THE ENGLISH ARTILLERY FIRE AT SEBASTOPOL.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 84, 20 December 1864, Page 3

THE ENGLISH ARTILLERY FIRE AT SEBASTOPOL.

The first decisive trial began at half-past six on the morning of the 17th October, when all the besieging batteries simultaneously opened fire. In full expectation that- an assault would ensue, .the Eussian troops -were drawn up behind their entrenchments and suffered greatly. The works, also, were damaged in. part's, 'and some guns were dismounted. But the garrison (replied with such effect, that in rather more than.four .hours the French batterieswere completely silenced. "Tho cannonade had lasted.m6reitlian;three hours with equal vivacity, on all .points, when, all of a sudden about half-past nine/ one' of our shells blew up a. ; powder magazine in one o£ the French batteries on the Rodolph-liul. This explosion was hailed on our side by a. loud and triumphant, hurrah. /The French battery was completely overthrown, Which permitted us to concentrate; all our energies 'on the other French batteries bn ! the hill. Half an hour after the first explosion there was a second. These two explosions Vere not without results, for the fire of the French' artillery began ; gradually to slacken, and was soon entirely extra-:^'--® guished. Towards half-past ten - its ;;fire .ceased. :".„. ...... definitively along ; the whole, line. Such was ; not the result of our" contest 'with the English batteries, which were not r lpng ini'nianifesthig^a great; relative superiority over _qur_^rtillery, arising - principally from the difference of calibre. The third bastion 'suffered:.^ especially ! from the English;', batteries, exposed as it 1 was [to the concentrated fire of the Montague Vert"and"tEe v Mont . Woron- _ zow.'< -- -At -this ;pomt£he' account'^ of ■ land- 1 - i attacks is interrupted to describe the simultaneous - . . -attack of the Allied fleets^on the sea defences ; _ and the .narratives .are. intermingled in a, manner. ...... which- makes it no easy task' 'to connect or. follow :■ > the threads. ' - ,We shall endeavor .to -exfract the most important statement, regarding -the English ; ■■ ■ j cannonade, and then return to the: fleets. .Sp^ak- . ing of the effects of the fireoh' the third bastion, (the Great Redan) ; the adds't-^-" The loss in men had been so, considerable jthat the; gunner 3; of several pieces had. already been -replaced -."twice. "Despite of the evident" superiority of^the" English, theai'tillerymen^&alied'by the' 'example; of "their ' valorous chiefs, would not yield'to the^enemy/and thus persevered in this y energetio : defence.}. iThe necessary measures were^aken on; this : bastion for. continuing the fire, notwithstanding allf.tl c. damage that had been doiie. s "''The emb.ra'sui*es . which gave way were instantly-cleared off ; the officers, setting the example; mounted .the. parapet and took part in the workV-: The sailors emulated the! zeal, of the, sap]pprs. S-But; all efforts, were "powerless to prevent the .English 'artillery froni;' . completely : 'overc6miug purs. To complete the ?\ critical .position ■.. of , the .....third . bastion, .. about,:.. . . half-past three a shell blew up the powder maga- . zhie placed hi its sdilldnt. "Wlien the smoke ■ dispersed, the. survivors had before their 7 eyes' the r „.., horrible pictiu-e of the effects of the explosion. All that part of the front of 'the bastion hact'been / 7 thrbwn into the ditch 5 the guns aiul their p.lat- ! forma upset; on the sides lay half- burnt . and disfigured bodies ; and across the rolling and infei"nal ci-ashof the artillery were heard froriv far: the shouts of the exulting foe. The explosion caused the deaths of more than a hundred men and amongst them was one .of whom no trace could ever be rccoyertsd, Captain \Leslie. Ftoiu. -that moment all -possibility, of replying to tho English artillery, was. a,t, an end., The deience 011 this point was 'completely paralysed, and the v expectation at 1 the Kai-abehiaia was ; to see tho enemy take advantage of the result, and advance . immediately to the assault. "Of the twenty- two guns with wliich the bastion was armed, twentywere disabled ; and in all the bastion there re-^ xhained but five gunners, who, keeping firm to tha two remaining gunsj .fired the last* shots. Tt^ guns of other batteries were also disabled by the ; English ; ; firey r But although -the Allied armies- had - : - r been from early dawn on foot and ready for the : assault, the heavy, check sustained by the French batteries acted^ so powerf idly on . thehi, that they did not profit by the opportunity, and busied "themselves in repairing the damage caused to their batteries, to eommehce soon afterwards a regular siege. — Todelben 's History > of the Crimean War in the North British Review. .:■ „