The battles of the world : $b or, cyclopedia of battles, sieges, and important military events — John Shaqi
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
Onward swept that magnificent charge, officers and men vying with
each other who should be foremost to avenge their comrades’ death.
But before they reached the guns, Prince Menschikoff had formed a
compact mass of Russian infantry on the summit of the hill, which
now advanced with level bayonets against our exhausted battalions.
Breathless from their rapid charge up the hill, diminished in
numbers, and fatigued from their almost superhuman exertions,
they were unable to resist the shock, and, desperately contesting
every inch of ground, slowly yielded to the enormous weight of
the Russian columns. The gallant 33rd, the Duke of Wellington’s
regiment, displayed a prowess excelled by none. Their colours were
borne proudly to the last, and ever in the spot of the greatest
danger. The Queen’s colours, when the fight was over, showed
fourteen bullet-holes, and the regimental colours eleven. Nineteen
sergeants fell around their standards, defending to the last the
honour of their regiment, and preserving the fame so identified
with the career of the departed warrior whose name it bore.
While the heroes of the Light Division were thus nobly performing
their part, Sir De Lacy Evans and General England were gallantly
bringing their divisions into action. They had forced a passage,
with great difficulty, and exposed to a most destructive fire,
somewhat to the left of their compatriots of Sir George Brown’s
division, and, breaking through the obstacles which awaited them
on the bank, rapidly advanced up the hill. The 55th and 95th
encountered a tremendous fire, which they returned with vigour from
their muskets, while our artillery did good service by an energetic
discharge of shot and shell into the enemy’s lines. Major Rose,
Captains Butler and Scham, fell to rise no more, and many other
officers were severely wounded; 123 killed and wounded were the
contribution of this regiment to the day’s slaughter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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