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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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: the time ; the 23 rd , with eight officers dead and four -wounded , -were still Tushing to the front , aided by the 19 th , 33 rd , 77 th , and S 8 th . Down went Sir George in & cloud of dust in front of the batttery . He was soon up , and shouted , " 23 rd , I ' m all right . Be sure I'll remember . this day , " and led them on again , but in the ¦ shock produced by the fall of their chief the gallant regiment suffered terribly -while paralysed for a moment . . Meantime the Guards , on the right of the Light Division , and the Brigade of Highlanders -were storming the freights on the left . Their line was almost as regular as though they were in Hyde-park . Suddenly a tornado of round and grape rushed "through from the terrible battery , and a roar of musketry from behind thinned
their front ranks by dozens . It was evident that we "were just able to contend against the Russians , favoured as they were by a great position . At this very time an immense mass of Kussian infantry were seen moving down towards the battery . They halted . It was the crisis of the day . Sharp , angular , and solid , they looked as if they were cut out of the solid rock . It was beyond all doubt that if our infantry , hairassed and . thinned as they- ' -were , got into t 3 ie battery they would have to encounter again a formidable fire , which they were but ill calculated to bear . Lord Raglan saw the difficulties of t 3 ie situation . He asked if it would be possible to get a couple of guns to bear on these masses . The reply was , ' Yes , ' and an artillery officer , whose name
I do not now know , brought up two guns to fire on the Russian squares . The first shot missed , but the next , and the next , and the next cut through the ranks so cleanly , and so keenly , that a clear lane could be seen for a nioment through , the square . After a few rounds the square became broken , wavered to and fro , broke , and fled over the brow « f the hill , leaving behind it six or seven distinct lines of dead , lying as close as possible . to each other , marking the passage of the fatal messengers . This act relieved our infantry of a deadly incubus , and they continued their magnificent and fearful progress up the hill . The-Duke encouraged his nien by voice and example , and proved himself worthy of his proud command and of the Royal race fronx which he . cora . es . ' Highlanders , ' said Sir C . Campbell , ere they . came to the charge ^ ' Don't pull a trigger till you ' re within a yard of the Russians ! ' They charged , and
well they obeyed their chieftain's wish ; Sir Colin had his liorse shot xmder him , but h > is men took the battery at a bound . The Russians rushed out , and left multitudes of dead behind them . The Guards had stormed the right of the battery ere the Highlanders got into the left , and it is said the Scots Pusilier Guards were the first to enter . The Second and Light Division crowned the heights . The French , turned the guns on the hill against the flying masses , which the cavalry- in vain tried to cover . A few faint struggles from the scattered infantry , a few rounds of camion and musketry , and the enemy fled to the south-east , leaving three generals , three guns , 700 prisoners , and 4000 wounded behind them . The battle of the Alma was won . It is won with a loss of nearly 3000 killed and wounded on our side . The Russians' retreat was co-vered by their cavalry , but if we had had an adequate force we could have captured many , guns and multitudes of prisoners . "
In the mean time , -what wea'e our French Allies about . The graphic despatch of Marshal St . Arnaud supplies some of the clearest particulars : — "On the 20 th , as early as six in the morning , I carried into operation , with the division of General Bosquet , reinforced by eight Turkish battalions , a turning movement which envoloped the . left of the i { us * ians and turned some of their batteries . General Bosquet manoeuvred with as much intelligence as braveiy . This
moToinent decided tho success of tho day . 1 hud arranged thab the English ( j ' arain enpat / d leu Aiit / lm . a ) should extend their left , in order at tho same timo to threaten the right of tho Kiiflsuins , whilst 1 should occupy them in the centre , but tlwir troops did not arrive in lino until half-past ten . They bravely lnndo vip for this delay . At Imlf-past twelve the lino of the allied army occupying an extent of move than a league , arrived on the Almn , mid was received by a terrible lire from the tirailleurs .
