SEBASTOPOL AN ITS CONQUERORS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 332, 5 January 1856, Page 5

SEBASTOPOL AN ITS CONQUERORS.

(From the Correspondent of the S, M. R.)

We have been apt to express impatience as letter after letter spoke of preparations merely, until at last it was plainly discernible there was an increased feeling that Sebastopol was impegnable. All this, however, is at end. A decisive victory has rewarded the allied armies, and the great stronghold of the enemy has fallen. Last Wednesday week, thebombardinentopened, on the following Saturday at norm (September the Bth), the place was assaulted, ami the same night evacuation commenced. We are very sure that all\vb> were not engaged in these last great operations can have no idea whatever of the tremendous cannouade which opened on the devoted city. From the French batteries opposite the Quarantine to the French batteries on Mount Saboune, a sen?: circular line, probably six miles in length, hundreds of iron mouths vomited forth missile? of every conceivable size and description. Yet we must'do justice to the foe ; for the result showed that even under so fierce a storm they were not paralysed. When the moment of assault arrived, they were not only rea«ly to meet the assailants, but able to cope with them. Out of the four simultaneous attack?, but one was successful ; but that oue the most valuable of all* Our own men attempted the storming of the Grand Redan, and although they were partially successful, yet it was ultimately found untenable. General Bosquet undertook the Malakoff, and succeeded. General De Salles, stationed opposite the Central Battery, no sooner beheld the eagles surmounting the Malakoff, than he led another division against the enemy, but was twice repulsed. Moreover, the Little Redan, on the height of the Malukufi", was stunned iv like manner with the Grand Redan, and with the same result. And we infer, from Admiral Bruat's despatch, that English and French mortar vessels in the Buy of Streletska opened, tire on the Quarantine Fort to divert the attention of the enemy in that quarter. It would be ungenerous to ignore the fact that under these dangers the enemy bore up -nanfully ; and it would be equally ungenerous to deny that had ihe French been unable to maintain their fupting hi the Malakoff the whole would have beeu an enormous failure. But we infer that events have fallen out according to anticipation. It has long been believed that the Malakofi'Tower was the key to the whole position ; and indeed the Russians have told us so themselves, lor it will be ienieiui>t;reii that inimeitiateiy after the first attempt on that position, a bridge acwss the Harbour was begun. The Malakoff Tower, then, was the great »>ljeel. It commanded the Great Redan on the one side, and the Little Redan on the other, and it was known that enormous preparations had been made to render all three untenable At the same time i: must have been obvious to the allied generals thai littles'* some method CisuJd be devised by which to distract the enemy, his whole force would be directed to {the defence of the Malak'ff. Our inference, then, is, that the attack on the Red:»» has been some few minutes preliminary to tb»t on the AiuLikofi. It wouUI seem by the di" spatches that a great preponderance of the Bus-

