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exposed to flro ^ All the Poles wh o have deserted are sent to Varna to join Zamoiski ' s Polish Legion . About 500 Russian cavalry , escorting a large staff , are now making . a reconnaissance of our position in the Valley of Balaklava . —Idem EXPfiNDITUBE OF SHOT , SHELL ,, AND POWDEB . Up to this evening ( April 15 lh ) the English trenches alone have firp ^ -y between 16 , 000 , and 17 , 000 32 and C 8 ^ oujide . v « and shell , 7800 13-inch shell , and 4600-10-inch shell , making in all about 2200 tons of shot , and 500 tons of ppwder already expended . The Tfo ^ jah trenches mount 15-i guns and mortars , the French 238 ditto ditto ; so that between English and French there has heen used during this week ' s bombardnjeafc about 6000 tons of shot and shell , and some 1500 or J . 600 tons of powder . —Morning Herald Correspondent .
THE FREXCIT AT THE FLAGSTAFF BATTERY . Last night ( April 17 th ) our allies made another attempt to establish themselves at the Flagstaff Battery , and this time with complete success . Owing to the very heavy fire which was kept up yesterday upon the battery , the Russians were unable to effect anything towards the destruction of the breastwork which the French had partially made . About eight o'clock , a small picked party of French sappers crept cautiously into the breastwork , and , under cover of a skirmishing fire from behind , succeeded in repairing the little damage which the enemy had inflicted upon the gabions . The covering party and the fire of mortars completely protected their movements until near ten o ' clock , when a
sadden Tush was made by 250 men , carrying gabions , partly filled . These were immediately placed and fHIed with loose earth , and , thus sheltered , a fire was opened on the Russian soldieT * in the Redan , who , after sonte resistance , retired to another part of the battery , and left the French in complete possession of their lodgment . Of course , during the rest of the night , the " French mortars directed their fire so as to protect this party , who occupied the interval in strengthening their position in such a manner as to shelter them during the daylight . This morning , accordingly , they are able to hold their post . It is on the left side of the Flagstaff , and distant only about 12 feet from where , before the bombardment , the Russian- cannon " and embrasures stood . It is facing the partr ^ which was so much injured by the great mine ; unable to
and here the enemy are bring any cannon against them . The French have made some fifty or sixty loopholes in the breastwork , and through them they keep up an incessant lire on all who show in the battery . Its peculiar angular position protects them much from the effects of this fire ; but still sufficient annoyance and injury is inflicted to gall the Russians to the utmost . If the French extend this breastwork , as it is said they intend doing , the Flagstaff wHI either become untenable , or so perfectly commanded -as to be stormed without loss ; but , before such an extension can hi made , the Russians are certain to make desperate attempts to oust our allies . If . their attempts are successful , the French lose little , and merely begin de jmvo ; if they are unsuccessful , and we retain the position , the strongest of the enemy ' s advanced batteries fall into our hands . —Idem .
A REOOXNOI 8 SANCE . On April 19 th , Lord Rjiglan , General Canrobcrt , and Omar Pacha , accompanied by their respective staffs , made a strong reconnoissnnce of the position of the enemy before Balaklava . The whole force proceeded at about ten in the morning from the right of our position iib the direction of Karoara . Here were stationed a few Oossack pickets , who beat a precipitate retreat as the Allies advanced . Nothing was found in the village beyond the ruins of some huts and three or four small stables , which the Cossacks had converted into picket , houses for themselves . These were pulled down- andj their materials scattered about . The church , the only edifice left untouched , in the centre of the village , was not-interfered with .
After passing Kiunara , the troops , preceded by the cavalry and artillery , advanced in the direction of' tho hills on the Woronzow road overlooking tho- Tchernaya , in the dircotion of Tchourgoum . On these hills between 150 or 200 . Cossacks were collected . They fell back as wo advanced , carefully keeping out of range , and retiring on tho road to Tchourgoum . On the hills from which they h : ul started a number of mud huts had boon erected , capable of accommodating nearly n thousand mou . Those , with oomu enclosures containing forage , wore act firo to . Half tho infantry , with two French field
buttoriea , romuiued on these hills , while tho cavalry , homo artillery , and tho remainder of the infantry , with tho rocket battery , moved down the road towards Tchourgoum . On the hills over Tchourgoum , tho pickets , which had iucroauod to . some JH > 0 or 100 infantry and cavalry , made n tttand , mid watched our movements . Own cavalry advanced to tho village , which seemed deserted and almost iu ruins . Thore appeared no truces of inhabitants , or indeed , of it . i having boon recently occupied at all , except by aoldior . t . A number of dogs woro about it , which bayed and ttiiurli'dus our men duow near ; but those wore tho only tokens * of life or aaimatiuu . Beyond tho" hill and on all the available
coverings on . the . other ^ side of' the Tchernaya , appeared earthworks-jandr-heavy batteries . In a-kind of basin , formed behind- the hills , a-Russian camp ^ was no doubt assembled , as Cossacks came and went in that direction repeatedly ; There was , however , no means of ascertaining either the number or strength of the enemy without bringing on an engagement , and perhaps a severe one . Behind the works of the heights , which were fortified , were Russian troops ; and in the wood leading towards Mackenzie ' s Farm , commanding redoubts seemed to have been thrown up in different places . . In this manner the Allies quietly retired towards Balaklava , having , ascertained , beyond all doubt , that no force about which we need be at all apprehensive , remained in the vicinity .