* 'In tins movement the bend of tho column of General Bosquet appeared on the heights , and I gave tho signal for a general attack . Tho Alinn was crossed at double quick timo . Prince Napoleon , at Ilio head of hh division , took possession of tho largo villugo of Alma , under tho lire of thoHussinn batteries . The l ' rinco Miowod himsolf worthy of the great immo ho boars , ^\'( i then arrived at tho foot of tho heights , under tho liro of tlicj Russian ba-ttcrioB . " . A writer in the Ifomhuj Chsunklc says : — " I will now brk'lly narrate tho nehievonicntfl of tho ronoh
L division an far iw 1 have hud time , to uncurtain . After a cup of coflbo , which they found tiniii to prepare , tho Zouuvoh , Avit . li tlti ) foroi K u ' legion ami homo other UtfUt ivghuoutB , travoi-rtiul at , half-pawl ono r . ji . tho vil-Wtfo of Almataniak , and hculc-d t . lici heiyhlrt luwkin- down upon tho sen , on wlik-li were jiwtod I ho IJu ^ iuii left Wing . A troinencUm . s iiuibkclry liro m , a very hlu . rt muyo soon opciu-d upon tho advancing Fre . neh from un . l around tho octangular tower . TliuZounvctH for u moment w « iro bcatou back , but . a M : rtf « i » it-nmjoi- of iho mum ) ol I'iuury du » hucl ahead , with tho tricolor lla in hi * hand , nj $ hL to the- basement of tho tinvc-r . A bullet laid him
low ; but the Zouaves , followed by the other chivalrous regiments , charged the Russians with the bayonet , and utterly routed them . They then pushed on towards the Hussian centre , which , they were threatening when the action concluded . Th . e gallant behaviour of the French was witnessed from ottr men-of-war ' s tops . " The allied armies halted and encamped on the ground from which the Russians had been driven , and on the 21 st and 22 d were employed in the painful duty of burying the dead , and collecting the wounded and sending them on board the ships . Marshal St . Arnaud having resigned his command into the hands of General Canrobert , sailed on board the Berthollet for Marseilles , but died on his passage .
On the 23 rd the allied armies "left the Alma , and proceeded to cross the Katcha river , which , they effected without opposition . On the 24 th they crossed the Belbek , where it had "been intended to effect the lauding of the siege materiel with a view" to an attack on the north side of Sebastopol . It was found , however , that the enemy had placed a fortified work so as to prevent the vessels and transports from approaching this river , and , with extraordinary fertility of resource , strategical judgment , and military daring , the plan of operations was suddenly changed by Lord llaglan , with the concurrence of the Trench commander . : It was determined to advance at once by a flank march round the east of Sebastopol , to cross the
valley of tte Tchernaya , and seize Balaklava as the future basis of operations against the south side of the harbour of Sebastopol . Nothing could be finer than the spirit and conception of this movement , unless it be the courage and endurance with which it was executed by the troops . To effect this object it was necessary , after crossing the Belbek near the village of tha-i ; name , and also the high road from that place to Sebastopolj to strike off to the soutli-east across the country , so as to reach the IBalaklava road at . or near a place called Khutor Mackenzie , or Mackenzie ' s Farm .- The distance from One road to the other is about six miles as the crow flies ; buttle country is covered with a thick ; forest or jungle , through which , the troops had to make their way
by the compass as well as they could , though it was impracticable to the artillery of the light divisi o n , and in many places the meii could scarcely see one another through the dense bru . sh . wood . Thus groping their way along , the first division took at fkst too southerly a direction , and arrived near the hill on which the Inkerman lights are erected ; froin . this point they turned due east , and , after some hours of extraordinary exertion and difficulty , they reached Mackenzie ' s Farm—a name and locality singularly welcome to the Highland Brigade . As the Guards approached the border of the forest , firing -was heard to tlie front , and , considering the state of confusion into which the whole army had been thrown by so difficult and irregular a march , their position might
have become extromely critical , for , on clearing the forest , Lord Kaglan ^ s staff , with some batteries of artillery , found themselves on the flank and rear of a Russian division , said to amouiit to 15 , 000 men , on its march to 13 aktshi-Serai . No sooner , however , had our guns opened vipon the enemy , who wero wholly unprepared for such an attack , than they fled with precipitation , some . jn . one direction and . some in another , leaving in the hands of our army a few ustonished prisoners and an immense quantity of carts , ' baggage , stores , and ammunition , which strewed the road ibr three miles . After this adventure , which struck fresh terror into the ranks of tho enemy , the army descended by a steep deiilu into tho plaint ) , through which tho river Tuhomayu .
