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    December 8 , 1855 . ] THE LEADER . . n *> 7

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    as they construct each day new works , such as they so well know how to make , which would indicate that they have no intention of evacuating the Crimea , as most persons suppose . They are far from being in want of provisions or munitions of any kind . At Eupatoria , an impor tant affair is out of the question . The Russians have choked up the wells , an . l , besides , they have a considez-able force . " At the same time , the writer says that the Allied positions are impregnable . The health of the confederated armies is excellent ; their comforts are abundant ; and , allowing for the circumstances , they may look forward to spending "A Merry Christmas" on the ruins of Sebastopol . ) ; i i ; ,

    THE BATTLE OF THE INGOCR MAJOR SIMMONS S ACCOUNT . The Earl of Clarendon has received adespxtch from Major Simmons , her Majesty ' s Commissioner attached to the finny of Omar Pacha , in Asia , of which the following is a copy : — "Camp , Shangwano , Nov . 7 . " My Lord , —I have to inform your Lordship that Omar Pacha , having collected a depot of provisions at Tchimshera , moved on by the sea coast to the mouth of the river Ertiss-Tchnl , where a standing bridge was immediately constructed for the passage of the troops . The advanced guard , consisting of sixteen battalions of infantry and three battalions of Chasseurs , under Lieutenant-Colonel Ballard , the whole commanded by Ferhad Pacha ( Baron Stein ) , moved on the 23 th of October to the village of Ertiss-Zkalsk .

    " From that day until the 1 st of November , his Highness was occupied in sending up provisions to the advanced guard , in moving other troops to support it , and in establishing depots at Godova , at the mouth of the Krtiss-Tchal , whencs to provision his army for a forward movement . " On the 1 st hist , the advanced guard moved about ten miles forward , having its advanced posts on the river Ingour , opposite an old ruined castle called Rooki , on the road to Sugdidi . His Highness joined the advanced guard himself on the 3 rd inst ., his total foi'ce consisting of four brigades ( thirty-two battalions ) of infantry , four battalions of Chasseurs , and 1 , 000 cavalry , with twenty-seven field jiiecos and ten mounted guns , or , in all , about 20 , 000 men ; the remainder of his force , about 10 , 000 men , being employed to protect the dejiots at Godova , Tchimshera , and Soukoum .

    " On the 4 th inst ., his Highness commenced constructing batteries on the right bank of the Ingour , with the view of menacing the enemy by the ford at Rooki . These batteries were armed on the following night , and opened their fire on the morning of the 6 th instant about noon . On the same morning , Iris Highness moved three brigades of infantry ( twenty-four battalions ) with three batteries , with an advanced guard of three and a half battalions of Chasaeurs and four guns , under the command of Colonel Ballard , down the right bank of the river , a distance of about seven miles , where a branch of the river was forded to an island which is some miles in length , and from a half to two miles wide .

    After proceeding along this island for about two miles , some Miugrelian Militia were encountered near a ford which crosses from the island to the left bank of the river ; they speedily retired , when the enemy opened a firo of artillery and a heavy fire of musketry from their intrenchments on the left bank , thrown up for the protection of the ford . It very booh became evident that to force a direct pnssugo at this ford would be a very difficult undertaking . " His Highnos . s , thoroforo , while occupying tho enemy at this lord , went officers to tho right and loft , and fords woi'o discovered in both directions- —one about three-quarters of u mile above or to thra loft of tho main ford , tho other uboub ono mile and a half bolow or to tho right of tho main ford .

