounded , 4 contused .

      Further despatches from Lord Raglan , dated the 14 th and 16 th inst ., have been received . They mention the conclusion of the Sea of Azof expedition , congratulate Sir George Brown and * Admiral and Captain Lyons on its success , and , with reference to the health of the army , state that cholera has increased since the last report , but that the men in general look healthy .

      DESPATCHES FROM SIR EDMUND LYONS , &C Communications from Captain Lyons , Sir Edmund Lyons , and Rear-Admiral Stewart , dated respectively June 3 rd , 6 th , and 11 th , contain the details of our attack upon Taganrog , and of the evacuation of Anapa by the Russians . Captain Lyons , in his account of the Taganrog affair , says that there were upwards of 3000 Russian soldiers in the town at the time , and that these constantly endeavoured to prevent the destruction of the Government stores , but were hindered by the fire from the boats' guns . No mention is made of our men being routed and driven back to the boats , according to the Russian General ' s version ; nor , considering that we had not one man killed , and only one wounded , and that we destroyed all the Government stores and public buildings , is the relation very probable . Commander Coles , Lieutenant Buckley , and Lieutenant Mackenzie , are noticed by Captain Lyons with gre . it commendation .

      The Government have published a despatch from Sir Edmund Lyons , of the date of Juno 12 , enclosing letters from Captain Lyons and Lieutenant Ilorton . These documents refer to the operations in tlic Sea of Azof , but only contain the official detailed report of facts already known . The admiral remarks that so great was the quantity of grain which tho Allies fired , " that in some cases the conflagration had not entirely subsided when last seen on the eighth day . " SERIOUS IL . LNKSM AND RIIJIOUKKD RESIGNATION OF

      LORD KAOLtAN . Wo read in tho Times : —" Lord Itaglan ' a iron constitution has at length given way to a cause that has laid many a younger and stronger man low , and his lordship has , we aro told , requested to be relieved of hia command , in order to return home . General Simpson , wo believe , will succeed him in tho cominand-in-chicf . Sir George Brown is suffering from tho same diseasedysentery ; and tho state of Lord Raglan ' s health is , we understand , of a nature to warrant tho gravest anticipations . DKATII OF CArTAIN I . VONS .

      Intelligence reached the Admiralty on Wednes day that Captain Lyons , of tho Miranda , aon of tho Admiral , had been killed . On tho same afternoon the news was communicated to his sister , tho Countess of Arundcl ana Surrey . " It appears , " says tho Time * , " that , in « w anxiety to make a thorough rocogninunco of Kuflu , >> approached so near to that port tlwit , standing on tlie paddle-box of his whip , he received a riflo ball in him u'Slie did not think much of it at tho time , but tho extreme heat , tho excitement of tho occasion , « nd probably iilso a degree of vexation at being thus unnecessarily <> 18 " nbled , checked tho healing process , « nd deprived Uie service of tho wry promising ofliwjr to wlww wo" * our first naval success in this Avar . "

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      WAR MISCKLLANRA . PimtorAurxvs-Hiu . — Advices from tho Snixiwu , Islands state that flvo English war vuhmi-Ih , carrying i > ' »» 120 guns , had ouilod from Honolulu , with tho intcmi "'

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      r 616 ^ TratTE' liEA-ffEK ,. [ Saturday ,

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), June 30, 1855, page 616, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2097/page/4/