THE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL OPENING

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 293, 22 August 1855, Page 3

THE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL OPENING

OF THE BATTERIES. (From the Times' Special Correspondent). Camp of Fourth Division, before Sebastopol, Easter Monday, April 9. This morning, at daybreak, the allied batteries simultaneously opened fire on the defences of Sebastopol. It is now four o'clock in tbe afternoon, and tbe rain, which began to fall last night, is descending in torrents, accompanied by a high breeze of wind. So thick is the atmosphere that even the flashes of the guns are invisible, and the gunners must be firing by guesswork at tbe flashes of the batteries, as it is impossible to see more than a few yards in advance. A driving sheet of rain and a Black Sea fog whirl over the whole camp, which has already resumed the miserable aspect so well known to us of yore. Tents have been blown down, the mud has already become several inches deep, and the ground, as far as it is visible, looks like a black lake, studded with innumerable pools of dun-coloured water. What effect this sudden change in the weather will produce on the fire of our batteries it is now beyond my power to say, nor am I in a position either to judge if we bave suffered any disadvantage from it, or to form an opinion as to the relative force of our fire compared with that of the enemy. I am now seated in a hut, into which the storm and the rain drive at every gust. Mau or beast could not remain without some shelter on such a day as tbis. All around us there is a dense veil of grey vapour, sweeping over the .'ground, and concealing from sight the tents which are close to our camp. The firing has slackened considerably since twelve o'clock. It is not easy, so murky is the sky and so strong the wind, to see the flashes or hear the report of the Russian guns, or of the French caunon on either flank, though the hut is within a coupe of hundred yards of the enemy's range : but we can tell that ourbatteries in front are thundering away continuously in irregular bursts, and are firing some twenty five or thirty shots per minute. Early in the morning they were firing from seventy'to eighty shots per minute, but, as it is no longer necessary to press our gunners, they have reduced the rate of fire. From the time our batteries opened till three o'clock the wind blew from S. and W., and was right in the back of our artillerymen, so that the smoke from their guns was carried away towards the enemy, and tbe smokpfrom the Russian embrasures was driven back upon the men behind them ; but the wind has now veered round more to the westward, and at times takes a little northing, so that the smoke is swept away pretty equally from both lines of batteries towards Inkermann. The enemy were taken completely by surprise when we opened fire. They replied indeed pretty briskly at once to the French fire on our left, and the Flagstaff Battery and works were manned immediately. The Garden battery and Redan battery came into play soon after we opened fire, but some time elapsed before tbe Round Tower works or the Mamelon answered, and for half an hour their guns were weakly handled. The Itik'eruiaun and Careening Bay batteries were almost silent for three quarters of an hour before they answered the French batteries on our right. The knolls and ridges in front of the camp which have hitherto been crowded with spectators whenever there was a sharp fire, arc vow utterly deserted, —not a human creature is out, except tbe shivering camp sentinels, and the men who are engaged in tbe batteries. Some time hack it was rumoured that Easter Monday had been fixed upon, but so many disappointments had occurred after positive, though unofficial and unauthoritative, announcement ofthe kind that few persons were disposed lo place reliance on the report. Then it was stated with emphasis, that, though Monday had been selected as the day on which the

batteries must be ready, it had been determined, for certain occult reasons, to refrain from opening fire, and that there were grounds for believing that our diplomatists at Vienna bad adjusted or would arrange matters in such a way that Sebastopol would be taken by treaty, and that a further resort to arms would be unnecessary. It is believed that Lord Raglan received despatches of importance from Vienna on Saturday. In the course of the day, General Canrobert and General Bosquet visited Lord Raglan at his quarters, and had a lengthened interview of two or three hours with his lordship. At tbe conclusion of tbe conference, Lord Raglan, attended by Sir George Brown, rode out by the camps of the Third, Fourth, Second, and Light Divisions, and was warmly cheered by the men, many of whom had turned out of their tents to view the races of tbe Third Division, which were marked, unfortunately, by severe accidents to Captain Morris, R.E., and Captain Shiffner. His lordship's appearance is now well known to the troops, and he is always received with enthusiasm in the camps, although he has been obliged to {issue au order that no grog shall henceforth be served out to men found guilty of druukenness on duty without his special sanction,—a clement and mild provision, which many of the soldiers affect to believe severe, so lax have their notions of military discipline become during tbe sad saturnalia of our winter campaign. On Saturday, great exertions were made to complete platforms, mount guns, and get up ammunition; and it was evident that Lord Raglan was anxious to see to the final arrangements for an attack, supposing it to take place on Monday, for he inquired, during tbis inspection, iuto many matters connected with the disposition of the troops and the armament of the batteries. A sharp fusillade took place in tbe_night between tbe French outposts and the Russians. The neighbourhood of Balaklava was narrowly watched, and the pickets were strengthened on the plain at night, as information had been received that an attack was likely, but the night passed quietly away. On Easter Sunday the French had grand mass in each of their camps, with all the pomp of military bands, and Divine Service was performed, as usual, in each of tbe English divisions. Our sailors brought up two large guns to the front with great alacrity, but I believe it •was not found possible to assign a position for them. Late in the day, hearing that there was nothing likely to take place on Monday, I left the front, and returned to Balaclava, but in the course of the evening I received an intimation at my quarters that fire would open at daybreak the following morning. It was then black as Erebus, and raining and blowing with violence, but there was no choice for itlmt to take to the saddle again, and try to make one's way to the front. No one who "has not tried it can fancy what work it is to find one's way ■through a widely-spread camp over a difficult country, in a pitch-dark night. Each lent and each camp is so much alike that it is impossible to discriminate between it and its fellow, and all the landmarks, so familiar in the daytime are lost in one dead level of blackness". So it was that my two companions and myself, after stumbling into holes and out of them, after forcing our horses into Turkish lines, and iuto French lines, found ourselves, after three hours ride, very far indeed from our destination in tbe front, and were glad to avail ourselves ofthe hospitality of some friends at the beadquarter's camp to stop till dawn, wet aud tired as we were. The rain fell incessantly and heavily and the wind blew with violence all night. At four o'clock on Monday morning a small party, disguised in waterproofs and long boots, left the camp for the front, as it was quite certain that orders had been sent to the batteries to open fire from daybreak. The horses could scarcely get through the sticky black mud into which the hard dry soil had been turned by one night's rain, and although itwasearlydawn.it was not possible to see a man twenty yards off. A Scotch mist, mingled with rain, settled down on the whole camp. As we approached the front there was a profound silence in the camp. Suddenly three guns were beard on the left towards tbe" French lines, and the whole line of our batteries opened at ouce. The volume of sound was not near so great or so deafening as that of the 17th of October, and the state of the weather rendered it quite out of the question to form a notion of the gradual effect of our fire, so lhat the most interesting portion of the day's proceedings was

