I have, &c., James Simpson, General Commanding. Tlie Lord Fanmure, d-c. Ac. <fc. Before SEBASTorOL,, Augiist 21. My Lord, — In my despatch of the 18th instant, I was unable to give as detailed an account of the part taken by the Sardinian troops, in the battle of the Tchernaya, as I could have wished. I have since received General La Marmora's report, of which I have now the honour to send you a copy. The killed and wounded of the Russian army exceed, if anything, the number I originally stated. An armistice was granted, to enable the enemy to bury the dead, and vast quantities were carried away. The fire from the batteries of the Allies has been very effective, and the result attained has been suSicient to enable the works against the place to progress satisfactorily.
I beg to enclose the list of casualties to the 19th instant. Major M'Gowan, 93rd Highlanders, who was reported by me as missing, in my despatch of the 11th August, I have since ascertained was attacked whilst posting his sentries in advance of the trenches, wounded severely, and made prisoner. I have, &c., Jamks Simpson, General Commanding. The Lord Panmure, d-c. &c. dc. [^Translation.^ Sardinian Army. — IlEAn-QuARTEns or the Expeditionary Forces in the East, Kadikoi, Aii/just 17. Sir, — The interest which you are so kind as to evince in everything relating to the Sardinian Expeditionary Army makes it imperative upon me to inform your Excellency of the share taken by the troops under my command in the engagement on the Tchernaya yesterday. Upon receiving the report of Colonel Dessaint, attached to the French head-quarters, which you were good enough to communicate to me on the evening of the day before yesterday, and by which we were led to expect very shortly an attack on the line of the Tchernaya, I at once gave orders that my troops £ihould be under arms yesterday morning at an earlier hour than usual.
At break of day our outposts stationed on the Mamelon which commands Tchorgoun were enveloped in a well-sustained fire of artillery, which proceeded from three batteries posted opposite to the breastworks by which our outposts were covered, and on the two Mamelons further to the right, which form the two banks of the Souliou. They were at the same time vigorously charged by three Russian columns, which came on "with fixed bayonets, and attacked our breastworks in front and rear. The men composing these columns carried ladders with them to scale the parapets. The preconcerted signal of alarm was immediately given; and the troops took up the positions ivhich had been assigned to them in anticipation of this attack. I begged his Excellency Hosmau Pasha to bring up the Turkish troops which were stationed furthest off; and I ordered the 4th battalion of Riflemen (Bersaglieri) to the support of our outposts, which only consisted of three companies, in order that these latter might be enabled to hold their ground as long as possible, and thus give us time to complete our arrangements.
Attacked in the rear by the enemy's artillery, and charged by three columns of infantry, the outposts, after an hour's firing;-, fell back, the reinforcements I had sent to them greatly facilitating their retreat. At the same time I made every effort to silence the enemy's guns. In this endeiivour I was assisted by the Turkish heldpieces from Alsou, and by the English batterj^ with which you were good enough to reinforce us. Several of the enemy's ammunition wagons exploded between seven and eight o'clock. In the mean time the Kussians had stationed fresh batteries near the centre of their position, and had opened a most effective iirc of artillerj^ on the tete-de-pont at Traktir, and on the French positions on our left. A column of inlantrj-, under cover of this fire, attacked the ]\Iamelon, which formed the extreme right of General d'Herbillon's division.
The first column had crossed the Tchernaya, and surmounted the steep ascent of the Mamelon in spite of the fire of the tirailleurs, when it was vigorously attacked by the French troops in support, and hurled back, broken and disordered, into the Tchernaya. As I considered, from the subsequent dispositions of the enemy's forces, that he only intended to make a demonstration of artillery before our position, while he concentrated his infantry chieflj^ on the extreme right of the Third Division (Faucher's), on which point a second column was now advancing, I ordered a portion of my 5th Brigade, under the command of General Mallard, to march to the support of the right wing of the French, and I posted two of our batteries in a position from whence they could maintain an oblique fire upon the Eussians.