Renewed attempts for the possession of the Redan and of the Central Bastion were now being organised, but these were restrained by General Pelissier, already secure of the Malakoff, in which his troops had firmly established themselves.
The possession of this work, however, was not yielded by the Russians till after a desperate and frequently-renewed struggle.
For hours a furious cannonade was directed on the work from the batteries on the north side, from steamers in the roadstead, and from field- * Some vessels which the enemy had placed so as to command these works. 2 L
.
pieces posted at every favourable spot; for hours column after column was thrown upon the Malakoff, only to be dashed back, shattered and broken, by the terrible fire of the French, whose vast reserves were brought up even faster than those of the enemy. At length, at about five in the afternoon, after thrice assaulting the gorge of the work with their whole disposable force, the Kussians finally retired from a contest which had long ceased to present any hope of success, their batteries keeping up a fire tUl night-time in order to cover their retreat, and check any further advance of the French.
Thus, while the principal attack on the Malakoff had triumphantly succeeded, all the subordinate ones, whether French or English, had alike failed. The secret of this was — that of all the works assaulted the Malakoff was the only one closed in the rear, so that almost from the very moment of its capture it became capable of being turned against the enemy. The universality of the repulse at every point where this was not the case strongly demonstrates that it was this peculiarity which determined the result: and the fact, that wherever the conditions of the French attack were similar to those of the English on the Redan repulse as surely followed, has been conveniently ignored by those writers who have had the bad taste to extol our gallant AUies at the expense of oiir own no less gallant soldiers — a course which must render them as odious in the eyes of the generous men whom they insult with their praise, as it makes them contemptible to those whose brilliant services they repay with ungrateful disparagement.
Nor must it be supposed that, great as was the sacrifice of life entailed by these unsuccessful attacks, that sacrifice was in the least thrown away. But for them, the Russians would have been enabled to concentrate such overwhelming forces on the Malakoff as would have made it untenable by the French: and the real importance of the possession of this work was soon placed in the clearest light by the decision adopted by Prince Gortschakoff, who, despairing of retaking it, resolved on evacuating the town.
Towards evening long files of troops and baggage were seen crossing the bridge to the north side: vast conflagrations burst out on all sides, almost all the shipping in the harbour was in flames, and as the enemy retreated they blew up in succession their several fortifications, powder magazines, and public buildings. The retreat was effected in the most masterly manner by the Russian General, whose preparations for this event had long been matured, nor was any attempt made to interfere with its accomplishment, as the Allied troops, if risked at such a moment within the town, would have been exposed to be destroyed in detail by the several explosions: when day broke the last fugitives were being carried oflF in the few remaining steamers — the bridge of boats was already doubled back to the north side, and all the Russian men-of-war had been burned or sunk in the harbour.
Sebastopol was in the undisputed possession of the Allies. " Thus terminated," says General Pelissier, " this memorable siege, during which the relieving army was twice beaten in the open field, and the means of defence and attack of which had assumed colossal proportions. The besieging army had in its different attacks 800 guns in battery, which fired more than one million six hundred thousand rounds, and our approaches, dug during 336 days, of open trenches, through a rocky ground, with a development of more than 86 kilometres (about 54 English miles), were made under the constant fire of the place, and with incessant combats by day and night.
" The day of the 8 th of September, on which the Allies gained the mastery over an army almost equal in number, not invested, intrenched behind formidable defences, provided with more than eleven hundred cannon, protected by the guns of the fleet, and the north batteries, still possessing enormous resources, wiU remain an example of what may be expected from a brave disciplined army hardened by war."