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    October 14, 1854.] THE LEADER. 963

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    Interesting episodes in the march, durin...

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    The Narrative Of The Battle Of Alma Prov...

    the time ; the 23 rd , with eight officers dead and four wounded , were still rushing to the front , aided by the 19 th , 33 rd , 77 th , and 88 th . Down went Sir George in a cloud of dust in front of the battery . He was soon up , and shouted , " 23 rd , I ' m all right . Be sure I'll remember this day , " and led . them on again , hut 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 Brigad * of Highlanders were storming ; the heights 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 Russian 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 , harrassed and thinned as they were , got into the battery they would have to encounter again a form . ida . ble fire , which they were but ill calculated to "bear . Lord Raglan saw the difficulties of the situation . He asked if it would he possible to get a couple of guns to hear 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 , amd the next cut through the ranks so cleanly , and so keenly , that a clear lane could be seen for a ., moment through the square . After a few rounds the square became broken , wavered to and fro , broke , and fled over the brow of tlie 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 men by voice and example , and proved himself worthy of his proud command and of the Royal race from which he comes . ' 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 horse shot under him , but his men took the battery at abound . 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 siiid the Scots Fusilier Guards were the first to enter . The Second and Light Division crowned the heights . The IVench 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 cannon and musketry , and the enemy lied to t 3 ie 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 covered 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 were our French Allies about . The graphic despatch of Marshal St . Arnaud supplies some oi the clearest particulars : — " On the 20 th , as early as six in the morning 1 , I carried into operation , with the division-of General Bosquet , reinforced by eight Turkish battalions , a turning ; movement which enveloped the left of the Russians and turned some of their batteries . General Bosquet manoeuvred with ns much intelligence as bravery . Thio

    movement decided the success of tlio day . 1 had arranged that the English ( j'ttmix engatjd ksAnrjluis ) should extend their left , in order at tho sumo time ' to threaten the right of the Hussions , whilst I should occupy thorn in tho centre , but their troops did not arrive in line until half-past -tun . They bravely mado up for thin delny . At half-past twelve tho line of tho allied army occupying an extent of more than a league , arrived on tho Alma , and was received by a terrible lire from tin ; tirailleurs .

    " In this movement tho head of tho column of General Bosquet appeared on tho heightu , and I gave the Bignul for a general attack . Tho Alma was crossed at double quick time . l'l-inee Napoleon , at the head of his division , took potwiBsion of tho largo village of . Alma , under the fire of tho Russian batteries , Tho Prince showed hhnsoll worthy of tho grout name lie bourn . Wo tho . n arrived at tho foot of tho height * , under tho fire of tho Rubuum batturieH . " A writer in tlio Morniny Cfirunicla says : — " 1 will now In-it'lly niirmtu tho iiuhiovcmcntsi of the

    Touch division m far an I have lutd time to uwcrtnin . After a cup of ooduo , which they found tiiuo to prepare , the Zouaves , with ilio foreign lugEuu and mumo other liKlit regiments , traversed at . hulf-pnHt ono i-. m . the vill « gu of Abnataiuak , and Bcaleil tholu-ightH looking down upon tho «( , „ , on whioh woro pouted tho Russian loft ¦ wnitf . A troinomloua muMkulry tiro at u very nhor ( range soon oponud upon tho advancing lYoiich fy ,,, u ( im | nrouud tho octangular towor . Tho Zouave * fora moment Wtiru boaUm Imdc , but u surgouul-inajm- of tho nmno ot Aluury diiHhcd ahuutl , with the tricolor flag in hln hand , ngut . to thobHHumuut of tlio tuwor . A bullut laid him

    low ; but the Zouaves , followed b y the other chivalrous regiments , charged the Russians with the bayonet , and utterly routed them . They then pushed on towards the Russian centre , which they were threatening when the action concluded . The gallant behaviour of the French was -witnessed from our 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 Caurobert , 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 Belbck , where it had teen intended to effect the landing 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 militiiry darings the plan of operations was suddenly changed by Lord Kaglaai , with the concurrence of the French commander . It was determined to advance at once by a flank march round the east of Sebastopol , to cross the

