Vol. III.— No. 72.] 
Saturday, May 13, 1854. 
THE FIELD_0 F WAR. 
FURTHER details of the bombardment of 
ODESSA. 
THE RUSSIAN ACCOUNT. 
The German papers contain the following extract from a 
report of General Osten-Sacken, dated the ‘23rd of April, 
relative to the bombardment of Odessa : — 
« On the 21st of April, the English and French squadron 
cast anchor at a distance of three verstes from Odessa. The 
squadron was composed of six first-class vessels, 13 two- 
decked vessels, and nine steamers. Towards 4 o’clock in 
the afternoon, Admirals Dundas and Hamelin sent a flag of 
truce with a summons to surrender the Russian, English, 
and French vessels lying in the quarantine port. To this 
summons no answer was given. Yesterday, Saturday, April 
22, at half-past 6 o’clock in the morning, nine steam- vessels 
of the enemy, one of which carried 54 guns, and almost 
all the others 34, after stationing themselves beyond reach 
of the battery No. 1, situated on the right of the road- 
stead, advanced successively to the whole extent of the 
batteries Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 5, which they attacked, throwing 
occasionally shells into the town itself, and finishing by 
directing their concentrated fire upon battery No. 6, situated 
at the extremity of the quarantine port. Our batteries 
were armed with 48-poundcrs. The enemy profited by the 
large calibre of his pieces, and kept at a distance, which 
circumstance did not allow the batteries Nos. 3 and 5 to take 
on active part in the engagement, although exposed to the 
enemy’s fire. The battery No. 6, under the command of 
Cornet of Artillery Schogoleff, kept up a well-sustained fire 
from its four pieces ; but one of the latter having been de- 
stroyed, and the enemy having placed himself beyond the 
reach of the third gun, only the two guns of the left could be 
brought into play, and with these two pieces, the battery 
No. 6 held out during six hours against the steamers of the 
enemy, and to the end against eight steamers and a screw 
steamer of 84 guns, which had come up as a reinforcement. 
Even then the battery was not silenced, and Count Schogo- 
leff did not quit his position until the vessels stationed in the 
port behiud the battery itself took fire. In consequence of 
the fire from this battery three of the enemy’s vessels 
were, towards the end of the action, forced to be towed 
by the others. A report upon this brilliant feat of 
arms was immediately sent to the Commander-in-Chief, 
who, exercising the prerogative he possesses, conferred 
the decoration of the military order Mpon those who 
had particularly distinguished themselves. Thanks to 
their small draught of water, the iron vessels of the 
enemy succeeded in surrounding the port of free pratique* 
and in approaching the Faubourg of Perissop, from where, 
by the aid of boats, they were enabled to throw congreve 
rockets, which set fire to the vessels in the port, and to a few 
houses in the faubourg. They even attempted a landing, 
but the grapeshot from four pieces of light artillery, covered 
by six companies of infantry, prevented the execution of 
that enterprise. The boats were met by our balls, and ex- 
perienced considerable loss. We had on our sido a few dead 
and wounded, and two gun carriages were destroyed. Dur- 
ing the action, some of the ships of the line belonging to 
the enemy left their order of battle, and advanced towards 
the country house of General Luders, against which they 
directed their fire ; but having been fired upon by our bat- 
teries Nos. 1, 2, and 3, they contented themselves with a 
few discharges, and resumed their previous position. This 
manoeuvre was repeated several times. At 7 o’clock the 
action ceased, and the assailing vessols joined the rest of the 
squadron. Our artillery worked in a brilliant manner, and 
our batteries suffered little, with the exception of that of 
No. 6.* We had four killed, and 64 wounded.” 
NOTICE TO NEUTRAL VESSELS. 
The following order, relative to neutral vessels, was pub* 
lished at Odessa on the 23rd of April 
“ 1. The vessels under a neutral flag now in the port of 
Odessa cannot leave it so long as the enemy’s fleet Bhall be 
in sight of the town. 
