CHAPTER IX. ATTACK ON THE 2ND DIVISION; LORD RAGLAN'S GENERAL ORDER; FLAG OF TRUCE TO SEBASTOPOL; RETIREMENT OF SIR DE LACY EVANS; PROGRESS OF THE SIEGE; WEAKNESS OF THE BRITISH ARMY; RUSSIAN REINFORCEMENTS; ARRIVAL OF THE GRAND DUKES; BATTLE OF INKERMANN, THE capture of the English guns, and the establishment of Liprandi on the left bank of the Tchernaya, induced Prince Mentschikoff to direct an attack on another part of the English position, which had been left very inadequately protected. On the morning of the 26th of October, he assembled the garrison of Sebastopol, to whom he described, in glowing colours, the events of the day before, when the enemy had been defeated, and their cavalry destroyed: it only, therefore, remained, he said, to disperse their infantry, which he was sure the Russian soldiers would effect. The men received the address with cheers, and demanded to be led to the attack, and to victory.* The cannonade from the town was commenced that morning with even more than usual vigour. A 16-inch mortar was landed from one of the ships in the harbour, and threw its immense shells into the intrenchments of the allies; one of which fell into the magazine of the French principal battery, blew it up, and silenced that battery for the remainder of the day: another dismounted nine guns on the British right. At the time that this fierce firing was kept up, a part of the garrison was making preparations to attack the British 2nd division, stationed on the extreme right of the allied encampment. -A glance at our plan of Sebastopol will detect a road which ran past the English head-quarters, to the Woronzoff road, and from that road took a northern direction, slightly inclining to the east. "On this road the 2nd division was encamped, upon the slope of an eminence. The road, passing over this ridge," first inclines to the left, and "then turns to the right, running down a deep ravine to the valley. To the left of this road, the ground, which slopes gently down from the crest in front of the site occupied by the camp of the 2nd division, rises against a second emi *Two Russian officers, taken prisoners on the 26th of October, are the authorities for this statement. nence, called Shell Hill, about 1,200 yards in front of the first. From this second ridge a spectator looked down, across the head of the harbour in front, on the town and allied attack on the left, and on the ruins and valley of Inkermann on the right. To the right of the road, the ground, first sloping upwards, then descends to the edge of the heights, opposite Inkermann. From the first, the Russians showed great jealousy of any one advancing on any part of the ground beyond the ridge. As soon as a party, if even but two or three in number, showed itself there, a signal was made from a telegraph on the Russian side of the valley, to the ships in the harbour, which (though the spot was not visible from their position) immediately sent off shot and shell at a tolerably good range. As the ridge in front was rather higher than that behind which the 2nd division was posted, and as the road, as well as the slopes from the valley on the left of it, afforded facilities for the advance of an enemy, not found at any other part of the heights, this was, notoriously, the weak point of the British position." The morning of the 26th of October passed away with no other manifestations, on the part of the enemy, than the fierce cannonade. About one o'clock, some of the out-pickets of the 2nd division saw a body of infantry, cavalry, and artillery leave the north-east quarter of Sebastopol. The movement, however, excited little attention, as it was supposed to be a detachment en route to join Liprandi in the Tchernaya valley. This force, consisting of 4,500 infantry, with two squadrons of Cossacks, and a field battery of twelve guns-all having volunteered for the service after Prince Mentschikoff's address— passed through the valley of Inkermann, when it divided, and one portion ascended the Shell Hill; whilst the other advanced by the road leading from that valley to the + The Past Campaign. Lieutenant-colonel Hamley. heights, whose crest commanded the camp was descried ascending, in scattered order, of the 2nd division. About one hundred the height beyond." The artillery directed men of the 30th and 49th regiments were doing duty as out-pickets, the officers being Captains Bayley and Acherley, of the 30th, and Lieutenant Conolly, of the 49th. As soon as the Russians showed themselves above the crests, these officers threw their men into skirmishing position, and kept the enemy at bay, at a turn of the roads, till their ammunition was expended: then they retired; five men having been killed, and forty (amongst them the three officers) wounded. its fire upon the fugitives; and "they were literally chased, by the 30th and 45th regiments, over the ridges, and down towards the head of the bay. So eager was the pursuit, that it was with difficulty Majorgeneral Pennefather eventually effected the recall of his men. These regiments and the pickets were led gallantly by Major Mauleverer, Major Champion, Major Eman, and Major Hume. The Russians were similarly pursued, farther towards the right, by four companies of the 41st, led as galThe enemy immediately got his artillery lantly by Lieutenant-colonel the Hon. into position on Shell Hill; but the firing P. Herbert, assistant-quartermaster-genehad reached the ears of the 2nd division, ral. The 47th also contributed." As the which was soon in battle arrav. "It was Russians retreated towards Sebastopol, formed in line, in advance of the camp, the they came within range of a Lancaster left under Major-general Pennefather, the gun, which had been placed in the rear of right under Brigadier general Adams. Gordon's battery by Captain Lushington, Lieutenant-colonel Fitzmayer, and the and given in charge to Mr. Hewett, acting captains of batteries (Turner and Yates), mate of the Beagle. Though within the promptly posted their guns, and opened range, the enemy was on the wrong side of their fire on the enemy."