On the Turkish redoubts which we passed , still lay the body of a Turkish soldier , a 3 he fell on the memorable 25 th of October . On other parts of the battle-field , which the Allies have not entered since , except on occasions of reconnoissances of this nature , lay many artillery and cavalry horses , just as they fell , and with all their equipments still attached to their decaying carcases , which the vultures , dogs , and foxes have almost entirely stripped to the bone . Pieces of uniform , broken swords , bayonets , lance staves , and quantities of shot and shell lay all over the plain , which was green and radiant with wild flowers of every hue , and fragrant with the perfumes of violets and thyme . As the troops returned across the plains a hare was started ,, and the chase of that timid animal formed an appropriate conclusion to the da-y s reconnoissance . —Idem .
LIFE ATODEATH IV THE TRENCHES . The following interesting passages are contained in a letter from a captain in the Royal Engineers , dated the 9 th of April . The officer in question is one of the three superior engineer officers upon 'whom it will devolve to take a leading part in the assault upon Sebastopol . He says : — " My principal duty here is to be in the trenches . There are four captains to take command of the works , each of whom remains twenty-four hours down there , so tha t my turn comes one day in four . We have a subaltern under us , who only stays twelve hours , so that I remain through two reliefs of subalterns . The working parties arc relieved every eight hours . Now , as our
advanced works are within seven htfndred yards of the main batteries of the place , and they keep up a constant fire on our working parties , you can imagine how harassing this work sometimes is . -No man , be he ever so brave , can stand under fire for so long a time , inactive so far as fighting is concerned , without finding it a great wear and tear to his nerves . The first hour is the worst , as after that one gets more used to it . The Russians treat us to a pleasing variety in the way of projectiles . First come the round shot of all sizes , which rush past you with a shriek something like a railway whistle badly blown . Next come the grape , which fly slower and round , like a covey of strong birds , flying very swiftly . Then comes a gunshell , which approaches like
a round shot , but has the pleasing trick of bursting when it reaches you ; so that you have to run a double risk —first of the shot itself , and then of the pieces . Next comes tho mortar-shcll , which , though really the worst of the large projectiles , I somehow dread the least ; it remains in the air for nearly half a minute , and in the night you can see it quite plainly , owing to its bearing the fu * e . It glances along very gracefully , rising to a great height , and making a gentle whistle every now and then like a peewit or plover , which becomes louder and louder till it drops . Although you can see it all the way , it is a most difficult thing to tell where it will fall ; and none but the oldest hands ( men of whom it is said that they have got so inured to fire that a cannon ball would hop off the pit of their stomachs ) can really make a good guess as to whore they will drop . What makes 1
it worse than a gun shellis that the former flying so low retains its impetus ,-so that if it is oneo past you before it burst all the pieces will continue to fly forward , and you arc safe ; whereas , as the mortar shell is pitched as high ns it will go into the air , and then drops , the pieces have no other impetus that what tho bursting charge gives them to fly in every direction for a radius of upwards of 200 yards , and sometimes considerably more . But my greatest horror of all , and tho deadliest foe we havo , in the Russian rifle bullet . It is not so perfect as ours , but , as Mcrcutio says , ' It will do well enough . ' I give you a sketch of it , tho size of life . ( Here is given an admirable pen-and-ink sketch of tho bullet , which ia , like the English , conical . ) This little gentleman givea you no warning , but flics about all day long , and ranges twelve hundred yards . At a quarter of that distance , it will go through two men . "
TUB NAVAL I > IVIS 1 ON AT SKIUSTOl'OL . A letter from Kamiesch , of the 11 th , iu tho Afoniteur de la Flotte , gives tho following account of the flying attack inado by an English and French frigate on tho fortifications ) of Sebastopol , nearest to the harbour : — " At about nine o ' clock last night , the Valorous , English steam-frigate , boldly atcered iu towards ' tho Russian forts , and-every oyu was directed towards her movement * . On arriving within proper range , she suddenly opened hor fire , and wo could clearly distinguish a complete volley of dholls fall in tho town . Tho Kusaiuus » lid
not at all expect this attack ; and . , it > -was , therefore several minutes before Fort Constantine returned a shot As to Fort Alexander - and thB' Quarantine batteries , they did . not fire until-a second broadside had been dolivered- by the frigate , which , after following it up ; by two others , returned to her anchorage outside withouf having sustained any damage . At about one o ' clock in the morning , the French steam-frigate Caffarelli . got under -weigh , and performed the same manoeuvre as the Valorous . The Russians were ; however , on this second occasion more on the alert , as the gunners -were ^ all at their posts , and the two rows of casemates of Fort