    " Troops wore inmiodiatoly neivt to pass those fords ; that to tho loft wan unprotected . The passage was niiulo by two battalions of infantry and three companies of Chassoura by about four p . m . If in Ilighmvss having intrusted mo with thiscomnmnd , I moved them by a waggon track through tho foreat , unporcoivod by tho enomy , until within about six hundrod yards of tho position at tho main ford , which his troops wore occupied in defending from a direct attack . Tho Turkish troops advanced readily to tho altuclc , taking tho enemy and liin intrenohmonts in rovorso .

    promising and brave young officer , for whom his Highness Omar Pacha has frequently expressed to me his high esteem . This young officer had accompanied me from the commencement of the war in Turkey . "While this operation was proceeding on the left , a brigade moved down to the right , under Osmnii Pachn , and forced a passage in front of a force believed to be of four battalions , but without artillery and n > t intrenched . This operation suecooded ; and soon after dark tho TurkisJi forces on tho loft bank were in c umnunication from right to loft , an . I complete masters of that side of the river throughout this K'ligth . The lor-s-s on the side of tho Turks has been three hundred and ten killed and wounded , of whom sixty-eight are killed , and four missing , lli . s Highness has been pleased to express himself in terms of the highest satisfaction of the conduct of the British officers who accompanied his force . Lioutenaut-Colonel Ballard conducted the advanced guard , and sustained a very heavy firo from the euemy at the jirincipal ford , about a hundred yards wide , from noon until dark at five p . m ., occupying the enemy until his position wa . s turned by the Turkish loft .. Captain Caddell also rendered good service , attached as second senior artillery officer to that branch of | tho sorvice . His interpreter was killed . " Tho loss on the side of the enemy has not yet been ascertained ; but , up to the present time ( noon ) , three hundred and forty-seven have beon buried , of whom eight arc officers , among which the prisoners I report there are two colonels . The prisoners report | that there were eight battalions of infantry , besides a great number of Mingreliau Militia , opposite tho ' niaiii ford . —I am , &c , " John L . A . Simmons . " The Earl of Clarendon , fee . " THE GZAU ' S REWARD TO THE DEFENDERS OF SEBASTOPOL . i The Emperor Alexander addressed an order to his i troops under date ShnpheJvwol , October 31 st ( November 12 th ) . It concludes a 3 follows : — " In commemoration of the celebrated and valorous defence of Sebastopol , I have instituted , especially for the troops who defended the fortifications , a silver medal , to be worn at the button-hole with the riband of St . George May this sign be the certificate of merit for each , and inspire your future comrades with that sentiment of duty and honour which constitutes the unshakcablo foundation of the throne and country . May the union upon this same medal of the name of my father , of imperishable memory , and myself , be a pledge to you of our sentiments , which are equally devoted to you , and may ii perpetuate with you the inseparable memory of tlio Emperor Nicholas and of myself ! I am proud of you , as he was . Like him , I place full confidence in your tried devotion and in your zeal in tho accomplishment of your duty . In his name and in my own , I once more thank tho brave defenders of Sebastopol—I thank the whole army . " Tho Emperor Alexander has addresed tho following letter to Prince Gortschakoff . It is dated November 12 : — "During my sojourn with the army of the Crimea , I observed with groat satisfaction , that the soldiers maintained their vigorous and contented appearance despite tho unhoard-of hardships they Imd to suffer during tho sio ^ c of Sebastopol , and that in every department that order upon which the good organisation of an army rests had not bocn in tho least disturbed . This excellent Ht : ito of tho army is a proof of tho solicitude and indefatigable labour by which ;> l <> no it was pos-ulde for you to attain that object , and that at a moment when all your activity , all your . thoughts , wore directed upon a powerful and biuvcs enemy , Bpuring no sacrifice , and who had t . n bo fought . Considering tho position given to Sebastopol Ijy nature , in falling back before tho enemy stop by step , ami adiiDlinc ; thoso wiso view .-i which ' ought l <> bo tho frui . lo of an L'xporionood loader , you have only loft ; to tho enemy ruins do . irly b-ni ^ ht at tho price of the blood that ban lifji'ii shod . Having withdrawn tho troops by a road hithorto unknown , you uro ngu'n ready to meet , tho enemy and to light , him with that 0 " > ur ' i ; . ' . o whioJi y . ui havn always displayed in loading your regiment t under lire . In rundorim . ? full justoo to your ni ; j , nal service , it given mo pleasure , uftor having already done so personally , to express to you iigil'M my niiHH-i' 0 f ^ ral it . udo . " 1 brg of you , 1 ' iinci 1 , to linliovo in my invariable kindly fooling tiwiird-iyou .-- Vonr v'inoorulyutluohod , "Alkxandkii . " cam i' <; o . hhii \ In 1-cispoct of winter clotliin ; . ' , hutting , and feeding , our iiiimi aro immeasurably bol . tor off than our allies , mid it is not , unusual to hc : o tho latter outing in tho F . n ^ lish dam p of Mia oxoofw of our Holdioru' cooking kctt . os . Preparations for tho wintor aro ovidont on ovory triilo . Doooinbor will bo inaugunitod with a htfioplo-chaBo of Knfdibh dimensions in utakoH , jumpH , und fences . TIumIHouIh aro looking up ; and nearly ( ivory Division will huvo a tlioutro open during Mio Christinas wok ; and Homo daring spirits nro ovon bilking of u puutominio , uud of essaying n roiiotition of

