BATTLE OF INKERMANE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 248, 17 March 1855, Page 3

BATTLE OF INKERMANE.

Despatch from Genebax CANaoBBUT. (From the " Monitenr.") The Marshal Minister of War has received the following despatch from the General-in-Chief of the army in the East:'• Before Sebastopol, Nov. 6, 1855. The Russian army, increased by re-iuforce-ments from the Danube, by the reserves collected in the southern provinces, and animated by the presence of the Grand Dukes Michael and Nicholas, attacked yesterday the right of the English position before the place. The English army maintained the combat with the most remarkable solidity. I ordered it to be supported by Bosquet's division, which fought with admirable vigour, and by the troops nearest at hand. The enemy, much more numerous than us, beat a retreat with enormous losses, estimated; at 8000 or 9000 men. This obstinate struggle lasted the whole day. On my left, General Forey had to drive back at the same time a sortie of the garrison; the troops, energetically led on by him, drove back the enemy into the place, with the loss of about 1000 men. " This brilliant day's feat of arms (journee) which was not achieved without loss to the allies, reflects the highest honour upon our arms." REINFORCEMENTS. (From the « Northern Daily Times,' Nov. 22.) The Czar, on receiving intelligence of the last defeat of his troops before Sebastopol, ordered 10,000 crack soldiers to be despatched from Kicheneff to the Crimea in all haste. These troops were not to be exposed-to the fatigue of an ordinary march, but were to be conveyed in carts, carriages, and vehicles of. every description. A caravan, made up of horses, mules, and oxen, cannot travel, however, more fthan thirty mile's a day, and as Kicheneff is fully 300 miles from Sebastopol, it cannot reach its destination under ten days. Assuming, therefore, that they commenced the march on the 9th or 10th, they could not reach the scene of action before the 19th or 20th, by which time the 5000 French which passed by Constantinople on the 6th will have joined the Allies, and be ready to meet them. The reinforcements' now on their way to the Crimea, and those preparing to leave England and France, amounting to 7700 British, and 10,000 or 15,000 French will raise the allied force to probably 60,000 men; and if we include thejpromised reinforcements of Turks the: aggregate force which Lord Raglan and General Canrobert will have under command will not be less thau 80,000 men. With such an army, the capture of Sebastopol is certain. As our strength increases, the enemy will become disheartened and weak. They will lose confidence in their own numbers, and may even become unmanageable and hostile to their leaders. It would be unsafe, however, to relj for success on the treachery of our enemies towards themselves. They have hitherto fought most manfully, and have never yielded except to superior courage, and after immense losses. We must, therefore, prepare to meet them with man for man, on all future occasions. We have tried our hand at one Englishman to two Russians, and it has not succeeded. Our estimate of the qualities of the Muscovite soldier has led us into unforeseen disasters, and it would be highly criminal to repeat them. If then, Russia has a regular army of 600,000, England, Fiance and Turkey must have an invading army of 600,000 men, and a reserve of 300,000 men. If this force be divided equally between the three Allied Powers, England will require an army of 300,000. Now what is this after all? At the close of the last war we had 1,100,000 men under arms in the British Isles. No such armaments are required in the present day.^ The siege of Sebasiopol has shown what the French and British troops can do. Oltenitza and Silistria have proved the value of the Turks as allies. They were betrayed at the battle of Balaklava, but'we are, much mistaken if they do not redeem their military character before Sevastopol is taken. The three Powers may, therefore, ;safely undertake the invasion of Russia, with a combined force of 600,000 men, The reserve of 300,000 will keep the rest of Europe in check, and the Czur will be speedily prostrated,. POSITION OP THE ALLIED ARMIES. A despatch from Lord Raglan, dated the 3rd instant, states tluvt from the 28th ultimo the forces of the eueiny liad j)ceu considerably aug-