* Immediately the embrasure for the gun to be brought on the cannonade being heard, the Duke to bear upon them. Without hesitation, of Cambridge, at the head of the brigade the gallant officer, "blowing away the of guards, under Major-general Bentinck, right cheek of the embrasure, to obtain with a battery under Lieutenant-colonel the requisite lateral sweep, fired nearly a Dacres, hastened to the support of the 2nd dozen rounds into the retreating ranks, division. His royal highness took post in with very great effect."|| advance on the right, to secure that flank, and "rendered, throughout, the most effective and important assistance."+ General Bosquet, with equal promptitude, and from a greater distance, marched to the position with five French battalions: Sir George Cathcart joined with a regiment of rifles; and Sir George Brown sent two guns to co-operate on the left. The first effort was made against the enemy's artillery on Shell Hill, which had opened a brisk fire on the British camp. The battery of the 2nd division, supported by that of the 1st (Wodehouse's troop), soon silenced the Russian guns, and drove them from the field. The two batteries then "directed their fire upon a Russian column, advancing half-way between the ridges. Unable to face the storm of shot, the column retired precipitately down the ravine to its left;" and then "another strong column showed itself over the ridge. After facing the fire of the batteries for a brief space, it retired. Presently, the first column, having passed along the ravine, * Sir De Lacy Evans' despatch, Oct. 27th. + Ibid. Lieutenant-colonel Hamley, This was an affair very creditable to the English troops, as not more than 2,000 men (Sir De Lacy Evans estimated the number at 1,800) were engaged. They belonged to the 30th, 95th, 41st, 47th, and 49th regiments; the 55th was held in reserve. Neither the 1st division (except Wodehouse's artillery) nor the French troops came into action: the victory was won before the latter arrived.-There were at least 5,000 Russians. They left eighty prisoners in the hands of the victors, and about 130 of their dead were found in or near the British position. It was computed that their total loss was not less than 600. The loss of the British was slight; twelve killed, and above eighty (including five officers) wounded. What was the real object of Prince Mentschikoff in making the attack has never been ascertained: parties of the assailants were observed to carry intrenching tools; and it is probable that he hoped to surprise the British-drive them from their encampments on those heights, and establish his § Sir De Lacy Evans' despatch. Lieutenant-colonel Hamley. by which title the action of the 25th of October is distinguished-it was reported at head-quarters, that Cossacks had been seen riding over the field, since that day, transfixing the wounded with their lances. This excited great anxiety to know the fate of the officers and men who were missing; and Lord Raglan requested Earl Lucan to send a messenger to Sebastopol, to make inquiry respecting them. The noble earl accordingly despatched Captain Fellowes, assistant-quartermaster-general to the cavalry, with a flag of truce, and a letter to General Liprandi. The captain was not admitted nearer the town than about one hundred yards: but an old officer, Prince Gortschakoff, came out to him; who, at own troops in their place. Defeated on that occasion, he suffered ten days to elapse before he renewed the attempt.-A singular incident occurred that night, when the troops, except those in the trenches, had retired to their tents-the advance of a troop of horse was heard, "galloping from the valley, through the French outposts, by the Woronzoff road." The men turned out, not knowing what to expect; when a number of horses, apparently between two and three hundred, were seen dashing along without riders. About 180 were secured, but many scampered past and eluded pursuit. Those taken (and no doubt the others were similarly equipped), were saddled, and fully caparisoned for hussars and lancers; and at their saddle-"first, was not very civil, and appeared bows hung bags of black bread. As the bits hung out of their mouths, it was conjectured that they had been startled by a discharge of rockets from the French division, encamped on the east brow of the plateau. much annoyed at the remarks Captain Fellowes made about the dead being left unburied. "Tell your general,' he said, that we are your enemies, but we are Christians."" However, he softened down when he found that Captain Fellowes had brought letters from Russian officers whom we had taken prisoners, and told him, that if he would return on the next day, he should have the names of the survivors. Captain Fellowes did return on the 29th, when a letter from General Liprandi was handed