    valley of the Tcheniaya , 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 waff executed by the troops . To effect this object it was necessary , after crossing the lielbek near the village of that name , and also the high road from that place to Sebastopol , to strike off to the south-east across the country , so as to reach the -Balaklava road at or near a place called Khutor Mackenzie , or Mackenzie ' s Farm . The distaa . ee from one road to the other is about , six miles as the crow flies ; but the 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 division , and in many places the men could scarcely see one another through the dense bx-ushwood . Thus groping their way along , the first division took at rfirst too southerly a direction , and arrived near . the hill on which the Inkerman lights are erected ; from this point they turned due east , and , after some hours of extraordinary exertion and difficulty , they reached Mackenzie ' s Farm—a name aud locality singularly welcome to the Higldand Brigade . As the , Guards * approached the border of the forest , firing "was heard to the 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 extremely critical , for , on clearing the forest , Lord Raglan ' s staff , with some batteries of artillery , found themselves on the flank and rear of a Kussiau division , said to amount to 15 , 000 men , on . its march to Baktshi-Serai , No sooner , however , had our guns opened upon the enemy , who were wholly unprepared for such an attack , than they ( led with precipitation , some in one 'directioii aud sonic in Another , leaving in tho hands of our army a few astonished prisoners and an iinineiiso quantity of carts , baggage , stores , and ammunition , which strewed the road for three miles . After tliLa adventure , which struck fresh terror into the ranks of the enemy , the army detsconded by a » teop < lefile into the ; plains , through which tho river Tchenuiya

    Hows , and bivouacked that night upon its bunk . s , after having been under arms fourteen bourn , in u mo . stdillicult country , without road .- * , and almost without water . NevLTthelesH , it wua hero that Lieutenant Muxuo , of her j VlnjuMty ' s ship Agamemnon , volunteered to retrace hi . stop * by night through this forest mid across a country infoHtoil with CoHiuiukp , to convey to ( Sir E . . Lyons tho order to briny round the fleet ; and , ho well was this extraordinary servk-o performed , that Mr . Muxho ronehed tho fleet at four . a . iu ,, and before noon tho Agamemnon was oil' tho port of lSurukluvu . In tho meantime tlio forcen had reached that place by un cany march next

    morning ; iuicI , although the old Genoese fort on the rock opened itn lire and threw a shell among Lord l {« frl « n '» stun " , the place isurreiulerod an noon un tho hoightu were occupied . Wo nun- horo add that the position of Itiilakluvu in coiibidm-d by this holiest military authorities in I ho army to Ijo * u Htrong that it can oiiMTy lie rondorod Impregnable uh long an it Ls held by our troop * , and that it uH ' onl * um it pL'rl'fctly m-ciirc hano of operation *) , under all ciri'umstuniTM w liutuvur , with a tlno port , a lwalhty climate , and a fertile oountiy . To un army , landing an I ho alliod i ' orce * liuulod on ail unknown count like that of l . ho l . ' rhni'H , isiu'h a po * m ) rt * ion in of inorjtlmublu viiliio .

    u i ! him mil illilii to from thewo ( lurtpntuliOH u oli-nr idea i » l" the corrcMpondiiig niovmnont . of the Front-li army , o . \ . eept that . Lord Kiiglaii ( ital . cu tlioir marcih to hnv « boon even liniKisr and inoro fatiguing than that of llui Itritinh ti'onpH , mid thi-y rvaohfd the 'I ' clieniuya a . day later . Thero in , Ihmvovvi-, tMjino iviintMi to holiuvo that , ( ionorul Canruln-rt , liiloiKlcd to occupy one ol' the ( loop lmyn nitwcnn ( . ' apo riidi-Honi-rio « inl ' Hol > ant . o |» ol , and to hind Iho I ' miK-li oit i gii train tlu-ro . Tlio flrim of tho nnoicnt Ughthouuu of thuTauric Chwaonu-sUH , which tho Kuswiaiw

    had extinguished , have already been rekindled by the allied troops . Such is the proximity of those positions to Sevastopol 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 English and French armies were emplo 3-ed in a deliberate survey of its defences . A place which can be thus easily approached by an enemy , and reconnoitred from the adjacent heights without molestation , may be considered to be already invested , at least on tlie south side of the harbour .

    October 14, 1854.] The Leader. 963

    October 14 , 1854 . ] THE LEADER . 963

    Interesting Episodes In The March, Durin...

