The British Expedition to the CrimeaRussell, William Howard, Sir
History
The British Expedition to the Crimea
Russell, William Howard, Sir
Crimean War, 1853-1856
Colonel and Major and 9 officers wounded, and upwards of 170 men. The
55th had 128 casualties, 8 of which occurred to officers, and 3 of which
were fatal; the 80th Regiment lost 150 officers and men.
[Sidenote: DIFFICULTIES OF GAINING INTELLIGENCE DURING BATTLE.]
But the steadiness of our infantry and the destructive effect of their
musketry were shaking the confidence of the enemy, now broken and turned
on their left by the French. The Light Division was obliged to
relinquish its hold of the work it had taken; but the Guards were
advancing to their support--the Highlanders were moving up on the
left--and the fortune of the day was every moment inclining to the
allies. The French had sent to Lord Raglan for assistance, some say
twice--certainly once, before we advanced. Our attack was not to begin
till they had turned the left, and it is likely that M. St. Arnaud
arranged to send information of that fact to Lord Raglan. But our
Commander-in-chief did not receive any such intelligence. He was
annoyed, uneasy, and disappointed at the delay which occurred on his
right. He sent Colonel Vico to ascertain the state of affairs, to
communicate, if possible, with the French Generals. Meantime, the French
Generals were, if we credit authorities, annoyed, uneasy, and
disappointed by the slowness of the English. Prince Napoleon sent to
Lord Raglan, French staff-officers came with the piteous
appeal--_Milord, je vous prie! pour l'amour de Dieu! Venez aux Français!
Nous sommes massacrés!_ At last Lord Raglan gave orders to advance,
although he had not heard of the success of the French attack on which
the advance was to depend. When the 1st and 3rd Divisions had deployed,
and were moving towards the Alma, Lord Raglan, and his staff advanced,
and skirting the village of Bourliouk to the right, passed down a narrow
lane which led to the ford, by which part of Adams's Brigade had crossed
to the other side. They proceeded round the right of Adams's Brigade,
immediately between the French and Evans's extreme right, and _en
route_, his lordship observed Turner's battery, and passed close to the
41st and 49th on the other side of the river, for whose disposition he
gave orders to Brigadier Adams. In crossing the ford the staff were
exposed to fire from the Russian guns on the high grounds opposite
Bourliouk, and the infantry in support. Two of the staff-officers were
hit--Lieutenant Leslie, Royal Horse Guards, who was acting as orderly
officer to the Commander-in-chief, and Captain Weare, Deputy-Assistant
Adjutant-General. Lord Raglan gave orders for Turner's battery to come
up to enfilade the enemy's guns. The lane, which formed at the other
side of the ford the continuation of that road by which the
Commander-in-chief had passed round Bourliouk to the river, ran at the
bottom of a sheltered ravine, which almost divided the Russian position,
and formed a boundary between the English and the French attacks. The
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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