At about fifteen minutes before twelve a number of our guns were brought to bear upon the _chevaux-de-frise_, and sent it into a thousand pieces; so that it should not stop us, as it had done on the 18th June. Many of us cherished doubts as to the result, although we dared not express them. Our numbers looked very small to attack such a place as the Redan, and the greater portion of the attacking and supporting columns too young and inexperienced for such a fiery ordeal. But, as one old hand said, "We can only die!" I know that I appealed to the Throne of Grace for strength of mind and body to do my duty to Queen and Country, and for the help of His protecting arm, which I knew well was not shortened. DEMAND FOR COURAGE. Thy life's a warfare, thou a soldier art, Satan's thy foeman, and a faithful heart Thy two-edg'd weapon; patience is thy shield, Heaven is thy chieftain, and the world thy field; To be afraid to die, or wish for death, Are words and passions of despairing breath. Who doth the first, the day doth faintly yield; And who the second, basely flies the field. _Quarles._ Nothing is more trying than to have to stand under a dropping fire of shell, and not be able to return a shot. The enemy had the range of our trenches to a nicety, and could drop their shells into them just as they liked. We lost a number of men, before we advanced to the attack, by this vertical fire. But the grand struggle was now close at hand, when the Muscovites' greatest stronghold was to be torn from their grasp. CAPTURE OF THE MALAKOFF. I was close to one of our generals, who stood watch in hand,[7] when, suddenly, at 12 o'clock, the French drums and bugles sounded the charge, and, with a shout of _Vive l'Empereur_, repeated over and over again by some 50,000 men--a shout that was enough to strike terror into the enemy--the French sprang forward, headed by the Zouaves, at the Malakoff, like a lot of cats. On they went like a swarm of bees, or rather, like the dashing of the waves of the sea against a rock. We in our old advanced works had a splendid view--it was grand but terrible; the deafening shouts of the advancing hosts told us they were carrying all before them. They were now completely enveloped in smoke and fire, but column after column kept advancing, pouring volley after volley into the breasts of the defenders. They, the French, meant to have it, let the butcher's bill be what it might. At about a quarter-past 12, up went the proud flag of France, with a shout that drowned for a time the roar of both cannon and musketry. CAPTURE OF THE REDAN.