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 Duke, and collecting a handful of men, dispersed the enemy’s
riflemen, and rescued the too daring leader. Nothing could exceed
the deadly nature of the combat. The Guards fought as only men can
fight, when utterly desperate. There seemed but small probability
that one of that noble brigade would leave the ground unhurt. The
Russians, strong in their numbers, inspirited by intoxication and
fanaticism, poured their legions in vain against the resistance
of such unquenchable heroism. Heaps of dead covered the ground,
and the assassin Muscovites, unable to subdue the living, wreaked
a miserable vengeance on the fallen, bayonetting and madly
disfiguring with their clubbed muskets every prostrate antagonist.
When the battle was over, many a brave fellow, who had fallen
wounded, was found an unrecognisable mass of mangled flesh and
blood. Rendered nearly mad by the sight of such devilish atrocity,
the survivors redoubled their almost surpernatural efforts,
and though pressed on every side, maintained the struggle with
unfailing valour, still the same invincible Guardsmen, so terrible
at Alma, so heroic at the fight for the Two-gun Battery.
The Light Division meanwhile maintained its reputation in the
vigorous struggle in which they were now engaged. Sir George Brown,
their General, was severely wounded, and borne from the field,
his white hair streaming in the wind, and his face deadly pale,
from the acuteness of his suffering. A five-gun battery, under the
direction of Sir Thomas Troubridge, Major of the 7th Fusiliers, did
good service against the advancing columns of the enemy; but the
brave fellows who manned it suffered terribly from the fire from
the batteries of the town. Sir Thomas himself had his right leg
and left foot carried away by a thirty-nine pounder from the Round
Tower, or Malakoff. Notwithstanding the severity of the injury, and
the excruciating agony he must have endured, he refused to permit
his men to carry him to the rear; but ordered them to lift him
to a gun-carriage, whence, streaming with blood, he continued to
give the word of command, nor quitted his post till the enemy were
routed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account