    Interesting episodes in the march , during and after the battle , are , of course , not wanting . OtrK Cavaley and the Cossacks . —The cavalry ( about 500 men of the 8 th Hussars , the 11 th Hussars , and 13 th Light Dragoons ) pushed on in front , 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 Ciossacks advanced to meet us in like order , anan for man , the steel of their long lances glittering in the sun . They were rough-looking fellows , mounted on sturdy little horses ,- but the regularity of their order and the

    celerity of their , movements showed they were regulars , and by no means despicable foes . As our . skirmishers advanced the Cossacks halted at the foot of the lull . Their reserves were not well in sight , but from time to time & 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 nearc-r ; but as he did so , dark columns of cavalry' came into view in the recesses of the hills , and it became evident that if our men charged up sucb a steep ascent their 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 theroforn

    ordered the cavalry to halt , gather in their sRirmishers , and retire slowly . None of the infantry or artillery were in sight of us , as they had not yet topped the brow of the hill . "When our skirmishers halted the Cossacks commenced a fire from their line of- -vedettes , which was quite harmless . Few of the balls came near enough to let tho whiz be heard . Two or three officers who were riding between the cavalry and the skirmishers , Licut .-Colonel Dickson , K . A ., Captain Fellowes , 12 th Lancers , l ) r . Elliott , E . A ., we ' re looking oiit anxiously for the arrival of Captain Maude's horse artillery , when suddenly the Kussians , emboldened by our halt , came over the brow of the hill , 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 skirmishern , who had replied smartly to the fire of the-Cossacks , but without effect , retired and joined their squadrons . At every fifty paces our cavalry faced about to receive the Cossacks if they prepared to charge . Suddenly ono of tlie liussian 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 column of our cavalry behind , and rolled away between' the ranks of the riflemen in tlie rear , just as th « y came in view of the cavalry . In another instant a second gun bowled right through tho 1 lth IIuKHars , and knocked over a horse , taking off his ridor'a log above the ankle . Another nnd ( mother followed , tearing through our ranks , so that it was quite

    wonderful bo few of tho cavalry were hit . Meantime Captuin Maude ' s artillery galloped ovor the hillock , but were halted by Lord itnglan ' H ordor at tlio bane , in rear of thu cavalry on tho left ilank . Thin wiih done -probably to ontiee the ltutmians further down tho hill . Meantime our cavalry were drawn up ns tar ( Jj « itH for tlio tiiu-my ' s gutm , and had they been of iron they could not have been more * solid and immovable . Tho L ' wHHian guuni'i-n fired admirably ; they were rather alow , but , tlioir balls came bounding along , qtiito viwiblci as they pawsert , in right lino from tho centre of the cavalry column » . Aftor some thirty rounds from tho enomy our artillisry opened fire . Thoir round shot ploughed mi tho column !* of tho cavalry , who Hjiceuily dlnjiom-d into brokon Hik-h , wheeling round , and round ' with great ndroilucHH to oauapc the nix . and nine pound balls .

    Tins Zokavks and run Tiuaim . isiiuh . —A wiler in tlm Times , wlio witnoHMi'il the battle from tho maintop of the Agamemnon , and had u good view of the French , nay * ; " Tim French couuncnoml tho action , wealing tho Imiglit .-. with groat vourago and Hkill . 1 haw never him-ii iiiivthin # wore , hnautinil thun tho way in which tlio Zmiavci and TirnUleum Hcrnmhled up the almost . jiorp < 'ii < li < iil « r oIIHh , and formed in Him on tlio Miiumil . iiini

    biittiti then Iiccihik-gnunl / niul tin- l ' ii .- * -iim- " < rc Mtcmlilv beaten back . Their Ilimk having tliu . s lieen turned . I could Hoarcoly doul > t tint i ^ 'iie of lln- lmtll « . The / irniicH Wire fortuiuiicly ho jilacoil * lw » l thry Iwnl Hie worlt to do whidi bctit Milled the p . M-nli / 'n- ipiiilitien < W tln-lr men . Tho Kiigli » li could not h « v < iM-al . ' . l the height * like the Froridh , nor av . hiM l- ' reneh «¦<•! ittinir . t in all pmlmUIIty , 11 IIV 4 I llllll-1-lu-. l ll |> I" till' iMIII-rll-H "Hll «»•«! « l « g { f «« J courugo >\ hii-h wi iliMlln / rulHlieM ISrilUh troopw whon jilacml in ihu jpoMitluii in wliioh thuy wore during thin battJo . "

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 14, 1854, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_14101854/page/3/