The British Expedition to the CrimeaRussell, William Howard, Sir
History
The British Expedition to the Crimea
Russell, William Howard, Sir
Crimean War, 1853-1856
impediments, and had no opportunity of playing the same distinguished
part as the left.
As soon as the line of the Light Division came up to the Rifles, the
latter were ordered to retire, and re-form in rear of the brigades; but
some few of the men could not obey the order, and were consequently in
front along with the advance--some with the Guards, others with the men
of Codrington's brigade. Captain the Hon. W. Colville and Lieutenant
Nixon both claim, or claimed, the credit of having led up their men
skirmishing in front of the advance of the red soldiers; and the
question is one which I cannot decide. Both those gallant officers
arrogated to themselves the honour of having performed the same action;
and I believe each thought that he had, when one of the colonels of the
Guards was dismounted, brought a horse to the officer, and enabled him
to resume his place with his men.
[Sidenote: A DAY TO BE REMEMBERED.]
The approach of the Light Division--why should I not dwell fondly on
every act of that gallant body, the first "put at" everything, the first
in Buffering, in daring, in endurance throughout the campaign?--their
approach, then, was in double columns of brigades; the Second Division
being on their right, and the second battalion of the Rifle Brigade,
divided into two wings, one under Major Norcott, the other under Colonel
Lawrence, being in advance in skirmishing order. When the Light Division
got within long range, they deployed; the men lay down. Again they
advanced; once more they were halted to lie down; this time the shot
pitched among them; the same thing was repeated again ere they reached
the river, and many were wounded before they got to the vineyards. Here,
indeed, they were sheltered, but when the order was given to advance,
the men were thrown into disorder, not so much by the heavy fire as by
the obstacles opposed by hedges, stone walls, vines, and trees. These
well-drilled regiments were thus deprived of the fruits of many a day's
hard marching at Gallipoli, Aladyn, and Devna; but the 1st Brigade being
in rather better ground and more in hand than the 2nd Brigade, moved
off, and with them the 19th Regiment, belonging to Brigadier Buller, who
was lost in a hollow, and afterwards, as Lord Raglan euphemistically
expressed it, manoeuvred judiciously on the left. The 19th, 7th, 23rd,
and 33rd were led at a run right to the river, gallantly conducted by
Codrington. Their course was marked by killed and wounded, but the four
regiments were quickly under the shelter of the high bank at the south
side, in such a state of confusion from the temporary commingling of the
men in the rush, that it was necessary to re-form. The enemy, too late
to support their skirmishers, sought to overwhelm them in the stream,
and three battalions of grey-coated infantry came down at the double
almost to the top of the bank, and poured down a heavy fire. They were
straggling, but not weak; the Brigade and the 19th made a simultaneous
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