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
In the Royal Horse Artillery we had a severe, but I am glad to say
a temporary loss. Captain Maude, who directed the service of his
guns with his usual devotedness and dauntless courage, was struck
in the arm by a shell which burst at his saddle bow and killed his
horse. To the joy of all the army, it is ascertained that he is
doing well on board ship. After the charge, Captain the Hon. Arthur
Hardinge came galloping up to Lord Raglan with the news of what the
cavalry had done.
At ten o’clock the Guards and Highlanders of the First Division
were seen moving towards the plains from their camp. The Duke of
Cambridge came up to Lord Raglan for orders, and his Lordship,
ready to give the honour of the day to Sir Colin Campbell, who
commands at Balaklava, told his Royal Highness to place himself
under the direction of the Brigadier. At forty minutes after ten,
the Fourth Division also took up their position in advance of
Balaklava. The cavalry were then on the left front of our position,
facing the enemy; the Light Cavalry Brigade was on the left flank
forward; the Heavy Cavalry Brigade _en échelon_ in reserve, with
guns on the right; the 4th Dragoons and 5th Dragoons and Greys on
the left of the brigade, the Enniskillens and 3rd Dragoons on the
right. The Fourth Division took up ground in the centre; the Guards
and Highlanders filed off towards the extreme right, and faced the
redoubts, from which the Russians opened on them with such guns as
had not been spiked.
At fifty minutes after ten, General Canrobert, attended by his
staff and Brigadier-General Rose, rode up to Lord Raglan, and the
staffs of the two Generals and their escorts mingled together in
praise of the magnificent charge of our cavalry, while the chiefs
apart conversed over the operations of the day, which promised to
be one of battle. The Russian cavalry, followed by our shot, had
retired in confusion, leaving the ground covered with horses and
men. In carrying an order early in the day Mr. Blunt, Lord Lucan’s
interpreter, and son of our Consul in Thessaly, had a narrow
escape. His horse was killed, he seized a Russian charger as it
galloped past riderless, but the horse carried him almost into
the Russian cavalry, and he only saved himself by leaping into a
redoubt among a number of frightened Turks who were praying to
Allah on their bellies. At fifty-five minutes after ten, a body of
Cavalry, the Chasseurs d’Afrique, passed down to the plain, and
were loudly cheered by our men. They took up ground in advance of
the ridges on our left.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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