men ted in the valley of the Tcbernaya; that they occupied the village of Camara and the heights beyond; and were pushing forward picquets and guns towards our extreme right In consequence of these movements, and in order to prevent any attempt to get round to Balaclava by the sea, a strong force was placed on the precipitous ridge in that direction : a breastwork was thrown up ; a strong redoubt was completed in front of the gorge leading to the town, and garrisoned by the 93rd regiment; whilst on the high ground |on the: left was a battery manned by seamen. In a more'elevated position, and further to the left, was stationed the brigade of the first French division, ready to move to the assistance of any of the British force that might be assailed. The harbour itself was under the charge of Captain Dacres, and Sir Ed- , mund Lyons was in the roadstead. In making known these arrangements to the War Secretary Lord Raglan states that every possible step had been taken to secure Balaclava; but (adds his Lordship) "I will not conceal from your Grace that I should be more satisfied if I could have occupied the position in considerable greater strength." Subsequent despatches prove that the arrangements for resisting an attack by the enemy were not made a moment too soon. On the second day after Lord Raglan had penned the despatch, before quoted, the re-inforced Russian army, fresh from the interior, maddened with, liquor, and excited to wild enthusiasm by the presence of two sons of.the Emperor, made a furious onslaught upon the allied troops. A fierce battle ensued : the redoubts of the English and French were three times captured by the Russians, and, three times retaken by the allies; for seven hours the desperate conflict raged, and after dreadful carnage the Russians were repulsed. The Morning Chronicle says :— " There is every reason to believe that the engagement of the sth instant will prove to have been the turning point in the mighty struggle which is being waged around the fortifications of Sebastopol. Tlie number of troops engaged, the desperation of the conflict, the extent of the losses on both sides, and the decisive victory gained by the allies, combine to rank that action amonsr the greatest battle upon record. The sth of November will henceforth be remembered, with equal joy and triumph, by Protestant and. Roman Catholic alike, and the heartburnings and jealousies which its celebration has been wont to cause will, it may be hoped, he assuaged andforgotten in thecommou thankfulness and exultation of all sects and parties throughout the United Kingdom. We do not yet know the details of the tremendous struggle; but we are very sure that, when they reach us, they will shew that our Irish and Roman Catholic fellow subjects have worthily proved their loyalty, gallantry, and devotion. Well may our Government rely, at this crisis, upon the patriotism of the sister country! And the accounts which we daily receive of the cordial enthusiam with which, the Irish nation of all classes and creeds identifies itself in this great struggle with the honor and interest of the empire, afford cheering proof that *a wise and kindly policy has not been without its natural effect on a brave and generous people. All our information tends to justify the belief that the fate of Sebastopol was virtually decided on the sth instant, and that it is not in the power of the enemy, by bringing into the field any large additional force, to repair the defeat which he then sustained. There is a point beyond which the Russian army in Bessarabia and in the vicinity of Odessa cannot be prudently diminished ; and we believe that the limit must have been nearly reached when the soldiers who fought in-the late battle began their march to the seat "of war. Whatever troops may have been disposable, early hi the campaign, in the immediate neighbourhood of the scene of action, must havebee"u concentrateil at Simferopol lung before any could have arrived from'beyond the Dneister. It was stated, and probably with truth, that as soon as the lauding of the allies was known, reinforcements began to march from Peiekop, from Kertcli, and even from Anapa, to join Prince Menschikoff; and it was eveu asserted that the latter fortress had been blown up in order that its garrison might hasten to the defence of a far more important place. However this may have been, we do not believe that, except in the neighbourhood of-Odessa, any other considerable body", of Russian infantry was, on the Ist of October, near enough to the Crimea to interfere with the operations of the sillies against Sebastopol. It is certainly possible that, so lute

as the sth inst,, one- division ,of the 4th corps may not have completed its inarch frpua Bessarabia ; t and the enemy informs us that a portion of the troops destined •to take part, in, that day's engagement arrived too late-—a statement which may, perhaps, explain the circumstance that the attack on the French line was made after the repeated and desperate assaults upon: our own rightrbad been finally repulsed. We must also be prepared to bearthat, even in the absence ofany;further rein forceineuts, the Russian generals' : may have forced patient soldiers to another conflict, before consenting to confine themselves to defensive measures, and that the steadiness and gallantry of the alliesjjtnay again have strained to the utmost to hold the prey within their grasp. ■;- [;::/■ :■:■.;; ■■■'„ ■■'.'