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oro THE LJAI)E^. [No, 289, Pattopay, VfO...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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The War. The Bombarfroent Of Riga By The...
fringe , they remained there the whole night , looking at the imposing scene . " INCIDENTS OF THE FIGHT AT THE REDAN . An officer writes , under date September 10 : — " The 19 th Regiment has suffered severely . We hare 10 officers wounded , 4 dangerously ; , and the others , all but 3 , severely . We have 27 killed and 148 wounded among the men , and this ont of a force of 375 , all we could collect to go into action . Some of the officers particularly distinguished themselves . Captain Bright , who was doing the duty of paymaster , in the absence of Captain Glendining from illness , and who might have remained in camp if he had chosen , went at the head of . his company into action , was in the thick of it , but came out unhurt . Captain Chippendall stood for a long time , amid a shower of musket-balls a " nd grape , on the first parapet of the Redan , waving his forage cap on the top of his sword , to encourage the men to come on . Nothing could exceed his gallantry . It is a miracle that he escaped . At last he was pushed from the parapet into the ditch , and fell among the heaps of dead and ¦ dying : A man who was by his side also fell at the same time , and was transfixed through the body by a bayonet . Lieutenant Goren and Lieutenant Moles worth displayed great bravery . The latter , though a youngster—quite a lad , just joined—had the coolness to light a cigar while up at the Redan in the midst of the fire . A shell burst over his head ; one fragment knocked the cigar out of bis mouth , another struck him on the back of the head , and sent him senseless into . the ditch . It was not for many hours after he was carried up to camp that he recovered from the first effects of the blow from the piece of shell ; it must have glanced off , for the wound it made was very slight . Major Warden was knocked dyer before he got up to the ditch ; so also was Colonel Unett , who commanded the regiment ; the former had a narrow escape . A piece of shell or a stone knocked up by a round shot passed across his face , injuring one eye , and stunning him . He was rendered blind for a . time , but his sight is in no danger . Colonel Unett received a ball in the hip , which became fixed in the thigh bone . He was being carried back to camp , and had reached the first parallel in safety , when a musket-ball entered his neck and shattered his collar-bone to pieces . One of the men who was carrying him on the stretcher was also wounded at the same time . One of the last remaining on the parapet of the Redan was a gallant young boy , Lieutenant Massey , who had only lately joined the regiment . Just at the last , the poor youth received a ball which broke his thigh-bone , and he fell down towards the ditch . In the hurry he was not noticed by the men who were retiring , and he was left among the heaps of dead , unable to move till an early hour the next morning . Some men of the 93 rd Highlanders then noticed him , and he was carried up to camp , where he had been given up for killed . He did not . fall to the bottom of the ditch , and some Russians coming ., out- took away his sword and havresack , but did not maltreat him . A few of our men were taken prisoners in the Redan , and were only found in the town to-day . They had received injuries which prevented them from moving , and were left in houses which had been converted into hospitals . " ¦ ,. A letter from an acting surgeon of the 55 th regiment Qontains the following : — " Many a fine fellow was cut short in his career across thp open by the grape-shot , which came in fearful volleys . I kept up with my regiment as well as I could , for the wounded falling around , me kept mo back . I bound them up and then made a run after the regiment till arrested by others , and so on till I got to the end of the sap which led to the open . To go further was useless , already there was such a crowd of wounded around , so I took up my position there—no enviable one , for grape and shot came bounding among us , wounding those beside mo ; two Riflemen fell dead almost on the top of me ; I had plenty to do , and time passed without my knowing how it flow—I was so busy . Cure , our Major , was one of the first officers who came to me , a grape-shot breaking his arm ; then Richards , one of our captains , struck on the ankle by grapo . Ho wanted to go back , but I would not let him , nor could he , if I had , foy he fainted when I had him laid on the breastwork . Officers and men came crowding on , mowed down , by the grape from the flanking fire which rushed over and among us , throwing up dust and stonea , which dealt us no gentle raps . I was struck twice , once on the back , by , I think , a grapo-Bhot , but I had no time to look , and once on the foot by a rifle-ball , both dm & rtors , ' but that was all . I was too busy to observe anything that was going on , so , except the first rush , I saw nothing , I may Bay , of the attack . While I was hard at work among the wounded the soldiers around cried out , Doctor , you must got out of the way , they aro retreating I' So I looked ' up , and saw our men rush-Ing helter-skelter into and over the open to the trenches in the rear of us . I did not exactly know what to do , so I drew my sword ( which , by the way , got very bloody tifctat day , but not with Russian blood ) , and wont on with my dressing till I had finished all about me , and then thought of moving oflf . I could not leave poor Richards , as wo all expected the Russians to be In among us every minute , so there was nothing for it but to put him on my back and carry him , which I did till I got a stretcher by some moans or other , and ralsod r . Bome , men of the roservo to carry him homo . Than I