    i ' j j \ . ; the bold experiment of an amateur performance in ! Guy Fawkcs , or a Match for n King , with which it is hoped the author will not interfere by any question of copyright . Pictures of saints , the erotic scriptui"e pieces , in which tho Muscovites delight , fat Potiphar ' s wives and garmentle . ss Josephs , very plump Susannahs and very withered old era , and " subjects" of the kind , as well as straight-backed , uncomfortable armchairs of walnut , heavy tables and chests of drawers , aro not uncommon in tho officers' huts . Cats from Sebastopol abound in camp , and aro very useful , inasmuch as the huts are overrun with rats and mice , not to speak of other small deer , now disappearing before the march of King I'Yost . Dogs have come in from the deserted eil . y , and domesticate themselves whether you will or not . There aro always an odd half-dozen about , my hut and tent , which make night hideous with their quarrels—greyhound ?! , mastiffs , and sheep-dogs , and their descendan t ' , of very mixed and indistinct types ; and for two whole days our peace was menaced by ; i huge double humped liactrian camel , which took a fancy to the space before the door , and lay there constantly , so that our legs as we went out and in were within easy reach of his prodigious teeth . Rut ho was a good-natured , biiito , and never attempted to b ' to unless one tried to mount him , when lie disgorged hi . s food , and spat it out at the assailant , or snapped his jaws at him in lerrorem . However , im one was sorry when he heard that tho " ship of tho desert " bad got under way in the night , and had sailed off on a piratical ex . cnr . don against other infidel habitations . — Times Correspondent . THE KXP 1 . OSTON AT IN'KKIIMANX . I was riding from head-quarters , reading my letters , when the explosion took placn , and hail ju . it reached the hill , or elevated part o \ ' the plateau , at the time , and happened to be looking in the very direo'ion of the park . The phenomena were so startling that they took away one ' s breath . Neither pen u < u- pencil could describe them . r i ho rush of firo , smoke , aijjl iron , attained a height I dare not estimate in " one ! great pillar , and then seemed to shoot out , like a tree , j which overshadowed half the crimp on tho right , and rained down missiles upon it . The colour of the I pillar was dark grey , flushed with rod ; but it was j p itted all over with white puffs of smoke , which marked the explosions of the shells . It retained the 1 shape of n , iir tivo for nearly a minute , mu ] then the ; idrles began to swell out and tho overhanging canopy > to expand and twist about in prodigious wreaths of Binoko , which flew out ' to the right and left , and let drop , as it wero from solution'in its embrace , a precipitate of shells , carcasses , and iron projectiles . I j clapped spurs to my horse and rode off as hard as I 1 could towards the spot as noon as my oars had re-! covered the shock . Tho noise was horrible ; and , when the shells began to explode , the din was like tho opening crash of ono of tho great cannonades or bombardments . The escapes that day wero astounding . Clothos were torn 61 f men ' s hack . s ; tho chairs or hods on which ihoy sa * , tho tallies at