Hows , and bivouacked that night upon its banks , after having been under aims fourteen , hours , in a most difficult country , without roads , and almost without vv « ter . Nevertheless , it wiw hero that Licutonant Max . se , of her Majesty ' s flhip Agamemnon , volunteered to retrace hia stops by night through tho Airost and nerons a country inl ' oritcd with Cossacks , to convoy to Sir K . Lyons tho order t 6 bring round tho fleet j and , ho woll wuh this extraordinary service performed , that Mr . Mmxho readied tho iloot ut four a . m ., and boforo noon tho Agamomnon wus off tlio port of JUarwkluv * . In tho meantime ) tho forces had readied that place by an cany march next morning ; and , although tho old GenocHo fort on tlio rock opened its tiro and throw a shell among Lord Italian ' s atiuT , tho place HuiTondorod an noon aa the heights wore occupied . AVo may hero add that tho position of Ualiiklava in considered by tho highest military authorities in
tho army to bo so strong that , it can easily bo rumlorod Improtfiuiblu as loiifr an it . in hold by our troops , and that it uII ' oi-iIm us a perfectly hccumj hi \ m of operations , under all uinwiaatiiiKios wlmtovor , with a . lino port , a hoalhty climate , and it tortile country . To an army , landing as tlio ulllud I ' oivom laiidud on an unknown ucuwt likothat of tliu (' niuoa , mich apwHOHriioai i » of iiiu » l ; iiiml > lo value . \\' i' arcs not aljlo to from thoso donpatoluio a cloar idou of Iho cuituhjioihIImk m <» voiuuiit ; of tho I'Vonoh army , except that . Lord Hujj ; lan htntos Umir march to huvo been even longer and more futi / j , ulnK than Unit , of tho Urititih troops , anil they lvachcd tlio Tdiormiyn . n day lutor . Thcro is , however , mmio roMHon to boliilvv that ( Joiioriil ( . 'niirolmrt iuteinkid to occupy ono of t . ho dcup ImyH l » et \ vwn K . 'iipo I'liurnoni-hd find ( Hobastopol , anil to land the I'Vi'iich hii' ^ v train thorn . Tho llros of tho ancient lighthouse of thoTnuriu C'licrsonuauH , which tho Kuauiuns
had extinguished , have already been rekindled by the allied troops . Such is the proximity of those positions to Sebastopol that the place can be reconnoitred with ease . Lord Raglan states that he had himself a good view of it on the 27 th , when he moved two divisions to its immediate neighbourhood ; and the chief engineers of the Eng-lish and French armies were employed in a deliberate survey of its defences . A place which can be thus easily approached by an enemy , and reconnoitred from tlie adjacent heights without molestation , may be considered to be already invested , at least on the south side of the harbour .
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Interesting episodes in the march , during and after the battle , are , of course , not wanting . Our Cavalky and the Cossacks . —Th . e cavalry ( about 500 men of the 8 th Hussars , the 11 th Hussars , and 13 th Light Dragoons ) pushed on in froni , and on arriving about a mile beyond the post-house we clearly made out the Cossack Lancers on the hills in front . Lord Cardigan threw out skirmishers in line , who covered the front at intervals of ten or twelve yards from each other . The Cossacks advanced to meet us in like order , man for man , the steel of their long lances glittering in the sun . They were rough-looking fellows , mounted on sturdy little borses , but the regularity of their order and the celerity of their ] movements showed they were regulars , and by no means despica ~ ble foes . As our slurmishers advanced the Cossacks halted at the foot of the hill .