“2. The captains and sailors will find an asylum in a 
locality which will be especially destined for the purpose, 
beyond the reach of projectiles, and in which they must 
submit to the quarantine regulations. 
“3. Vessels with cargoes will be allowed to deposit their 
cargoes in warehouses which the authorities will place at 
their disposal. 
“ 4. Captains and sailors who may not desire to avail 
themselves of the locality offered to them, must implicitly 
obey the ordors of the captain of the port, and, in caso of 
resistance, they will bring themselves -within the application 
of the laws of war. 
“ 5. Beyond the limits of the protection which is offered 
to captains, sailors, and cargoes under a neutral flag, the 
authorities disclaim beforehand all responsibility as regards 
the safety of vessels. 
“6. All vessels under] a neutral flag may leave the port 
without any obstacle as soon as the enemy’s fleet shall have 
departed.” 
♦ The site of battery No. 6 is marked by a flag at the end of the 
mole, in the plan of Odessa, in “The Field" of last weak.— E d. 
[Gratis. 
THE FLAG OF TRUCE. 
The Journal <C Odessa gives it6 history of the visit of 
the Furious to the roads of Odessa, and, by its ambiguous 
wording, ovidently betrays its dosiro to proparo the means 
for future exculpation, foreseeing the outcry that would be 
raised against the broach of the custom of nations in firing 
on a flag of truce. It says,— “ On Saturday, March 27th 
(April 8th), at half-past 5 a. in., the Furious, an English 
wur-steamcr, of 600-horso powor, and curryiug 10 guns, 
approached to within two cannons’ rango of the quarantine 
mole. Two blank shots having been flrod, tho vessel hoistod 
the English flag, and, without coming to anchor, sent off a 
launch to the shore, bearing a flag of truce. Tho English 
officer asked If the English Consul was still at Odessa; tho 
officer on duty having informed him that tho Consul had 
left, the launch returned to tho ship. When it had got 
out of range of our guns tho steamer advanced towards tho 
mole ; as tho steamer was now within range, four ricochet 
shots wero fired at her, tho third of which hit her. At tho 
first discharge the vessel put about and soon disappeared, 
aided by a brisk and favourable breeze.” By this statement 
It is endeavoured to bo shown that the Ilussiuus did not flro 
on the boat with the white flag, but on tho steamer, which, 
after receiving the returning boat, advanced with hor 16 
guns within rango of the batteries, for tho purposo of threat- 
ening the fortifications of Odessa. 
THE TURKISH ACCOUNT. 
The Turkish Ambassador, at Paris, has roeoivod from 
the Ottoman Legation at Vienna tho following despatch on 
tho bombardment : — “ I have just received tho following 
despatch from Belgrade ; it has been communicated to me 
by Omar Pasha, who begged mo to transmit It to you. 
Eight steam-frigates belonging to the combined fleet pro- 
ceeded to Odessa, and commenced bombarding the military 
port on the 22nd. In a few hours they destroyed all tho 
fortifications, the batteries, and tho military establishments 
of the Russians. Two powder magazines blew up, and 1*2 
of the enemy’s vossels of war wore sunk. Tho commercial 
port was spared, and the merchant vessels escaped. Thirteen 
Russian vessels, laden with stores and ammunition, wero cap- 
tured. The town of Odessa was defended by four batteries, 
which were constructed about the beginning of this year, 
and were placed as follows : — The first, of 12 guns, on the 
mole of the quarantine port, defooding the entranco of tho 
great roadstead ; the second, of six guns, below the boule- 
vard, and to the right of the flight of steps which comes 
down to the sea, and divides tho boulovard in two ; this bat- 
tery defends the entrance of the quarantine port; tho third 
to the loft of the steps, placed In such a manner as to cross 
CRONSTADT FROM BEHIND ORANIEBAUM.-From a Sketch bt Vice-Commodore Peard, R.M .Y.C 
