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
The bayonet was used with terrible effect by all regiments. The enemy,
driven on by their brave officers, had to and did literally climb over
the heaps of their slain countrymen and ours, to renew this
bloodthirsty contest, but they were met by British cold steel, and were
hurled or pitchforked from the field. We might appropriately say of a
number of the brave men who fell on that field in the hour of victory--
That nothing in their life
Became them like the leaving it.
We had proved, in a hundred fights, that no enemy could resist our men.
But at Inkermann, victory hung in the balance, and our weak Battalions
had to resist the enemy's heavy columns bayonet to bayonet. It was Greek
meeting Greek, for a number of most determined encounters were
maintained against very heavy odds; and as often as the Russian Infantry
charged us, our people met them with that never-failing weapon. The 41st
and 49th regiments held the Sandbag Battery, and were fairly mobbed out
of it by the overwhelming numbers of the enemy, who were exulting in
their victory with yells of triumph, when up came the Guards, and in
they went with a cheer and a rush that told heavily upon the foe. The
Russians, except the dead and dying, were literally lifted out of the
battery and its vicinity, by these gallant regiments. Our army may well
be proud of its present Commander-in-Chief, for it was His Royal
Highness himself who led these unconquerable men. Fresh draughts of
"Rackie" had to be issued to the legions of Russia, in order to make
them face us again. All was done that could be devised by the enemy, in
order to fasten victory to their standards. Holy Russia was represented
on the field by the two Imperial Grand Dukes, sons of their sacred
chief, and the soldiers were taught that they must, as true Russians,
die for their holy Czar; the glory of conquering in the presence of his
children, even at the expense of life, would open the gates of heaven to
them. (?) They were repeatedly urged on to the attack, and as often
driven back. The 41st fought like tigers, to gain time for their
comrades to come up. The grey-coated battalions of the enemy were now on
the right, on the left, and in front of us, but there was not a
desponding voice in our ranks. The Duke of Cambridge was requested to
retire a little out of the immediate reach of the murderous musketry
fire. But--"No; I will, when these follows are shifted," was the reply.
It was well that the French came up when they did. Our men were
gradually being crushed in some parts of the field, but showing the
enemy a most determined front. It was at this juncture that His Royal
Highness set so animating an example; and the French coming up to our
assistance, again the hosts of Russia had to retire. About this time a
cry was raised that the ammunition was running short. Sir G. Brown,
exclaimed--"Then there is nothing for it but the bayonet: _at them, my
lads_." And at them we went; and they had to go back, although their
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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