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was evident that a larger force than the Eussians employed -would have forced him to retire from his ground , or to fight a battle in defence of it with the aid of the other divisions of the army ; and yet nothing was done . No effort was made to intrench the lines , to cast up a single shovel of earth , to cut down the brushwood , or form an abattis . It was thought " not to be necessary . " A heavy responsibility rests on those whose neglect enabled the enemy to attack us where we were least prepared for it , and whose indifference led them to despise precautions which , taken in time , might have saved tis many valuable lives , and have trebled the loss of the enemy had they been bold enough to have assaulted na behind intrenchments . We have nothing to rejoice
over in the battle of lnkerman . " We have defeated the enemy , indeed , but have not advanced a step nearer to-¦ vrards the citadel of Sebastopol . We have abashed , humiliated , and utterly roTited an enemy strong in num"ber , in fanaticism , and in dogged resolute courage , and animated by the presence of a son of him whom they believe to he God ' s vicegerent on earth ; but we have suffered a fearful loss ., and we aTe not in a position to part with one man . England must give us men . She must le prodigal of her sons , as she is of her money and of her ships , and as they have been of their lives in her service . It was a little after five o'clock this morning when Brigadier-General Codrington , in accordance with his usual habit , visited the outlying pickets of his own
brigade of the Light Division * It was reported to him that " all was "well , " and the General entered into some conversation with Captain . Pretyman , of the 33 rd Regiment , who was on duty « n the ground , in the course of which It was remarked that it would not be at all surprising if the Russians availed themselves of the gloom of the morning to make an attack on our position , calculating on the effects of the rain in disarming crar vigilance and spoiling our weapons . The Brigadier , who has proved a most excellent , cool , and brave officer , turned his pony round at last , and retraced his steps through the brushwood towards his lines . He had only proceeded a few paces when a shaip rattle of musketry was heard down the hill and on the left of the pickets of the
Light Division . It was here that the pickets of the Second Division were stationed . General Codrington at once turned his horse ' s head in the direction of the firing , and hi a few minutes gallopped back to turn out his division .. The Russians were advancing in force upon us !/ " Their grey greatcoats rendered them almost invisible even when close at hand . The pickets of the Second Division had scarcely made out the advancing lines of infantry who -were clambering up the steep sides of the hill through a drizzling shower of rain , ere they were forced to retreat by a close sharp volley of musketry , and were driven up towards the brow of the hill , contesting every step of it , and firing , as long as they had a round of ammunition , on the Russian advance .
The pickets of the Light Division were assailed soon afterwards , and were also obliged to retreat and fall back on their main body , and it was evident that a very strong sortie had been made upon the right of the position of the allied armies , with the object of forcing them to raise the siege , and , if possible , of driving them into the sea . About the same time that the advance of the Russians on our right flank took place , a demonstration was made by the cavalry , artillery , and a few infantry , in the valley against Balaklava , to divert the attention of the French on the heights above , and to occupy the Highland Brigade and Marines ; but only an interchange of a fow harmless rounds of cannon and musketry took placo , and the enemv contented
themselves with drawing up their cavalry in order of battle , supported by field artillery , at the neck of the valley , in readiness to sweep over the heights and cut our retreating troops to pieces should the assault on our right be successful . A Semaphore post had been erected on the heights over Inkerman , in communication with anotlier on the hill over thoir position , from which the intelligence of our defeat was to be conveyed to tho cavalry general , and tho news would have been made known in Sebastopol by similar means , in order to encourage tho garrison to n general sortio along their front . A steamer with very heavy shell guns and mortars was sont up by night to tho head of tho creek at Inkorman , and caused ranch injury throughout tho clay by tho enormous sheila she pitched right over tho hill upon our men . Everything that could bo done to bind
victory to thoir eagles—if tlioy have any—was done by the Russian gonorala . Tlie presence of thoir Grand Duke Michael Nioholacvitch , who told thorn that tho Czar had issued ordoro that every Frenchman and Englishman was to bo driven into tho son ore tho your closed , cheered th « common Holdiers , who rogard tho rou of tho Emperor as an incarnation of tho Divine , Proaonco . They had abundunco of a coarnor and more material stimulant , -which waa found in thuir uantconu and flasks 5 and , nbovo ( ill , the prio » L » of tho Greek Catholic Church " blessed" thorn ore they went forth upon thoir mission , and nusurod them of tho aid mid protection of the Most High . A mass wan anid for tho army , nnd tho joya of Hoavon -wore freely offered to thouo who might fall in tho holy light , ami the favours of tho Emperor wore largely promised to those who might aurvivo tho bullets of a heretical onomy .