went down : to the trenches agam , dressing any ^ wounded I found on the way . While doing so , Sanders called out to me from the trenches , into which he had staggered , with the knee-joint of one leg smashed and a bullet through the other . He bore it all splendidly . I dressed his wounds , got a scaling-ladder , and sent him 'home ' too . The Russians did not come out ; and when I left , the city began to blaze . " Lieutenant Harkness , of the 55 th Regiment , thus describes the rout : — " At length the order to retire was given , and now came the most dreadful part of the business ; for a retreat is always worse than advance . Everyone was in Buch a hurry to get down the ladders , and we were so closely packed together , that the whole mass of men on the steep parapet overbalanced , and they fell together into the ditch headforemost . I shall never forget that horrible moment ; several hundred men fell headlong together , all with fixed bayonets and drawn swords ; numbers must have been run through by falling on the bayonets , and had their limbs broken by the weight falling on them . It is miraculous to me how I escaped so well ; I was at the top of the ladder when I fell with the rest , so that I was not so much underneath the others ; I turned aside several bayonets with my hands , which nearly ran into me . My sword was wrenched out of my hand , and I lost it . It was every one for himself at that moment . As we scrambled up the counterscarp , the Russians , who had charged back into the Redan on the signs of our retiring , mounted the parapet and threw at us in the ditch stones , grape-shot , muskets with fixed bayonets , live shell , and actually hatchets and axes . We returned to our trenches through the fire of grape and musketry , which was now , if anything , heavier than before , and the ground was thickly strewed with our killed and wounded . " A TURKISH REVERSE IN ASIA . The Invalide Rttsse publishes the details of a despatch from General Mouravieff , giving an account of an action with the Turks . We read as follows : — " On the 22 nd of August ( 3 rd of September ) , at nightfall , a column of 1200 regular horse , without counting the Bashi-Bazouks , with three Pachas and a great quantity of beasts of burden , left Kars , and advanced in regular order from the heights of Tchakmak , towards thl village of Djaori . There- it was perceived by the advanced guard of Colonel Baron Ungern-Sternberg . Lieutenant-Colonel Loschakoff , who commands the 3 rd Regiment of Mussulman Cavalry , charged from the flank the centre of this column , and rode into its dense masses . The rear of the column turned immediately towards the right , where it was surrounded and routed . As regards the h , ead of the column , it made for the mountains as hard as it could , but Lieutenant-Colonel Loschakoff gave hot pursuit . He was reinforced by Colonel Ungern-Sternberg himself , and Lieutenant-Colonel Kischinsky soon joined them with two squadrons of the Prince Royal of Wurtemberg Dragoons . The pursuit lasted till daybreak ; at different times , the Turks endeavoured to defend themselves by ambuscading in houses and in narrow passes . The head of the column , which had crossed the brow of the hills at a gallop , was met near the village of Akhkom . by Colonel de Schultz ' s militia and a company of Beleff Chasseurs , which hastened up in support ; this portion of the Turkish cavalry was surrounded , and finally surrendered . " The whole affair , which took place during a dark night and on hilly ground , was conducted with admirable skill and sagacity by the commanders of the different detachments . Aide-de-Camp-General Mouravieff speaks most highly of the excellent arrangements of Major-General Baklanoff , and Colonels Prince Dondoukoff-Korsakoff , Baron Ungern-Sternberg , and De Schultz . The Turks lost , it is presumed , about 500 men in killed and wounded in the encounter ; thoir dead bodies lined the road as far as the village of Kizil-Ghiadouk and in the passes ; we took two superior officers prisoners , 19 subaltern officers , and 185 men ; the remainder disbanded . More than 400 horses , three banners , trumpets , and a large quantity of arms , remained in our hands . This signal defeat inflicted upon the enemy cost us very little loss . Wo had one Boldier ( query Cossack ?) and two militiamen killed ; one officer , five soldiers , and seven militiamen wounded . " THE IiAST LETTER OF MAJOR "WJSLSFORD . The annexed letter was written by Major Wolsford on the 8 th of September , less than an hour before his death . ——" " Camp , Sept . 8 . " My dear B , —This is about to bo an eventful day to some , of us , as wo are to storm tho Rodan , the French the Malakhoff ; and , as you say , ? would it were bedtime , Hal , and all wore well . ' But I trust in Providence all will be well , and that I shall bo instrumental in making her Majesty a present of tho Redan , as I am to load tho Light Division storming party ; and , if God sparo mo , to bo tho first in and first up . ThiB is to bo done by escalade , I am glad hor Majesty baa eoen my photographs , and I now send you some moro like thorn . Ntf tiino for writing moro , as tho drums are going . Komombor me to Lady . They asked mo if I liked tho idea of active Borvico ; I will tell them moro about it when tliia day Is over . God bloss you , my dear B ——• —Boliovo mo most truly yours , A . F , Wbmwobd . "