Their reserves were not well in sight , but from time to time a clump of lances rose over the summit of the hill and disappeared . Lord Cardigan was eager to try their strength , and permission "was given to him to advance somewhat nearer ; but as he did so , dark columns of cavalry cameinto view in the recesses of the hills , and it became evident ihat if our men charged up such a steep ascent tlieir horses would "be blown , and that they would run a , risk of being surrounded and cut to pieces by a force of three times their number . Lord Lucan therefore ordered the cavalry to halt , gather in their skirmishers , and retire slowly . None of the infantry or artillery were in signt of us , as they had not yet topped tlie brow of the hill . When our skirmishers halted the Cossack 3 commenced a fire from their line of vedettes , -which was quite harmless . Few of the balls came near enough to let the Whiz be heard . Two or three officers who w '
riding between the cavalry and the skirmishers , Liout .-Colonel IMckson , K . A ., Captain Tellowes , 12 th Lancers , Dr . Elliott , li . A ., were looking out anxiously for the arrival of Captain Slaude ' s horse artillery , when suddenly the Russians , emboldened by our halt , came over the brow of the bill ., and slowly descended the slope in three solid squares . We had offered them battle , and'they . had lost their chance , for our cavalry now turned round and rode quietly towards the troops . Our skirmisher * , who had replied smartly to the fire of the Cossacks , but without . effect , retired and joined tlieir squadrons . At every fifty paces our Cavalry faced about to receive the Cossacks if thoy prepared to charge . Suddenly ono of the
KuBsi . an cavalry squares opened—a spirt of white smoke rose out of the gap , and a round shot , which pitched close to my horse , tore over the oolumn of our cnvnlry behind , and rolled away between the ranks oi' tho rillemen in tho roar , just as they came in view of tlio cavalry . In another instant a second gun bowled riglit through tho 11 th Husnuth , and knocked over a horse , taking off his rider ' s leg above the ankle . Another and another followed , tearing through our ranks , so that it was quite wonderful so f-ew of tho cavalry wore hit . Meantime Captain Mnudo * n artillery galloped ovor , tho hillock , but wore halted by Lord Nubian ' s order at tho bane , in rear of the cavalry on the left ( lank . This was dono probably to entice tho Kussiana further down tho hill . Mo . nntimo
our cavalry were drawn up au targets for tlie unoiny'd guiiH , atid had they been of iron they coubtl not have beon jnoro solid and iinmovnblo . Tho KuKHiun gunners fired admirably . they were ruthcr alow , but tlmir balla camo bounding along , quite visible ns they ] iansod , in riglit lino from tho centra of tho cavalry columns , After Home thirty rounds from tho onomy our artillery opened Uru , Their rovnd shot ploughed up the columim of tho cavalry , who speedily dispersed into broken linen , wheeling round and round with groat adroitness to escape tho six and nine pound balls . TukZouavish ani > 'nil ' . TinAiT . ijciTiiH . —A writer in tlio 7 ' MH-fis , wIuMvitncHnod Ike battle from tho maintop of tho Agamemnon , rind had a good view of tho French , nayn , " Tho French commence ^ . ! tho action , Bunliiur the height /) witl » great oouirnmi ami nkill . 1 havo nuvor wi-n
unytlungjuoro bmutihu thitn tho wny in which tho Aounvo . i mid Tirnillnnrn Rcmml > l « d up tho almost pfir | icui ( lic : uliir diflTw , and formed in lino on tho minimi ! , under a Viny lionvy lire They lml ( . 1 their K'' < m > until ISo .- 'uuM ' -A j ^ diviHlon and tlio artillery rouc . licd tho height * . * Th "' buttle then Iiccmiiio graiifl , / iikI tlm IfiiHNiaii ^ jvorci ^ rwdHy / , - \ . UniKai baok . Their Hank having Hum Jloi'H Uuncd , X ,, „•» J ' could Hoarc ( . 'ly douht . tlm Uniki of Hie haltlcU 'Hio avrniof ? , -jl wm-o fortinmtcily m » pliicMid that tliey had iM Work ty \ X \ % VUjA > , which Im'mI huifed tlm i »< -ciiliar c | iialitioH "TVT tlieir mcli . . .. I . \ - The KiiKli .-h < M . uld uU Jiavo m-alcd tlio ht ^ lito llUtC ^ ho ; r ^ H ; . . I ' VcticIi , nor would J ' lvnrh fohuium , in ' ^ r ^ n ^ lK ^ 'VtiWill i- . l lmvfi uinivlied up to tlm l . iillcrioH witlfllmitl , rffigfi ^ l ^ f / : : >'} tT * f » iir « Wfi " hich h » dirtltn « iii « hc ! N Mril . lnl » H * - (> oijp .-j 4 wiW-Z y / X pliuK-d in tho iioBitloii iu -which they were < luiflu «! d ^> - ^ mttlo . "
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October 14 , 1854 . ] THE LEADER . 963
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 14, 1854, page 963, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2060/page/3/
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