Two Days on the Alma--Retreat of the Russians--Raglan proposes a Flank Movement--Korniloff scuttles his Ships--The Russian Retreat--Korniloff and Todleben--The Flank March decided--The Armies Intersect--Death of St. Arnaud--The Allies in Position--Menschikoff reinforces Sebastopol--Todleben's Preparations--The Point of Attack--French and English Opinions--The Opposing Batteries--The Sea--Defences of Sebastopol--Doubts of the Admirals--Opening of the Bombardment--The French Fire silenced--Success of the British--Failure of the Fleets--The Bombardment renewed--Wild Rumours at Home--Menschikoff determines to Raise the Siege--The Attack on Balaclava--Lord Lucan's Warning--Liprandi's Advance--Capture of the Redoubts--The 93rd--Lord Lucan's Advance--Charge of the Heavy Brigade--A Pause in the Battle--Raglan, Lucan, and Nolan--Charge of the Light Brigade--The Valley of Death--The Goal--Colonel Shewell--The Retreat covered--The Loss--End of the Battle. The allied armies spent two days on the battle-field of the Alma. There were the wounded to tend and carry on board ship--the wounded of each army, for the Russians left hundreds on the ground--and the dead to bury. All through the evening, nay, throughout the night, our soldiers were groping about in search of comrades, and carrying water to assuage their thirst, and at dawn officers and men streamed over the hills and into the ravines on this errand of mercy. Surgeons were landed from the fleet to aid the scanty medical staff, and sailors to bear away those whose wounds had been dressed; but, looking to the resources of the fleet, one is surprised that these labours should have occupied eight-and-forty hours. Time was precious; it was always believed that the Allies must fight at least one battle before they reached Sebastopol, yet the means of moving swiftly, after it had been won, had not been prepared. So while the Allies were engaged in tending their wounded, burying their dead, replenishing their ammunition stores, reorganising the regiments that had suffered the most, and even taking care of the Russian wounded, the Russian army, retiring hurriedly and in alarm, had relinquished successively the strong positions on the Katcha and the Belbek, had abandoned all the open country north of Sebastopol, and, passing the bridge of Inkermann, had entered the place itself.