■■.,:;■■ \';. /. -Telegraphic despatches announce that on the day following that awful conflict, reinforcements ; began to arrive at Balaclavay v ßussian ac- , count states! that the allies, haying received reinforcement on the 6th, 7th, and Bth, made' a demonstration against* the left flank of the Bus- i sians, who "retired from th« plateau to the right bank of the Tchernaya." In other words, the Russians were compelled to abandon the position which they obtained on the 25th in consequence of the cowardice of the Turk?. General Liprandi has been wounded. _ Another Russian despatch states that nothing " i mportant "has occurred j to Sevastopol up to the 10th: : We may there-' ■fore inferthat, the work of the besiegers are steadily and successfully progressing. A^morning journal says:— ; : .-.,.-.^w.:.\--'':U..-.:\:. /•:.;.. : * . : ■ i >.-,"*'.Withi a : ;steady determination to hold our ground and. to pursue; our labours, Sebastopql ; must necessarily fell./ ,Although itjs not an ordinary fortress, it is not the less capable of being reduced by^^ thesystemcitic ernployrn^nt of ordinaryj;methods./ The French.^are /proceeding against the body of the place a skill and assiduity which commands our confidencej and which rebukes our impatiance^J: ; They arc-slowly but surely triumphing over : the diiSculties presented by the nature of the soil, and unless a Russian army canexpel them from theircauip, itbii^works will proceed until are masters of ;the\lown. Our. own engineers, alipear'v'tb.'ihayfe;'. completed, their^portion of the;labour,toi be'-.se^1. curely r a waiting, the time for concerting the final Blow.^ i Asi soon,-as we make up onr minds that the task beforeius is, in .fact, the siege of--''a; ; .suc--; cessibn'pf strong positions, aildisapuoiutmentat the^suppjwe^^t%rdiness;miist,ya^ an\undertaking the time occupied has been veiy shortjtlie progress^^niost rapid, and: the loss of lijfe wonderfully small.; JSuccess may stppear sldwj■.but'-.we,- may confidently regard 'At^^ as certain, because it can.-.be only.prevented either'-'by; the severity of the weather, or the efforts of the enemy. Against the former it cannot be impor sibl eto provide, and we already know that the valour of the allied armies may be relied upon to; repulse the latter." , MISS NIGHTINGALE AND HER STAFF. Florence Nightingale and thirty - seven attendants landed at Constantinople vpn the sth instant, t^e day of the great battle before Sebastoppl. They made their first appearance on shore on the afternoon of their arrival, neatly attired in black. The Vectis, the vessel in which these messengers of mercy sailed, suffered greatly from tbe state of the weather on the passage out,v her bulwarks were much injured, and two cabins on deck were washed away. Fortunately no accident occurred on board. The Times'correspondent, writing on the.4th, says— " The numbers in hospital at the present time are nearly 3000. About 1500 are placed in the great barracks, 800 in the hospital, and 500 or 600 in the Turkish liue-of-battle ship moored off the Seraglio. This vessel was granted to the British authorities by the Ottoman Government for the use of convalescents who may be seen on a fine day pacing the decks, or lying about in the warm sun, refreshed by the sea breeze, and slowly recovering health and spirits. Two lung wards are lined each with a double row of betls, and though they seem confined and ill— ventilated, yet they are clean, and the men are not uncomfortable.' Within the last fortnight tressles have been provided for the beds, to raise them off the cold ground. As the weather becomes more severe, the benefits of this improvement will be greatly felt. Another ward is tain* prepared for the reception of the wounded, jii accordance with an order just received. The commandant is directed to receive the wounded brought down from Balaldava after the 25tb,aiid furthermore to provide accommodation

for 1000 others immediately, together with surgeons and dressers to attend upon them. , The reception given to: Miss Nightingale and her staff shows how highly their devotion is appreciated. These ladies will commence their useful labours in the midst of thousands of their suffering fellow-creatures, and every day will increase the objects of their care. The battle of the sth must have -nearly doubled the list of wounded in the hospitals. : : Theageut appointed by the proprietors of the Times to administer the fund collected for the relief of the sick and wounded has also arrived at the scene of his labours. It appears that the commandant of the barrack has intimated that shirts and socks are much wanted by the inmates: of the hospital, and* it is 'probable that the first step will be to provide a supply of these articles. STRENGTH OF THE ARMIES IN THE CRIMEA. The Observer has taken some pains to obtain an accurate statement of the actual strength of the British array in the Crimea, and of the reinforcements arrived,|on the Way, or abput to be despatched to the scene of war. The particulars published by our contemporary will tend