Constantine were lighted up , which produced a very singular effect . The Caffarelli fired four broadsides in rapid succession , and then steamed back to her anchorage . The Russians returned the fire pretty actively ; but the vessel -was only struck by one shell , and suffered no material injury . The diversion caused' by this last attack was very opportune , as at the very moment when it took place a very sharp fire of musketry -was going on between a battalion of 23 rd Light Infantry and the Russians , who were obstinately defending some rifle-pits which the French soldiers had received orders to take . "
CAMP ANECDOTES AKT > SCRAPS . In the French camp , the most fabulous reports about General Canrobert are in circulation . It is affirmed that before leaving Paris he consulted a pupil of the celebrated soothsayer , Mdlle . Lenormand , who set his horoscope , and prophesied that he would attain the supreme command of the army , but that—like Nelson—he would fall in the moment of victory . The nocturnal combats that now take place almost every night have not yet lost any of their murderous characteristics . Whichever party commences these bloody feuds , whether French or Russians , they always end in a hand-to-hand combat of life and death . Prisoners are never made , nor do they ask for or give any quarter . The " Greek banditti , " as
the French term the Albanians , who are formed into a . corps of irregulars , under the command of some Greek nobles settled in the Crimea , have adopted the Albanian costume , and the corps is further reinforced by the Greeks of the former Crimean militia , and are used by the Russians for the same- duty aa that of the Zouaves and the bashi-bazouks , namely , to be in .-the most advanced and dangerous positions , without obtaining-much glory . The Russians have learned the necessity of economising the lives of their regular troops , and theser irregulars are therefore placed in the van of the infantry about the Malakhoff position , performing the duty of
tirailleurs . They evince a supreme disregard of life , and generally throw away their muskets after the first discharge or two , and then , drawing their yataghans , rush iu and close with their antagonists . It is generally asserted t-hat before these combats they are regularlyprimed with opium , which would account for their frantic yells and maniac deportment . It is further state d that they are instigated to seek certain , death by their priests , who assure them that the souls of all those who volunteer immediately assume a fresh human- appearance , and that they are born again as counts and princes . —D aily News .
DESPATCH FROM LORD KAGLAX . Before Sebastopol , April 17 . My Lord , —The fire of both the French and English armies has been continued upon Sebastopol since I ad-r dressed your Lordship on the 14 th inst ., and , though superior to that of the enemy , it has not produced that permanent efFect which might have been , anticipated from its constancy , power , and accuracy . The guns of the Russians have been turned upon some of our advanced works in vasfnunibers , and in one particular instance the injury sustained by a battery was so great , that the unremitting exertions of Captains Henry and Walcot , and the gallantry and determination of the artillervmen under their orders , alone enabled thorn to keep up the fire , and to maintain themselves in it .
In another battery yesterday , a shell burst close to the magazine , which in consequence exploded , killing , I am much concerned to say , one man , wounding two most severely , and seven in a loss degree . Both the batteries 1 have meutioned have been repaired aaid restored to their original condition . I enclose the list of casualties that have arisen between the 13 th and 15 th inst . 1 have to lament the loss of two young and promising oflicers , who had only lately joined the army—Lieutenant Preston , of the 88 th Regiment , and Lieutenant Mitchell , of tho Artillery ; and I regret to add that two others have been severely wounded—Captain Croon , of the East India Company's Service , who has been employed throughout tho siege as an assistant-engineer , with great credit to himself and every advantage to the service , nnd Captain l > onovnn , of tho 33 rd , who has most zealously served from tho commencement of the campaign . . * ,. / ,. Tho French blew up several smull mines m front of . tho Bastion < lu Milt after sunset on Sunday evening , with , a view to o . itablish a parallel on tho spot . Tim operation greatly alarmed the ouuiny , who at oneo commenced a heavy lire of cannon uu 4 . juuskotry in ovory direction from that part of the town , which they kepfi up for a considerable time . It occasioned no harm on our left attack , upon which a part of it wtw directed , . and I hopei . did little injury to our allioa .
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1 Mat &i 1855 . ] TflE LBAP » 4 M
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Leader (1850-1860), May 5, 1855, page 415, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2089/page/7/
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