Sir John Burgoyne, who held a consultative appointment, and shared in degree with Lord Raglan the responsibility of the siege, was, though an aged General, ever present to direct the various works, and on resigning his connection with the army, he issued the following parting address to the corps:— “_Head-quarters before Sebastopol, “21st March, 1855._ “The Inspector-General of Fortifications cannot quit this army without expressing his strong testimony to the exemplary manner in which the officers of royal engineers, and non-commissioned officers and privates of royal sappers and miners have performed, under his own eye, their arduous duties before Sebastopol. “The I. G. F. is not aware of any siege which has been carried on under more trying and difficult circumstances, and he has had great pleasure in repeatedly pointing out to the Commander-in-Chief how gallantly and creditably every operation by the engineer department has been conducted. “In now taking leave of his comrades of all ranks he thinks he cannot wish them better fortune than that finally in this enterprise they may meet with success, that as far as depends upon them is so well earned.” To this was added the following remark:— “I entirely concur in the sentiments above expressed. (Signed) \“RAGLAN.” A sortie was made on the night of the 22nd March against Nos. 7 and 8 batteries of the left third parallel, in which Captain Montagu of the Engineers was taken prisoner. For half an hour the batteries were held by the Russians, whose impetuosity had given them a footing there. Driven out at length at the point of the bayonet, led by Captain Chapman, 20th regiment, assistant engineer, they took with them in their flight 70 pickaxes and 50 shovels. There were only eleven sappers in the trenches at the time, who, being unarmed and dispersed over the different works, were unprepared for the fight. A few of them, however, joined in the repulse with arms taken from the grasp of some slain linesmen, whilst others did their best in bludgeoning the Russians with pick-helves and sticks. A like sortie rushed into the advance parallel and mortar-battery on the right attack, but was repulsed with loss. Three British officers were killed and two wounded. Of the latter one was Major Gordon of the Engineers, severely in the right arm. Of colossal height, he was observed on the top of the parapet with no better defence than a swish whipping the Russians from the works. Under his orders there were five brigades of sappers scattered to various points of the chequered operations, who escaped that night without casualty.