'¦ ¦• " - ¦ ¦ - —< WAR MISCELLANEA : ¦ "" ' ~ An Untoward Incident . — A French officer engaged in the capture of the Malakhoff relates the following anecdote : — " Not the least curious episode of this memorable day is this : that , at the veryindment bur fourregiments penetrated into the works of the Malakhoff , a Russian General was preparing a distribution of crosses of honour . We made him prisoner , and a good number of his men too . " French Testimony to Engiish Valour . —A testimony to the courage and devotion exhibited by the English in their attack on the Great Redan is contained in a letter from a Frenchman published in the Moniteur de la Flotte . " The English , " says the writer , " covered themselves with glory in their attack on the Redan . When they met the Russians with the bayonet , a backing movement was observable in the ranks of the Muscovites , similar to that of a gun which has received a double charge . Then masses of fresh troops continually came up and assailed the heroic English . . . . The movement they effected at the moment of evacuation was that of a troop of lions ; and the Russians took good care not to follow them . " This evidence possesses a peculiar value under all the circumstances of the case . —Various letters from English soldiers who fought at the Redan have been published : they all tend to exonerate the attacking party from the charge of want of spirit . The struggle was of the most desperate nature ; but a mere handful of English had to contend against a comparatively large force of Russians . A letter , probably from a French officer , mentions the explosions of five or six mines in the Redan while our men were there ; but this is apparently inaccurate . . «• .,. ' - " The Place for Fun . "—Samuel Hambnng , of Bungay , Suffolk , writes as follows to his relatives : — " It is a good day ' s fun to meet the enemy in the open field , but I don't like the trenches , but it cannot be helped . Our work is so close to them that the men can throw stones at each other , and they send the grape and cannister in among us pretty thick , and plenty of shells . We often see thirty or forty up in the air at one time . It is a beautiful sight , you may depend . The young men of Old England stand in their own light by not coming out here . This is the place Jbr fun , and likewise for honour and glory . Only think of walking through the streets of Old England with a fine medal or two on your breast ! Why you would not have the least trouble to get a wife , I think , especially if you should get a shilling a day pension , and then a man would be happy and comfortable for life ; if not , I am sure it would be his own fault . . . . The Russians make a sally almost every night ; so you see we are not in want of ' sallies , ' and Sally is a female name . " Sardinian Reinforcements . —Reinforcements to the extent of one lieutenant , one sub-lieutenant , two sergeants , five corporals , and ninety-six privates from each regiment of the line , and one captain with subalterns , non-commissioned officers , and three hundred and twenty privates of the Bersaglieri , are about to be sent to the Sardinian army . Some of the Sardinians at home are not without fear of the country being left devoid of sufficient protection . The Fall of Sebastopol was known at Tunis on the 14 th . The Bey immediately ordered the great event to be celebrated by salvos from all the forts of Tunis and the Goulette , as on great Mussulman festivals . Ilia Highness further directed that Colonel Lion , chief ot the military household , should immediately proceed to Sebastopol to congratulate Marshal Pelissier in his name . The Russian Army . —The last troops sent to reinforce the Russian army consisted , according to an English officer who writes from Sebastopol , of undrilled militia , many of them boys , many old men . The writer believes that almost every available regiment has been sent to tho Crimea , with tho exception of the Guards and Grenadiers . Colonel Windham , C . B ., is appointed English Governor of Sebastopol . Tho rank of Mnjor-Genernl has been bestowed on him for bis gallant conduct on tho fatal 8 th of September . The Naval . Brioade has been broken up , and sent on board ship . ' . . TnB Chances of Peace . —There was an armistice for a few minutes on Tuesday to effect an interchange of letters for prisoners . The Russian officer who conducted it , and who is supposed to have been tho commander of the Vladimir , is said to have expressed tho aamo opinion as tho Russian Admiral did on Monday , tho 10 th inst . — "With this before us , " pointing to tho ruins of Sobnstopol , " peace is further off than ever . " Tho Russians have a very largo-park of artillery on tho other side or tho harbour . Many of tho guns found hero wore cast at Carron , as is evident by tho words on thoir trunnion hoada and brooches . —Times Correspondent . Marshal Pjsussusu ' h Dehoknt . —A story having « abroad that Marahul I ' ojissior is of Irish descent , Mr . Alexander Polifisier , of Mnstflold , Clonmol , writes to tlio Nation ( Dublin newspaper ) , to my that tho familyjyns originally Huguenot ; that it Hod to Ireland , and sotueu thoro ; that a descendant , Alexander Pollsflior , unclo oi tho writer , was one of tho " United Irinlimon ot tlio latter end of last century ; and that , having lougni against tho Englinh Government , ho flod , nnd was never hoard of again . This Alexander , tho writer has reason
Oro The Ljai)E^. [No, 289, Pattopay, Vfo...
oro THE LJAI ) E ^ . [ No , 289 , Pattopay , VfO ^ ¦•*¦ ¦ ' -- ' * ' ¦ ' ' " ' i ^ j—; * ¦ ' - ¦¦¦ <—————^^————
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 6, 1855, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_06101855/page/4/
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