Tho men in our camps hud just begun a atrugglo with tho rain in endeavouring to light thoir fi ros for broulifaat when tho alarm was givou that tho Kuafiiana
were advancing in force . Brigadier-General Pennefataer , to whom the illness of Sir De Lacy Evans had given for the time the command of the 2 nd Division , at once got the troops under arms . One brigade under Brigadier-General Adams , consisting of the 41 st , 47 th , and 49 th Regiments , was pushed on to the brow of the hill to check the advance of the enemy by the road through the brushwood from the valley . The other brigade ( Pennefather ' s own ) consisting of the 30 th , 55 th , and 95 th Regiments , were led to operate on their flank . They were at once met with a tremendous fire of shell and round shot from guns which the enemy had posted on the high grounds , in advance of our right , and it was soon found that the
Russians had brought up at least 40 pieces of heavy artillery to bear upon us . Meantime , the alarm had spread through the camps . Sir George Cathcart with the greatest promptitude turned out as many of his division as were not employed in the trenches , and led the portions of the 20 th , 21 st , 46 th , 57 tb , 63 d , and 68 th Regiments , which were available against the enemy , directing them to the left of the ground occupied by the column of the 2 d Division . It was intended that one brigade , under Brigadier-General Torrens , should move ia support of the brigade under Brigadier-General Goldie ; but it was soon found that the enemy were in such strength that the whole force of the division , which consisted of only 2 , 200 men , must be vigorously used to
repel them . Sir George Brown had rushed up to the front with his brave fellows of the Light Division—the remnants of the 7 th Fusiliers , of the l&th Regiment , of the 23 d Regiment , of the 33 d Regiment , and the 77 th and the 88 th Regiments , under Brigadiers Codrington and Buller . As they began to move across the ground of the 2 nd Division , they were at once brought under fire by an unseen enemy . The gloomy character of the morning was unchanged . Showers of rain fell through the fogs , and turned the ground into a clammy soil , like a freshly-ploughed field , and the Russians , who had , no doubt , taken the bearings of the ground ere they placed their guns , fired at random , indeed , but with too much effect on our advancing columns .
while all the army was thus in motion , the Duke of Cambridge was not behind hand in bringing up the Guards under Brigadier Bentinck—all of his division now left with him , as the Highlanders are under Sir Colin Campbell at Balaklava . These splendid troops with the greatest rapidity and ardour rushed to the front on the right of the Second Division , and gained the summit of the hills towards which two columns of the Russians were struggling in the closest order of which the nature of the ground would admit . The Third Division , under Sir E . England , was also got under arms as a reserve , and one portion of it , comprising the 50 th , part of the 28 th and of the 4 th Regiments , -were engaged with the enemy ere the fight was over .
And now commenced the bloodiest struggle ever witnessed since war cursed the earth . It has been doubted by military histor ians if any enemy have ever stood a charge with the bayonet , but here the bayonet was often the only weapon employed in conflicts of the most obstinate and deadly character . We have been prone to believe that no foe could ever withstand the British soldier wielding his favourite weapon , and that at Maida alone did the enemy ever cross bayonets with him , but at the battle of lnkerman not only did wo charge in vain—not only were desperate encounters between masses of men maintained with the bayonet alone—but we were obliged to resist bayonet to bayonet tho Russian infantry again and again , as they charged
us with incredible fury and determination . Tho battle of Inkcrmann admits of no description . It waa a series of dreadful deeds of daring , of sanguinury hand-to-hand fights , of despairing rallies , of desperate assaults — in glens and valleys , in brushwood glades and remote dells , hidden from nil human eyes , and from which tho conquerors , Russian or British , issued only to engage fresli foes , till our old supremacy , bo rudoly assailed , was triumphantly assorted , and tho battalions of tho Czar gave way before our steady courage and the chivalrous firo of France . ISTo ono , however placed , could have witnessed oven a small portion of tho doings of thia eventful day—for the
vapours , fog , and drizzling mist obacurcd tho ground whoro the struggle took place to such an extent as to render it impossible to sco what was going on at the distance of a few yards . Besides this , the irregular nature of tho ground , the rapid fall of tho hill towards Inkorman , whoro tho deadliest fi # ht took place , would havo prevented one under tho most favourable oircium-BtanccB seeing more than iv very insignificant and dotailed piece of tho torriblo work below . It was hJx . o'clock whoa nil tho Head-quarter camp was roused by roll after roll of muskotrv on tho right , nnd by tho sharp report , of field gunn . Lord Raglan waa informed that tho onomy wore advancing , in force , and soon after hovoii o ' clock ho rodo townrda tho
Heono ol action , followed by his fitjufl " , and aacompanicd by Sir John Burgoyno , Drlgadier-Genurnl Strangwayn , It . A ., and aovernl nidea-de-camp . Ah thoy approached , tho volume " of sound , tUo atoady , unceasing thundur of gun , « nd rifle , nnd mnukut , told that tho engagement , wan at its height . Tho shall of tho Russians , thrown with groat precision , burst so thickly among tho troopH , that the noiflo resembled continuous diuohargus of cannon , and tho massive fragmonta inflicted uoath on every sido .
