* Dr. Arthur Leared, Finsbury Place, South, and 12, Old Burlington Street, London. Chap, xlviii., pp. 810, 811.
According to the imperial commissioner with the French army, the month of January “was fertile in partial combats, and sudden but sanguinary and obstinate struggles.” Mr. Woods, the correspondent of the London Morning Herald, affirmed that the combats were useless skirmishes.
February in the Crimea was chiefly signalized by the battle of Eupatoria, which, as shown in a previous section of this chapter, issued in the signal defeat of the Russian army by Omar’ Pasha, and was probably the cause of the czar’s death. The accession of Alexander II. to the throne of the Russian empire, while it encouraged diplomatic efforts for peace, led to renewed efforts for war, the young emperor being anxious to show his people zeal for “the orthodox church,” and reverence for the policy of his predecessor, whom Russia regarded as a saint and a martyr. The Emperor Alexander resolved upon a desperate effort to bring the war to an issue favourable to his empire by force of arms, unless, through the instrumentality of Austria at the Vienna conference, he could more cheaply conquer peace.
During the month of March, the allies became more active in the siege of Sebastopol. Efforts were put forth of a sanitary nature, which improved the health of the troops, and means of storage and transport were greatly facilitated and enlarged. The soldiers rallied with better food and more favourable weather.
The English generals displayed more activity, but did not inspire more confidence in the troops. Sorties and combats continued. The Russian forces in the Crimea were also refreshed and recruited, although the efforts to accomplish these things drained the resources of the empire.
On the 20th of the month it was known that Prince Gortschakoff succeeded Prince Menschikoff in command of the Russian Crimean forces. The latter prince—the cause of so many troubles, a blind zealot, whose influence over the Emperor Nicholas was most unhappy—was wounded and disabled. The Russian admiral, Istomine, a very brave man, was killed in the Mamelon Fort. Burial truces, combats, and sorties closed the month. In one of these the pious and heroic Captain Vicars fell.
During April the allies made powerful efforts again to bombard the place, The troops continued to suffer through March and the first week of April, although their situation was meliorated from day to day; the spirits of the men were recruited, and an ambition to signalize themselves by some decisive feat of arms was evident among them.
During this period, the Black Sea fleet operated in watching the enemy’s coasts in that sea, and in harassing him in his harbours in the Sea of Azoff.
On the 8th of April Sebastopol was once more bombarded. The English shells were, in a vast proportion, harmless from their bad manufacture. The bombardment eventually failed; the industry, energy, and perseverance of the Russians enabling them to repair the earthworks and batteries as fast as their demolition by the allies seemed to advance. April was signalized by such marked differences of opinion between the French and English generals, that co-operation before Sebastopol was difficult, and impossible elsewhere, although plans for operations at other places were discussed.
May opened brightly and beautifully, as it generally does in the Crimea, and all around the trampled plateau was decked with flowers, which sprung up with wonderful rapidity in the most unlikely places, displaying their grace even among the tents of the warriors. May was attended by as unhappy differences of opinion between the allied generals as was April, although the presence of General Pelissier in the French army tended to promote good feeling and generous forbearance.