to remove some of the painful impressions made by the exVi«jri;erated statements which ;vere current last week. 27,000 British troops landed at the1 Old Fort, and after the battle of the Alma they received an addition of 3000 in the Scots Greys j heavy cavalry Brigade, and the 57th regimentj of foot. If the killed and wounded at the Alma be estimated at 2,000, and the loss by sickness at 3,000, on the 25th ultimd, there would be in the;field an effective force of 25,000 men. Allowing 5000 for the losses at Balaklava, and in the trenches during the progress of the siege, at the battle of the sth, there would be 20,000 British troops in the field irrespective of the forces of all sorts landed from the ships. Since the battle of the sth at least 5,000 men havebeei]: landed in the Crimea ; reiufprcements are daily dropping in ; troops are regularly leaving the XJriited Kingdom and France for the scene of war;, and in a short time the a.Vmy under Lord Raglan will be increased to above 40,000 effective men, exclusive of the marines aiid sailoi^. Despatches from the Crimea state that 1,000 men were arriving daily from Constantinople;'at BalaclayaT The official organ of the French Govenunent remarks that the pubiic ought; to appreciate ihe prudential motiyeisjwliich .induce the government to abstain from malcirig known the numbers of troops despatched to the East. To estimate the effective %cc of the army, it is sufficient to bear in mind that the troops at the battle of the Alma, consisted of four divisions, which have been successively increased, and that two others are on their way, without reckoning the re-ihforce-ments sent out to fill vacancies. One piece of news in the Constantinople jpurnals and correspondence is important, if true. It is stated that 30,000 Tartars of the Crimea have made their submission to the allies, and have been promised a passage to Broussa or Sinope, p,n their urgent request to be allowed to form a colony in Turkey. It is also stated that 4,000 Tartars have offered their services to assistin making trenches for the allies, demanding only the moderate pay of one franc each per day, and that their services have been accepted. : The Fkench Reinforcements.—We read in the Senlinelle Toulonnaise of the 6th inst.— " Another ship of the line arid four frigates, detached from the Baltic squadron, are hourly expected at Toulon. It is even probable this number will be increased, if, as is reported, the Government intends to send to the army of the East a corps of reserve of 3O;'J00 men, supplied by the camp of the south arid the garrisons of the interior. It will require about 50 large ships of heavy tonnage to convey that force, with all the materiel necessary at this late season of the year Therefore it is to be supposed that the greater part of Admiral Parseval's squadron will be employed for the transport of those reinforcements. The division of occupation in Greece, composed of the 28th of the line, the 23rd Light infantry, a battalion of marines, a battery of artillery, and an English regiment, are to be replaced, with the exception of the Marines, who alone are to form the garrison of the Piiecus. General Mayran, their commander, must have taken his departure before this, having been ordered to join the main body of the army before Sebastopol. The steamer Asmodee and Fulton will sail for Greece with the Marines destined to replace.the three French and English regiments now on their way to the .Crimea.;-In order to expedite

\. the conveyance of provisions to the east, the comraissariat at Toulon Iceeps sill hands at extra work until ten at night, eyen^pn Sundays. ;, • The Baxtic—-The proceedings in; the Baltic have pretty well closed for the season, niost of our vessels having returned to Kiel, as tlie- weather is becoming boisterous there; and; shortly the ice will accumulate. Admiral N a pier"/iitjja-'--been at Hamburg, ejitertainedj by the British Consul General; the King Jpf Derijnark who is likewise there, having received liiin well'; hut the Russhmaccbunts state'that the-gallant pfßr cer looks careworn, and not in such good health as when he: ;first;visited 'the town, \i\ s : ardutitis duties and achievements having obviously weighed upon himiThisj of course, is mere sarcasm ; but no doubt there is a good 'dealvp'f disappointment felt that more was not accomplished with such powerful resources. After all, looking calmly at events, there has been much done in a quiet way that has crippled Russia. The Toss of the Aland Islands, with their exceceUent harbour, the destruction of\thej Bomarsuiid fortresses, that cost six millions sterling, aiid the entire suppression of the trade of Russia, have been hard blows though silently given. Next year, '*gun-hoatS''and\;;flatV.flpating^'batterießs:.''bji>;k'::ne'w plan will give us a chance ofsomething; still more important, and if the Russian traders venture about, we shall yet capture some of them by means of our steamers, which will not leave the Baltic until the last moment this season, but which mustitake heed at the same time that the Russian fleet does not come ou^ of Its hiding i place and overpower them. For nextseaspn there aye 120 gun boats, besides: enormous floating batteries, cased with iron upon a new principle,.ordered to be got ready, and,the Czar is casting guns ojf long Tange, and niaking also formidable preparation to (resist; In Asia the Turks have gained some successes, but Jatterly the Russians claim a victory .over the ■Circassians. True or false, it matters riot a great deal just now. Our..