and weakly closed just as the crowning moment of victory was at hand. Sebastopol has fallen, and if terms be offered now, the world will at least admit that Russia must treat as the losing party. The prestige of the West is maintained – Russian hopes of pouncing upon Constantinople are postponed for a long time to come, and one step is gained towards a safer issue than the Peace Party could have ensured three months ago.”
More Letters.
Coeval with the above editorial, came another letter from the seat of war, written by John Whyborn, adding further items to those contained in Lieut Harkness’s interesting epistle previously received, and showing the part taken by the Naval Brigade. Under date of September 13th, the writer said – “Dear father and mother, - Glorious News! By the blessing of God I am now enabled to send you a few lines to let you know that Sebastopol is in the hands of the Allies. We captured it on the 8th and 9th of the month, and there is none of the Hastings chaps hurt. I must tell you that George Mantell goes on board tomorrow with all the Leander’s men, and we shall go on Monday next, so that I live in hopes of being home at Christmas. We opened a heavy cannonade on the 6th, and no one in our battery was hurt. On the 8th it was my turn again, and we commenced at 6 o’clock. At 12 the French attacked the Malakoff tower and caught the Russians by surprise, and so got in the tower, before the Russians were aware of it. As soon as the French flag flew on the tower, we attacked the Redan, and then they were just ready for us, and our poor soldiers got terribly cut up. We saw them falling six or seven at a time. The reason that we lost so many men was because the Russians were about six to one of ours they having all left the tower and retreated to the Redan. Our men were beaten back, and the Russians mounted the parapet to fire at them, but we mowed them down with our shot and shell. The next morning we were going to make another attack when they blew up their magazines; and when we got into the town we found they had evacuated it and gone to the north side after setting it on fire at several places. They had their batteries undermined and full of powder, whilst there was loose powder all over the place. On Sunday there were no fewer than thirty explosions, and they have continued more or less ever since. The night before last, our relief men went into the town close to the water’s edge, and began to build a battery of three-