to him; from which it was ascertained, that only two officers-Lieutenant Clowes, of the 8th hussars, and Cornet Chadwick, of the 17th lancers-were prisoners: both had their horses shot under them; and when endeavouring to regain the British lines, were wounded, and captured by Cossacks. Several other wounded officers had been taken into Sebastopol, but none had survived through the night. There were, also, fifty-nine non-commissioned officers and privates prisoners, of whom forty-four were wounded. The captain saw Prince Gortschak off again, who, in the course of conversation, referred to A "general order" appeared on the 27th of October; in which the commander-inchief thanked the troops for their gallant conduct on the 25th and the 26th. The services of Sir Colin Campbell, the Earls of Lucan and Cardigan,* Brigadier-general Scarlett, and Sir De Lacy Evans, were especially acknowledged; and the charge of the light brigade was particularly mentioned the major-general, his officers and men, being assured of his lordship's sympathy with them, in their grief for the heavy loss they had sustained. "He felt it due to them," his lordship said, "to place on record the gallantry they displayed, and the coolness and perseverance with which they executed one of the most arduous attacks that was ever witnessed, under the heaviest fire, and in the face of powerful bodies of artillery, cavalry, and infantry." Referring to the attack on the 2nd division, his lordship declared, that the light cavalry charge. Praising the "the conduct of all engaged in it was admirable;" and that "the arrangements of the lieutenant-general were so able and effective, as at once to secure success, and inflict a heavy loss upon the enemy." The appearance of this order was very agreeable to the troops, who were loud in praise of their "good commander." Subsequent to the "Battle of Balaklava" *Not long after the battle of Balaklava, Lord Cardigan was invalided, and went on board his yacht, which was in the harbour. Before the end bravery of the brigade, he added-"The cumstances would permit. They were to leave for Simpheropol that evening."* At the men was when they were employed at night-work in the trenches. Not only was On the 29th the army lost the services there the labour which they had to perform, of Lieutenant-general Sir De Lacy Evans. but alarms of sorties were frequent. The He had been suffering, for some days, from Russian "skirmishers used to advance diarrhoea; and on that day, when riding upon the British out-pickets, and, supthrough the camp at a fast trot, his horse ported by a stupendous cannonade, keep fell with him. Though no limbs were up firing musketry, till the alarm became broken or bruised, the fall so shook and general throughout the lines, the troops weakened him, that he felt obliged to were turned out, and after remaining an resign his command into the hands of hour or so under arms, to no purpose, Lieutenant-general Pennefather, and go went back to their tents, to seek what little down to Balaklava, where he embarked on repose they could get before dawn." board the Simoom. A general wish was last the men were getting fairly worn out; expressed throughout the army, that he and when in the trenches, it was almost in might soon resume his command. vain to attempt to keep them awake.§ At the commencement of November, the British force before Sebastopol was quite inadequate to the various duties it had to perform-one reason why the Inkermann plateau had not been properly fortified, in compliance with the repeated representations of the Duke of Cambridge and Sir De Lacy Evans on that subject, both being fully aware of the insecurity of that position before the assault of the 26th of October. There really were There really were no men who could be spared for the work, nor for the making of a road, which was much wanted, from Balaklava to the camp. From the time the army arrived on the plateau, to the 1st of November, 2,112 men had been invalided, and sent to Scutari and Malta. There were, in addition, about 2,000 men in the various regimental hospitals; and nearly 1,000 had been killed in actions and skirmishes with the enemy. "Exclusive, therefore, of the numbers employed in guarding Balaklava, rear-guards, commissariat guards, and all the waste of an army, the number of English troops was,' at the above date, "under 16,000 bayonets." The French were in much greater force; and they were far more healthy, on the whole: but the Russians had, since the battle of the Alma, received such numerous reinforcements, that, before the battle of Inkermann, their effective strength was very superior to that of the allies. It After the "Battle of Balaklava," the siege works were carried on with vigour. On the 27th of October, the British opened a new parallel in front of Chapman's battery; and the "French, who had before them the town, and real body of the place, took advantage of the more favourable ground, and carried on approaches systematically, on the most salient and commanding parts of the enemy's lines: and they constructed and opened batteries, the precision of the fire from which materially damaged the Russian works, though it did not succeed in silencing their guns."