-affair' is with Sebastopol.; : ; /.ajjTii'e.followingl well explains the service;done by our Baltic fleet, and cpming ; from a French source is the more impartial :-—The Gulf of Finland only Icon tains V two .strong .places which it would. be necessary, to possess; ourselves of,-— Sveaborg, which will render us masters of Finland ; and Cioustadt, which Avillppen to us the road to St. Peteriburgh.( i ßey;ei is of h'ttle or no use ; it is without'auy strategical line, its port is completely bare f an<T doeshot containa single vessel, and for many years^past ithas; ceased: to serve as a station of the Russian;navy. :u The capture of Syeaborg, yyith the;^^inaritimeresources which we shall have at our disposal next year, and with a corps of from 30,006 to 40,000 men, is certain. The nature of the coast is such thata landing cannot be prevented^ provided it be effected at from five to six miles from Helsingfors, which also can be taken. It is very little fortified, arid, situate as it is at the distance ] of half-a-mile from Sveaborgi rcompletely com- I mands this fortress. Attacked with such ad- •' vantages, both by land and sea^ Sveaborg will infallibly be taken, and once taken, Finland willjbelong to us, for the nature of the ground j does not permit an army to keep the field. By ! •naking use of the same plan and the same means Groristadt cannot hold oxx\.—London Correspondent of the Argus. Cuwotrs Incident While Preparing for the Siege.—ln the night (lOth inst.,) the 2nd division was alarmed, arid stood to arms. A heavy musketry fire had issued from the outflying pickets, who, seeing a dark object advance bad evidently taken it for the head of a Russian column advaucing for a night attack. The object in question steadily advanced, braving the shower of balls destined to check it, and halted at a spot whence it commanded the retiring pickets. Instead of opening a tremendous tire upon the retreating foe, the object calmly commenced searching for some stray blade of grass, anil was finally discovered to be a stray araba ox. How the sentries could have fallen into this wonderful ■"'mare's nest" seems strange; but reallythe men have been living so long on ration salk pork, that the existence of a live ox —-ergo, fresh meat—-must have entirely escaped their memories. ,;* Medical Heroes and Martyrs*;— Dr. R. J. Mackenzie, of Edinburgh, attracted by the prospects of an active campaign, resigned a lucrative practice, went out to the East, and devoted his services to the relief of the suffering, where his attentions, especially to the Highlanders, were so unremitting that, after the battle, the brigade, with one yoice, asked permission :

to give him cheers ashe came up the hill. Dr. Mjaokenziejs'nbwvdeadvcarried off by cholera after a tew hours' illness;Land; it is said that his loss yvas more sincerely lamented than that of any man who;fell at'^ Alma. "Pleasing in appearance, ; prepossessing in manners, kind and courteous in deportment, he won alike the coniidence and the affection of his patierits; and . /jet he showed that all these; the natural indicaof a gentle and feeling heart, were iioVincompatible.'with, those sterner qualities which his profession demanded. Possessed of an enthusiasm which nothing could daunt, of an energy which could surmount the most trying difficulties, of a patience which trial only developed ; calm and collected in circumstances tWe most-trying, cool and decided in difficulties the most perplexing, his keen eye and steady hand made him, for his experience, •unrivalled as an operator/ /Such is the eulogium of a friend, who believes he cannot say too much of one! so esteemed. After the battle of the Alma, the plain is covered with wounded Russians. Seveii l.undred and fifty wounded are still on the ground, and the allied forces can do nothing for ilieui. Unable to'prdceed with the troops, they are left on the field, but not altogether friendless. There is; one there—an English surgeon— who cannot be daunted even in the face of the foe. He voluntarily and cheerfully .incurs/ the risk of being left behind among the wounded enemies of his country, 750 strong, his servant being his sole companion. This was Dr. Thomson, of the'44th regiment He completed his duty, returned to his; regiment, and the next day, worn out by fatigue, fell a victim to the cholera. ;'/'/. ■'/:■/■/"/ .'..-.' .'/...'■..;