sian force and artillery has been directed to the assailing parties «v the right and left of the Malakoff; aaii we surmise thtt, favoured by such circumstances, the capture of the 'Mulakoff has been comparatively easy. What the loss of the Russians, may have been it is impossible to tell. It must however have been very great. The Russian aviuy must have been utterly dispirited, 'tor no sooner was the Malakoff Tow-ir captured, and the contest over, than the enemy set about retreating, and by the next day the whole of the south side of Sebastopol was abandoned. Fire was laid to Tarious parts of the towns, most of the magazines were blown, "up, and the remains o* the Russian Black Sea fleet, whose solitary achievement was the-massacre at Sinope. were either committed to the flames, or ingioriously sunk. Such was the result of the assault on the Bth. Who can picture the terrible scenes which within so confined a spot were enacted between midday of the Saturday and the following Sundayl? Who," iudeedj can reflect upon the scene which was presented on Sunday the 9th of September, without mingled awe and regret? On one side the besiegers.simukaueonslv flushed with victory and non-success—hundreds of their comrades lying- dead ami ghastly in front of those defences which they held, or* had vainly attempted to hold—thousands writhing in agony, and sinking under the frightful severity of their wounds. On the other side, an army thinned by casualties, broken down by defeat, and emaciated by privation—a confused mass, IXIOP'^,J[ contemplating the dreadful realities of the past, the failure of their obstinate and prolonged defence, aud the probably still more dreadful calamities of the.future: and between these armies, agitated by so many conflicting feelings, a large city sinking into utter ruin, and raging fires aud "terrific explosions—houses, barracks, and churches, the food of one vast conflagration—the last .remnants of a great fleet silent by sinking or fiercely burning amid the reddening waters of the great barb uu\ Such was the List day of Russian Sevastopol. To that, indeed, we might add further horrors: but we have said enough, mid we 'nave only said it for the purpose of adding that, amid all this carnage, the nation has yet cause for satisfaction. Let us endeavour to nive our readers some idc-a of our triin»;.ii. The harbour upon which Scbastopol^ is built is an arm of the sea, running inland lor aboiU four mile*, and varying in Width from buli' a sniie to n little more' than a mile. This is called the Great Harbour; and on the south side are tuo branch harbours, the first at about a mile from the month, each running soutliwaid. The first of these runs to the southward for about a mile and a half, and is called^ tlie South Port, or the Harbour. The city of Sevastopol stood to the westward of this port having us its protection seaward the Quarantine Fort, v f 6-j guns; Fort Alexander with Su gm,s; the battery of Sebasiopol,- with Twenty-one yuns ; and Port St. Nicholas, mounting 92 guns: and having on the land side a loop-holed seiies of defences", running all the way Jrom ihi-Q-iarannne Fort to the head of-the Lesser Harbour ami embracing th« Qoarantino ■Batteries, the Centra! Bastion, and the Flagstaff Battery. This last had been p<miul«d into ruins; .bat behind it .stood the Garden Battery which cad the advantnsre of being more on a line with the Russian defences on the opposite side of the .Lesser Harbour. The second of the creeks running southward j s ;i \ m a -, J0 , 1t a rni j n f,, rt j, ei . iii.aun than i], e South Port, and consequently about two nnies from ih« entrance o! the harbour. Tne space between the two was occupied by doCK?, hospital, barracks, and the Ivuabel«am suburb oi the city, from which » ravine extended to the south-east, which has „f late formed tne iminid.-ii-v betae-n the Kr-nch ml En" «<•« nt.icL. As tin-, put of Se-Msi.,pn u,^ 1» m-jci fuiih'T in.'.uxl, it 1.1 I l,^ s ii" (I oi forifiei:.,» !■ vuuiu, v>. ( ic'i Awci.ii.nMt.i ,uSt. i.nir«4 g«m,) st i.,,i, ..g „„ „,„ pi ,,, to j i.,,4 itUujr I m (I- \, • I(| . i , j „ l)j j mctll)1 , ()f t ; |e J.'-s »r \m>|| t,_. (; ltll H ir'x.ur md iUp \dt'l'll"l Ij-:i"r- !'''"" 't. IS.I n-lo.nlir.tioi., on 1»;.'1a.,1^d.,.,. t . . ....,« I „ i!., „. {„t () f t"'',' !</, k- " <l '' '" f'!'- *i-ic "t a Mr, .ii mM.i ," ,{,'«,, >X „,_ y tll n t ; ie !uli< ()i l!(( l'"'*t 111 M >„ .| fi li,<> l,,ui|.,l'|i.t l\ 111 111 ,'i"l ran lie Ijm.ck Dil'«m% ..ud tii-- K-.it,, 1,..' t-.wu tii-j !!t(iM .in,) iul'Cm .-!ini_' ]' v -l . ,'i tl.e .-•i..ai,,/F. m» K).»!,fl lii-tion ,i,d fie i->ni'ii Knij.i. OiM-,de iucm- cmlnl h-<j<i tlm O-en-., the Qnriii-, die M.hji. !,.:,. „ ,| lMe W 'He WofJ.i, eaciiof wl, eh h i\c br c me J.nniliat o tjjc puOijc ,is U'e Ijc-iu'.- oi mi-iva

'deed of heroism. We must look to future despatches to learn how many tinier defends bail been raised to strensllveu the formidable hue we have already -described, but it -.ill be remember, cd tbe aid the Russians derived and the loss the French in paiticular sustained, from one or two Russian ships hi the harbour. Such was the Russian position on the morning of the Bth, when the Ions; expected attack took place. When the Sabbath morning dawned, it dawned on Sebastopol a deserted city.