Friedrich Engels 
From the Crimea. June 7, 1855 


From the Crimea. 


The arrival of the Asia's mail at a late hour on Thursday night enabled us 
yesterday to publish the dispatch of Gen. Pélissier concerning the fight 
which took place before Sevastopol on the night of May 21, as well as an 
authentic account of the allied advance upon Chorgun, which was ac- 
complished on the 26th of that month. Some 25,000 men under Can- 
robert crossed the Chernaya and occupied the line of that streamlet, 
expelling the Russian outposts from their positions on the hights imme- 
diately overhanging the right bank. The Russians fell back as a matter of 
course, this not being their proper field of battle, in order to concentrate 
all their forces on the strong line between Inkermann and the range of 
cliffs to the east of that place. By this advance the Allies have nearly 
doubled the extent of ground occupied by them—giving them room of 
which their increased forces stood greatly in need—and managed an open- 
ing into the valley of Baidar which may prove very useful. The first step 
toward a resumption of field operations has been accomplished with 
success, and should be followed by actions of greater importance. 

As for the affair of May 22, the scene of the struggle was between the 
Quarantine Bay and the Central Bastion—No. 4 of the Russians. It was a 
very hard-contested and sanguinary conflict. The Russians, as we now 
learn from Pélissier's report, have occupied all the ground from the head 
of the Quarantine Bay to the Cemetery, and thence to the Central Bas- 
tion by detached works and rifle trenches, though the official British 
Admiralty plan of the siege-works shows that there are trench-works all 
over this important ground. But the truth now appears to be that as soon 
as the Flagstaff and Central Bastions were seriously menaced and the 
outworks protecting them taken by the French, this piece of ground was 
turned by the Russians into one vast works. In a couple of nights long 
lines of connecting breastworks were thrown up inclosing the whole 
ground, and thus forming a large place d'armes or protected space where 
troops could safely be concentrated in order to act upon the flanks of any 
French attack, or even to attempt strong sorties on the flanks of the 

advanced French works. Pélissier knew by experience the rapidity with 
which the Russians proceed in structures of the sort, and the tenacity 
with which they defend their works when once completed. He fell upon 
them at once. On the night of May 21 an attack in two columns was 
made. The left column established itself in the Russian trenches at the 

head of Quarantine Bay, and effected a lodgment; the right column also 

got possession of the advanced trenches, but being unable to work under 
the heavy fire of the enemy, had to withdraw at daybreak. On the fol- 
lowing night the attempt was renewed with stronger columns and with 
complete success. The entire work was carried and turned against the 

Russians by transplanting the gabions from one side of the trench to the 
opposite one. In this action the French appear to have fought with the 
greatest gallantry—with some sort of revival of that old furia Francese 
which made them so celebrated in former times, although it must be 
confessed that the statements of Gen. Pélissier as to the odds they had to 

contend against have some little show of brag about them. 

With regard to the third bombardment of the city, which our Halifax 
dispatch reported as having commenced on the 6th, followed by the 
storm and capture of the Mamelon and White Tower on the 8th, the 
Asia's mail furnishes no new information, and enables us to add nothing 

to our remarks of Wednesday last. We learn however that 25,000 men 
had been transported to the Chersonese from Omer Pasha's army at 
Eupatoria, with a view evidently to operations in the field, since if an- 
other bombardment and an assault were contemplated, these Turks had 
better have been left in their former quarters. But it also appears that the 

allied army was very insufficiently furnished with means of transport and 
supplies for a campaign in the interior; and the probability is that while 
waiting for them to be provided, Pélissier has occupied the troops with 
this active renewal of the siege operations, not with the intention of really 
undertaking to storm the place at present, but to keep up the morale of 

the men. 

From the conduct of Pélissier since taking the command, it seems cer- 
tain that he is determined to be guided by his own judgment only and to 
take no notice of whatever plans and projects the imagination of Louis 
Bonaparte may be inclined to hatch. Plan-making for Crimean cam- 

paigns seems now to be a fashionable occupation at Paris; even old 
Marshal Vaillant has sent one or two; but Pélissier at once telegraphed 

that if Vaillant thought his plans so good he had better come to the 
Crimea to carry them out himself. How this energetic but obstinate and 
brutal Commander will go on we shall see very shortly; at all events, if it 
be true, as we see it intimated, that he has ventured to forward "orders" 
to the British, Turkish and Sardinian Chiefs of the Staff without even 
taking the trouble to inform the respective Commanders of their con- 
tents, he will very soon get up a pretty squabble in the allied camp, where 
hitherto no single General, but the Council of War, composed of all the 
Commanders, has been considered supreme. Imagine old Field Marshal 
Lord Raglan under the command ofa single French Lieutenant-General! 

Meantime the Russians are not idle. The "expectant" position into 
which Austria has relapsed and the arrival of reserves and new levies 
from the interior have enabled Russia to send fresh troops to the Crimea. 
The 3d, 4th, 5th and 6th Infantry Corps are there already, beside several 
Cavalry Divisions. Now the 2d Infantry Corps, which was said to be in 
the Crimea six weeks ago, has actually left Volhynia for the seat of war; 
followed by the 7th Light Cavalry Division, attached to the Grenadier 
Corps. This is a pretty sure sign that the infantry and artillery of the 
Grenadier Corps are next on the list to march to the Crimea; and indeed 
they are already moving to Volhynia and Podolia to take the place of the 
2d Corps. This latter body, commanded by Gen. Paniutin, who in Hun- 
gary commanded the Russian Division attached to Haynau's army, will 
bring to the Crimea 49 battalions of Infantry, beside Artillery and Light 
Cavalry—in all, about 50,000 or 60,000 men—for there can be no doubt 
that these corps, which have not yet been engaged, have been raised to 
the full war-complement. The troops of the 2d Corps will successively 
arrive on the seat of war from June 15 to July 15, at a time when decisive 
operations will very likely be taking place, and thus they may take a very 
important part in the coming Crimean campaign. 

The month of June must bring some decision into this Crimean war- 
fare. Before June, or at the outside July, has elapsed, either the Russian 
field-army will have had to leave the Crimea, or the Allies will have to 
prepare for their own retreat.