One of the first things the Russians did , when a breal in of the fog enabled them to see the camp of th Second Division , was to open fire on the tents wit round shot and large shell , and tent after tent wa blown down , torn to pieces , or sent into the air , whil the men engaged in camp duties , and the unhappy horses tethered up in the lines were killed or mutilated Colonel Gambier was at once ordered to get up tw heavy guns ( 18-pounders ) on the rising ground , and t reply to a fire which our light guns were utterly inade quate to meet . As he was engaged in this duty , an was exerting himself with Captain Daguilar to urg them forward , Colonel Gambier was severely hut nc dangerously wounded , and was obliged to retire . Hi place was taken by Lieutenant-Colonel Dickson , and tl
conduct of that officer in directing the fire of those tw pieces , which had the most marked effect in deciding tl fate of the day , was such as to elicit the admiration ( the army , and deserve the thanks of every man engage in that bloody fray . But long ere these guns ha been brought up there had been a great slaughter of ti enemy , and a heavy loss of our own men . Our genera could not see where to go . They could not tell whei the enemy were—from what side they were coming , an where going to . In darkness , gloom , and rain they ha to lead our lines through thick scrubby bushes an thorny brakes , which broke our ranks and irritated tl men , while every pace was marked by a corpse or ma wounded by an enemy whose position was only ind cated by the rattle of musketry and the rush of ball an shell .
Sir George Cathcart , seeing his men disordered by tl fire of a large column of Russian infantry which wi outflanking them , while portions of the various reg ments composing his division were maintaining an ui equal struggle with an overwhelming force , rode dov into the ravine in which they were engaged , to ral them . He perceived at the same time that the Ru sians had actually gained possession of a portion of ti hill in reaT of one flank of his division , but still 1 stout heart never failed him for a moment . He rode their head encouraging them , and when a cry arose th the ammunition was failing , he said coolly , " Have y < not got your bayonets ? " As he led on his men . it w observed that another body of men had gained the t of the hill behind them on the right , but it was impc sible to tell whether they were friends or foes , deadly vollev was poured into our scattered res
ments . Sir George cheered them and led them ba up the hill , but a flight of bullets passed where rode , and he fell from his horse close to the Russi columns . The men had to fight their way throw : a host of enemies , and lost fearfully . They were si rounded and bayoneted on all sides , and won their d perate way up the hill , with diminished ranks , and 1 loss of near 500 men . Sir George Cathcart ' s body v afterwards recovered with a bullet wound in the h < and three bayonet wounds in the body . In this strugt where the Russu ns fought with the greatest feroci nnd bayoneted the wounded as they fell , Colonel Swy of the G 3 rd , a most gallant officer , Lieutenant Dowli 20 th , Major Wynne , G 8 th , and other officers whose nai will bo found in the Gazette , met their death , and Bri dier Goldie ( of tho 57 th Regiment ) received the -wou of which lie has since died . The conflict on the ii
was equally uncertain and equally bloody . In the L Division , the 88 th got so far into the front that I were surrounded and put into utter confusion , when companies of the 77 th under Major Straton charged ltuasinn . % broke them , and relieved their comrades , fight had not long commenced ere it was ovi that tho Russians had received orders to lire at mounted officers . Sir George Brown was st by a shot , which went through his arm and st his side . I saw with regret his pale and st < composed face , as his body was borne by m > a litter early in tho day , his white hair flickerii the breeze , for I knew wo had lost tho services of a soldier that day . Further to the right a contest like of which , perhaps , never took placo before , going on between tho Guards and dense colinnj Russian infantry of livo times thoir number . Guards hud charged thorn Jind driven them back , thoy perceived that tho Russians hud outflanked Thoy wero out of ammunition too . They woro unc < whether there- wore friends or foes in tho roar , hud no support , no reserve , and thoy wero fighting tho bayonet ngttinut nn enemy who fitoutly con ovory inch of ground , when tho corps of another B , column nppoarod on their right far in thoir roar , n fearful mitraHh wnn poured into them , and voll rifle and munlsotry . The Guards wera brokon ; hml lost 12 ofllcoro dead in tho Held ; thoy had loi half of thoir number on tho ground , and thoy along the lower road of tho valley . But the } soon reinforced , and thoy apecdily avenged their li The J . ' Yonoh advances about , ton o'clock turned th of tho onomy . They retired at 1 . 40 , with a loss c killed nnd wounded . About , hall-past nine o ' uloclc , Lord linglnn stuff woro uHttemblod on a knoll , in tho vain getting a glimpse of the battle which waa mginf thoni . lloro General Strnngwaya was mortally "w and I am told that lio mot hit ) death in tho fo way ;—A shell caino right ; in among tho utafTplodod in Oaptain Soinersot ' o horwo , ripping him (
Untitled Article
1108 THE LEADER . [ Saturday ,
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 25, 1854, page 1108, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2066/page/4/
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