lost. Just as the cannonade opened tbe sailors came streaming over the hills from tbe batteries, where they had been relieved, and a few men turned out of the huts in tbe Third Division to the Front, evidently much astonished at the sudden opening of the fire. On Cathcart's hill only one or two officers were visible, and Sir John Campbell and an aide de camp on foot in front of the General's tent watching the fire. The rain then descended in torrents, and, as there was nothing to be seen, heard, or learnt, every one withdrew to shelter after a long and hopeless struggle with tbe weather. Colonel Dacres was the only officer I saw out in front of Cathcart's hill when I went up, with the exception of Sir John Campbell. General Jones visited tbe batteries during tbe fire, and Lord Raglan, I presume, stationed himself at his favorite place, which it would be hazardous to mention, lest the siege might last longer than we hope, whence he can get a fair view of almost tbe whole of the batteries in fine weather. The storm was so heavy that scarcely a soul stirred out tbe whole day. It was dark almost as night. About five o'clock the sun slowly descended into a rift iv the dark gray pall which covered the sky, and cast a pale yellow slice of light, barred here aud there by columns of rain, and masses of curling vapour, across tbe line of batteries. The outlines of the town faintly rendered through the mists ot smoke and rain, seemed quivering inside the circling lines of fire around and from, th^m, but they were the same familiar outlines so well known to us for the last seven months—the same green cupola and roofs, and long streets and ruined suburbs, the same dockyard buildings, and dark trenches and batteries. The little' details of ruin and destruction which must have taken place after to-day's fire could not be ascertained. The eye of painter never rested on a more extraordinary effect, and his art alone could have rendered justice to the scene that shone out on us for a moment, as the sickly sun, flattened out, as it were, between bars of cloud and rain, seemed to have forced its way through tbe leaden sky to cast one straightened look on the conflict which raged below. The plateau beneath our standing-place was lighted up by incessant flashes of light, and long trails of white smoke streamed across it, spirting up in thick masses, tinged with fire for a moment, till they were whirled away in broader volumes by the wind. In the deep glow of the parting gleam of sunset the only image suggested to me calculated to convey the actual effect of the fife of the batteries to our friends at home was a vision of the Potteries district as it is seen at night, all fervid with fire and pillars of smoke, out of the windows of an express train. The glimpse of the batteries, brief as it was, proved extremely satisfactory. On the extreme left the French batteries were firing with energy on tbe long line of batteries in front ofthe loop-holed wall, and on the Flagstaff and Garden batteries, which were replying very faintly and feebly by one or two scattered guns. Our left attack (Greenbill or Chapman's batteries) working with fvigour and {precision, was principally directing its fire against the Redan, which only answered by five or six guns, which did not appear to be remarkably well served or aimed. Our right attack (Gordon's batteries), aided by | tbe advanced battery and by the French redoubts, had silenced the Mamelon, and fired some three or four shots for every one from tbe Round Tower, and the Russian batteries to the right ofthe Mamelon were voiceless. So much could be seen, when rain and mist set in once more, and shut out all from view, save one faint blear of yellowish haze to the west. Half-past eleven o'clock, p.m. The rain has ceased, and the night is fine. A tremendous cannonade has ranged alono- our lines since six o'clock, to which the enetnv reply feebly. Great quantities of shells have been thrown into tbe place within the last four hours. Some trifling affairs of advanced posts have taken place in the ravines, but as yet there is no appearance of a strong sortie. The Russians seem to lack ammunition. No fires are visible in the town, nor can it be ascertained if the cannonade has caused much damage. The trumpets of the artillery of the Third Division have just sounded close at band, and I must cut short my letter for the present.