+ was only the front line of the works which was materially damaged; and the Russians did not give themselves much concern about this, as they depended chiefly on their inner line of defence. They employed themselves, between the 25th of October and the 5th of November, in throwing up large earthworks, to strengthen the Flagstaff Battery and the Redan; and in increasing the batteries in the neighbourhood of the Malakoff. The bombardment and the return fire were kept up, but not continuously; and, previous to the 1st of November, when the French reopened the battery which had been demolished on the 17th of October, the fire from the English line of attack was by far the most effective, whilst our allies suffered most from that of the garrison. The superiority in the number of guns, and their calibre, still remained with the Russians; but on neither side did the injury inflicted on the enemy appear to be equal to the extent of the means employed. At this period of the siege, and long subsequently, the most fatiguing time for * Letters from Head-quarters. † Lord Raglan's despatch, November 3rd. Generals Dannenberg and Soimonoff, and their staffs. those purposes, he knew a large force would be required. He, therefore, sent messengers off in all directions; and by the comIt became evident to the allied commencement of November, had received the manders, that, subsequently to the battle following additions to his force :-"1st. of Balaklava, "the enemy had considerA contingent from the coast of Asia, ably increased their force in the valley of Kertch, and Kaffa.-2nd. Six battalions the Tchernaya, both in artillery, cavalry, and detachments of marines from Nicolaieff. and infantry; and had extended to their -3rd. Four battalions of Cossacks from left, not only occupying the village of the Black Sea.-4th. The 10th, 11th, and Kamara, but the heights beyond it, and 12th divisions of infantry, forming the 4th pushed forward pickets, and even guns, corps, commanded by General Dannen- towards the extreme right of the British."+ berg."* The latter had formed the corps On the 2nd of November a few shots d'armée of the Danubian provinces. After were fired from these guns, apparently to the evacuation of those provinces, these try the range; and they fell somewhat troops were marched to Odessa, where all short. These demonstrations caused Lord sorts of conveyances-the peculiar light Raglan to turn his attention to the decarts of the country people, the carriages fences of Balaklava, and those of the 2nd and post-horses of the nobility, gentry, and division, with the view of strengthening merchants, with every other vehicle, private both; but no immediate attack appears to and public-were scized for the service of have been expected; for, on the 4th, a the czar, and employed in conveying grand council of war was held at the headthem, and about one hundred guns, to quarters of the French army, at which, it Balbec: the route was, by these means, was understood (such was the report traversed in a few days. As they arrived amongst those members of Lord Raglan's -and he found his army began to acquire staff who were not present), that "a gena formidable strength-Prince Mentschi- eral assault on Sebastopol should take koff's spirits, damped by the defeat of the place on the morning of the 7th, as the Alma, appear to have revived. He thought batteries had so far got the upper hand of the defeat and discomfiture of the allies the enemy, that it was at length thought certain and in a despatch sent to the practicable to take that step." This reemperor (a copy of which fell into the solution would scarcely have been come to hands of the allies), he wrote-"A terrible if it had been suspected that the Russian calamity, sire, impends over the invaders commander-in-chief was then preparing to of your dominions. In a few days they carry out his plan for the relief of the will have perished by the sword, or will city, by attacking the English_position on be driven into the sea. Let your majesty the heights of Inkermann. It has since send your sons here, that I may render up been ascertained, that "the principal blow to them, untouched, the priceless treasure against the right flank of the allies was which your majesty has entrusted to my to be dealt from Karabelnaia and Inkerkeeping." Whether this despatch ever mann, supported by a simultaneous sortie reached the czar we cannot say; but as against the left wing; whilst the corps his majesty sent his sons to Sebastopol, at Kamara was to watch the moment of the probability is, that it did.-On the the allies giving way, when it was to 3rd of November, it was evident that bear down on their line of retreat, and acsomething unusual was taking place in complish their entire defeat !" This was the besieged town, from the commotion the plan: it was well considered, and which prevailed. On that day, the grand arranged. The 5th of November was fixed dukes Nicholas and Michael, "preceded as the day for carrying it out; and the by outriders, and escorted by a troop of superior numbers of the enemy seemed to cavalry, were seen to enter Sebastopol by leave no doubt of its success. the high road from the north, and the sound of rejoicings came up from the city." In the evening there were more arrivals; less numerous, but evidently officers of rank: the new-comers were * General Canrobert's despatch, Nov. 7th, 1854. † Quarterly Review. On the 4th of November, there was a solemn religious ceremony in Sebastopol. The troops were all assembled, and a mass performed; after which they were addressed by a prelate who had arrived Lord Raglan's despatch, November 3rd. $ Letters from Head quarters. || Klapka, |