The battles of the world : $b or, cyclopedia of battles, sieges, and important military eventsBorthwick, J. Douglas (John Douglas)
History
The battles of the world : $b or, cyclopedia of battles, sieges, and important military events
Borthwick, J. Douglas (John Douglas)
Battles; Military history
The alarm had now spread throughout the entire camp, and even
reached Balaklava, rousing the sleepers on board the ships in
the harbour. The heavy booming of the cannon told how fierce was
the contest. Sir De Lacy Evans forgot his sickness, and leaving
the bed to which for many days he had been confined, insisted on
being rowed ashore; and mounting a horse, which he was almost too
weak to guide, started for the field of battle. Lord Raglan, with
his staff, had by this time reached the spot, and at once saw the
critical position of the Allies; and saw, too, the blunder which
the enemy had committed. General Soimonoff, who should, upon
issuing from the ravine near Careening Bay, have turned to the
right and attacked the centre of the English line, weakened by the
tremendous assault on the extreme left of the position, mistook
the direction and marched to the left, thus reaching the ground
occupied by the Second Division, and embarrassing General Pauloff’s
operations by permitting the concentration of the English forces
to repel his assault, instead of diverting their attention by an
attack at a comparatively remote point. For a General of Raglan’s
experience to take advantage of this blunder was an easy task.
He immediately made such arrangements of the small means at his
command as would enable him to present two fronts of resistance
on the threatened points, while preserving the solidity of his
position.
The 20th and 47th regiments now arrived to the assistance of the
gallant 49th and 41st, driven with such dreadful slaughter from the
two-gun battery. The brave Colonel Carpenter, of the 41st, had
fallen pierced with many bullets; and the blood-thirsty Russians,
with that tiger-like ferocity which has made the day of Inkermann
so fearfully memorable, mutilated the senseless form of the
grey-headed old warrior, clubbing their muskets, and beating him on
the face till it was almost impossible to distinguish his features.
Covered with blood, frightfully mangled, and recognised only by his
uniform, the colonel was at length, when the enemy retreated, found
by his men, and borne, still breathing, from the field, to linger
for a few days in acute agonies, and then to breathe his last.
Amidst a hurricane of bullets from the Russian troops, and exposed
to a deadly storm of missiles from the enemies’ batteries, the 20th
and 47th fearlessly charged the opposing masses, and endeavoured
to take the redoubt. They were successful in the attempt. The
Russian lines trembled before their impetuous onset. The levelled
bayonets, borne onwards by the resistless vigour of Englishmen, now
maddened by the excitement of battle, cheered by their officers,
and with the memory of Alma, swept down the hordes of irresolute
Muscovites, and with a ringing cheer, the victorious Britons were
once again in the earthwork. There, indeed, was a sight to rouse
their hearts--if, indeed, further stimulant were needed--to deeds
of vengeance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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