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
Seeing the desperate nature of the contest, Sir George Cathcart
conceived the idea that by descending the side of the hill, he
might take the enemy in flank, and so relieve the Guards from
the unequal struggle in which they were engaged. He despatched
General Torrens, with portions of the 46th and 68th regiments on
this duty. They advanced rapidly, but from either hand rained the
bullets of the Russian riflemen, concealed in the brushwood. The
horse of General Torrens fell pierced by five bullets, and on every
side, the number who were struck down attested the severity of the
fire to which they were exposed. Torrens himself received a ball
through his lungs, and was carried senseless from the field. Sir
George Cathcart, seeing the fierce opposition which his brigade
sustained, immediately dashed forward with the remainder of his
men, and fearlessly charged the enemy. Too late he saw the error
into which he had been led. He was perfectly surrounded by the
enemy, who held the high ground commanding the valley into which
he had led his brigade, in the hopes of making a vigorous flank
attack. For some time, his little band returned sharp volleys to
the enemy’s rifles. Then a cry was raised that their cartridges
were exhausted. There was no retreat, and the fierce fire poured
like hail into their ranks. “You have got your bayonets!” shouted
their dauntless leader, and dashed forwards followed by his men. As
he raised himself in his stirrups, a bullet pierced his brain, and
the heroic Cathcart, the subduer of the Cape savages, fell headlong
from his horse, quite dead. By his side fell Colonel Seymour,
Adjutant-General of the Fourth Division, sharing his leader’s fate.
He was wounded before Sir George, but concealed his hurt. When the
General fell, Colonel Seymour dismounted to render him assistance.
The brigade had swept on, unable to pause in their career, and then
the enemy rushing on the wounded Seymour cruelly murdered him,
as he stooped over the body of his friend, and consummated their
infamy by basely stabbing with their bayonets the insensible body
of the noble Cathcart.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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