which they wore eating , the earth * whore they stood , were broken and torn by Hhot , shell , rockofc irons , shrapnel , grape , canister , and musket balls , which literally rained down upon them . It was fully two minutes cro tho heavy volleys of bursting shells ceased , and then sullen explosions for an hour afterwards warned tho spectator from tho hcoho . Somo of f . Iio balls and pieces of shrapnoJ , which numb havo boon projected a prodigious height into tho air , did not fall to fcho /{ round for a miiiiito and u-lialf after tho last of tho explosions . I '' or two minutes , which poemod as tunny hours , tho torriblo nhowor ondurod , and dcficcndod on tho camp . Tho dUtnueo to whioli fragments ( lew exceeds belief . It is difficult to explain it by more names of localities . Ono pioeo of hIiuII flow over < " ! ii . tlic : i . rt ' M-hill ; another killed a hoTHii in Now Kadikoi . Homo fitruok men and horses in l . ho ( iuurdu' qamp . Ono flow ovor my lint ; another struck l . ho ground close to it ; another wont into tho camp of tho fjimd Transport Corps behind it . Mrs , Koacolo , who Iceops a riintaurant nour tho Col , avor . s that n . plo . oo of titoiio hU'iigIc lior door , which is t . liroc-niid n-luiU ' or 1 ' oiir mile ., from the park . In tho iiund Transport Corps of tho Light Division foiirioon hori ., ) wui'o killed and .-evontoon wei'u wounded . 1 'iuoen struck and damai ^ od t . lio IiiiIm in Now Kadikui . A [>[) allin ; r us was tho shook to fclioso who woi'o near , the ofl'eel , \ y . \ n litll" fliiuinwliorl by dinliuici . ! . Tho roar and eoiiniiHsioii \ vor < : m > / , 'mafc in Halaklava tlmt , tin ) sbiji-i in hnrboiir and oiit . sido a <; anchor troinblod and ( juivorod , nn < l th <> Iioiiwjm uliook to thoir foundntioiiH . Tho mIiI / ih a' . Kumi . ^ ch and KaHatob roolo . l and rolled fr .-m sid , lo , n . lo . Mulc-H and horses sevon and . . i M . ini ' n . ny . iy l . rulco Iooho , mid Kallo | i | M « l «« r . * HH U . o "oiinlry w < M wiili IriKht . Tho noiso poMl .,, 1 th .-uKh llio j ; . i- H . M . ,. ii . IJuidnrliko tho loudoM ; llmndor . In fiiul-, tho o hid . ¦ o . ioinblod Hon . o groat ,,,,, v ,, lsion of n . it . ir ... Many ll ... u ht it wiih an niirllMjiiiiko ; "tr . ors iunciod it , was tho outbur « t of a voloiitio ; othorn that tho Russians hud got hoM of I "''' ' Duridoinld ' H invention , and that they hud just given it u first trial , indood , ono officer

    Tho enemy immediately foil buck , and nttomptcd to break through tho Turks in column , but , being mot by a heavy firo in thoir front , and on both flanks , they broke and dinporsud in tho forost , leaving us masters of fcho field , with three pieces of thoir field urtillory nud six ammunition waggons in our poHSOBniun . At tho moment that tho Rufmian columns attempted to break through our line , I grievo to nay that ; my aido-< lo-aanip , Captain Dymook , 05 th Kegimont , liaving first had his horso killed undor him , was wounded oloBo by my eiclo , encouraging the Turkish troops . He died hooh afterwards . Hin death in to bo doplorod , fts her Mujoaty han loHt in him tho uorvioon of a most

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 8, 1855, page 1167, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2118/page/3/