WAR SUMMARY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 356, 2 April 1856, Page 6

WAR SUMMARY.

{From the " Ihiine News.'*)

'I lie inieliiu'ence from tiie seat of \v,ir consists chiefiv of tin; deiaiis of events :il ready made known in ilieir results through the electric teletrmph. At Sebiislopo! there are indications of lnuveriifMiis nstiier than any actual motion, beyond iiri.j-inakirig and iiiittii)u r. Tiiere were ap]je;ir:mves laiiier h>.t month of some intention on die pan of the Allies to assume the crffonsiy..'; Inn they h;ive ]>;i>scfl away. Prince (jorisciialtotV no longer shows sinv nisposiiioii tv s<H-k in (he il/u\ the 0n^,,,(.;,„,.,*,[ f,, r w i,j o ], lie askt-rt, and dhuiiueil, ihe C/.av's pevmis-ion ; aii'i it is now iuo liit« [,i>: htm to auenipt a rclre.'it. ..'J'iiß ailernative to whicii he is, conKC(j!i;?iiiiv, re-li!€(:ii, is that of remaining where he y, asjusi^ ,-ts he can feed his troops and dc-feiiii his posiii.jn, whi.-li, uutwithstaiuHtif ali the MfivaniaiTfts we p-is^es.e, cunnot he \erv c;scilv iii tiivutii.

In the meair.vlnl", ihe <>!t] rumours have been lately iwived of ;• meditated utuw.-k by llie Itu»>i •» iiuny <»» the allied cmuji. Tiie s';Ue- , lie i!t is f;;ii.i u> have het-ii cmifirmed by an Hii r'f? H"an "ffic-'r, wlio deserted from the enemy, Jjriiio'"o Llie iteivs that a »rand a^ault was to

be attempted, and that in the event of its failure the mtin body of the Russians would evacuate the Crimea. "Connected with this raport, it was added that there was n deavlh of stores for the winter, owing to the destruction of one of the principal commissariat depots by fire. This lire was generally attributed in the Russian camp to incendiaries in the pay of the allies. The report of the attack, however, was not. believed in Sebaslopo), where it was supposed to have been put forward as a ruse to prevent any considerable portion of the troops from quitting their position ; which is extremely probable. That the Russians apprehend a dearth before the winter is over may, nevertheless, he credited. The ditficulties in the way of transporting adequate supplies are insuperable; and the difficulties of obtaining supplies, even if they could be transported, have been incalculably increased by the recent activity of our naval force in the Sea of A.Zs>(V. On the sih and 6ih ult. a flotilla under the orders of Captain Osborne destroyed enormous quantities of grain and forage of this year's harvest, which were ready to he conveyed to thearmies of the Crimea and the Caucasus. The value of these stores, and the extent of tie irreparable loss they will inflict upon the Russians, may he estimated fiMin ihe i'act that they were packed in six tiers, and extended two miles along the coast. Nor is this the only damage we have inflicted in that neighbourhood. Early in the month of October, Lieutenant Coinmerell, by a brilliant and daring exploit, fired abont 400 tons of corn and forage stored ready for embarkation close to the shore of the Putrid Sea : and towards the end of the month Captain Osborne reports the results of a cruise along the north coast of the Sea of Az»ff, as far as Taganrog, in which innumerable boats, breast works, magazines, and fisheries were desiroved. The destruction of the fisheries is almost as great a calamity to the Russians as the loss of their corn and forage ; fish being one of the principal articles upon which the soldiers subsist.

On the side of the allies- the only misfortune that has happened was the explosion ef a park of artillery tieur Inkennaun oh the 15-h Nov. The calamitous consequences are greatly to be deplored ; hut when v is remembered that ii) a vast camp the danger of accidents of this nature is always imminent, we have reason to he grateful for the exemption from such visiiations we have hitherto enjoyed. -The hurling to a distance of ignited matemls, including shells and cartridges, caused other explosions, and the loss nf life and materiel', under such circumstances, was lamentable. Ii is satisfactory, however, to be assured, on the authority of Marshal Pelissier, that the resources of the army are not m the least affected hv this accident. We have abundant stores for the winter, and the means of replenishing them without obstruction .or delay ; and in all respects we have never been surrounded by such favourable ciictiinstances as at the present moment.

At Anihat and Kaffi the Eussians are in consider ih!e force, and have pressed General Vivian ;it Yfnikale. A strong fovce has been despatched to Kerich to strengthen the allies in that quarter.

Our readers will learn, with deep reuret, that amongst the (ii^tin^uislied offieuvs who were compelled to return Lome fruin the Cm»e:i in consequence of the shattered state of their health, and who have since succumbed to the fatal cfT'cis of toil and climate, we have now to ;kl<! ihe name—so justly honoured in India—of M.-ijor-General Markham. Few men of his age and standing1 had seen more active servi :e, and none,-certainly, excelled him in devotion to his unties. The seeds of the illness, which terminated in his death on the 21st November, were laid by his over-exertions in hastening to the scene where he won Tiis last liiurely, and where his loss is universally deplored. Mis brief campaign in the Crimea carried him into ihe hottest work in which our troops have been en-Mired, and he happily lived long enough to witness the crowning exploit oi the vfcar.