The British Expedition to the CrimeaRussell, William Howard, Sir
History
The British Expedition to the Crimea
Russell, William Howard, Sir
Crimean War, 1853-1856
On the evening of Saturday, September 16th, a lengthened dark line was
seen approaching along the sea coast. As it came nearer, it was resolved
by the telescope into a train of Spahis, under the command of some
cavalry officers, driving in immense flocks of sheep and cattle for the
use of their troops in the camp situated on the extreme right of our
lines. First came a drove of some hundreds of sheep captured, natives,
drivers, and all guarded in the rear by some Spahis, flourishing their
long lances in high delight. Close after them appeared a mighty herd of
cattle, tossing their horns and bellowing, as the remorseless Spahis
goaded them on over the hard shingle, and circled like drovers' dogs
around them. Next came the French officers in command of the party. They
were followed by a string of country carts driven by sad-looking
Cimmerians, who seemed very anxious to be out of the hands of their Arab
captors. Lastly appeared, with all the gravity of their race, a few
camels, which the Spahis had laden heavily with grain. Such razzias
caused an amount of evil quite disproportionate to any paltry gains made
by plundering those poor people. They frightened them from our markets,
and, though for the moment successful, threatened to deprive us of the
vast supplies to be obtained from their goodwill. The much-abused Turks
remained quietly in their well-ordered camp, living contentedly on the
slender rations supplied from their fleet. Their appearance was very
acceptable to the large Mussulman population, and they were very proud
of serving on equal terms with their French and English allies.
On the 17th the disembarkation of stores continued and was completed,
and the tents were carried up to the various divisions with great labour
by large fatigue parties. The siege train still remained on board ship,
and it was intended to land it at the mouth of the river Belbeck, close
to Sebastopol, as we could not stay to put it ashore at Old Fort. The
Cossacks came round our outposts, and the sky at night was reddened by
the glare of their burnings. The Tartars said the Russians had 15,000
men posted in an entrenched camp on the Alma river, about twelve miles
distant, on the road to Sebastopol. A troop of the 11th Hussars, who
went out reconnoitring, were pursued by a regiment of Cossacks, but
retired in order without any casualty. Captain Creswell, an officer of
the regiment, who was a great favourite with his comrades, died of
cholera in the little village in which his troop was quartered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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