The ultimatum was answered by Tolstoy's official for important missions, Baron Yevgeny Pfeilizer-Frank (nephew to former governor Otto Pfeilizer-Frank) and poet Nikolay Sherbina, who later described the event in "Moskovskiye Vedomosti" on 21 June 1855. The allies demanded the surrender of all government property, the withdrawal of troops and the evacuation of civilians. After an hour of consideration Baron Pfeilizer-Frank returned to the envoys with Tolstoy's reply, rejecting the demands. The "Recruit" then hauled down her flag of truce and opened fire on the town. The "Danube" and "Mouette", towing the "Lady Nancy" moved up in the company of the armed launches and joined in the bombardment. A four-oared gig then landed Lt Cecil Buckley and Boatswain Henry Cooper, who proceeded to set fire to the military depots buildings before returning, in the same manner they had at Genitchi on 29 May. The raft "Lady Nancy" and some of the launches gave close support to the raiding party. Both earned the Victoria Cross for their actions and due to seniority and spelling Buckley was awarded the first VC ever gazetted. All the stores of grain, timber, tar, all the boats in the harbour (including the Russian gunboat "Akkerman" and various other warships under construction) and any boats under construction, together with the Customs House and the main government buildings were set ablaze.