A Soldier's Experience; or, A Voice from the Ranks: Showing the Cost of War in Blood and Treasure. A Personal Narrative of the Crimean Campaign, from the Standpoint of the Ranks; the Indian Mutiny, and Some of its Atrocities; the Afghan Campaigns of 1863Gowing, T. (Timothy)
History
A Soldier's Experience; or, A Voice from the Ranks: Showing the Cost of War in Blood and Treasure. A Personal Narrative of the Crimean Campaign, from the Standpoint of the Ranks; the Indian Mutiny, and Some of its Atrocities; the Afghan Campaigns of 1863
Gowing, T. (Timothy)
Crimean War, 1853-1856 -- Personal narratives
But I have something else in store. Our turn came next day, 26th
October--Little Inkermann, as our men named it. About mid-day the enemy
came out of the town in very strong columns, and attacked us just to the
right of the Victoria Redoubt; the fighting was of a very severe nature.
The 2nd Division, under Sir De Lacy Evans, received them first; and a
part of the Light Division had a hand in it. The enemy made cock-sure of
beating us and brought trenching tools with them, but were again doomed
to be disappointed. We were hardly prepared for them; but soon collected
ourselves, and closed upon them with the bayonet, when, after some hard
fighting, they were hurled from the field. They paid dearly for a peep
at our camp, leaving close upon 1000 dead and wounded. They retired much
quicker than they came, with our heavy guns sweeping them down by
scores, and cutting lanes through their columns. Our Artillery on this
occasion did great execution, whilst a continuous rain of Minie rifle
balls mowed their ranks like grass, and for the finishing stroke they
got that nasty "piece of cold steel;" our huge Lancaster guns simply
killed the enemy by wholesale. General Bosquet kindly offered
assistance, but the reply of our commander was, "Thank you, General, the
enemy are already defeated, and too happy to leave the field to me."
The attack of the 26th was nothing more nor less than a reconnaissance
in force, preparatory to the memorable battle of Inkermann; but it cost
them heavily, while we also lost a large number of men. On this field
the brutal enemy distinguished themselves by bayoneting all our wounded
that the picquets were compelled to leave behind in falling back for a
short distance. The stand made by the picquets of the 30th, 55th, and
95th on our right was grand, for they retired disputing every stone and
bush that lay in their way. The following morning our commander, under a
flag of truce, reminded the Russian chief that he was at war with
Christian nations, and requested him to take steps to respect the
wounded, in accordance with humanity and the laws of civilized nations.
Nevertheless, the remonstrance did not stop their brutality. A few days
later, on the memorable field of Inkermann, the Russians murdered almost
every wounded man who had the misfortune to fall into their hands.
Whilst the picquets were holding on with desperation, the Royal
Fusiliers and portions of the Royal Welsh, 33rd Duke's Own, and 2nd
battalion Rifle Brigade, went with all speed to the five-gun battery, to
reinforce our picquets there, and a portion of us were directed to the
slopes of the White-house ravine. We had just got into position when we
observed one of the enemy retiring towards Sebastopol with a tunic on
the muzzle of his rifle belonging to one of the Fusiliers, who was on
fatigue in the ravine cutting wood when the attack commenced. Having
nothing to defend himself with, he had to show his heels. One of the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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