The British Expedition to the CrimeaRussell, William Howard, Sir
History
The British Expedition to the Crimea
Russell, William Howard, Sir
Crimean War, 1853-1856
Brigadier-General Tylden died in his tent early on the morning of the
23rd, of cholera. He was buried in the valley under the heights of Alma.
He was succeeded by Lieut.-Colonel Alexander, R.E., who was not,
however, promoted to the rank of Brigadier. Many men died of cholera in
the night. My sleep was disturbed by the groans of the dying, and on
getting up in the morning I found that the corpse of a Russian lay
outside the tent in which I had been permitted to rest. He was not there
when we retired to rest, so that the wretched creature, who had probably
been wandering about without food upon the hills ever since the battle,
must have crawled down towards our fires, and there expired. Late at
night on the 22nd orders were sent round the divisions to be prepared
for marching after daybreak. Early on the 23rd we left the blood-stained
heights of the Alma--a name that will be ever memorable in history. Soon
after dawn the French assembled drums and trumpets on the top of the
highest of the hills they carried, and a wild flourish and roll,
repeated again and again, and broken by peals of rejoicing from the
bugles of the infantry, celebrated their victory ere they departed in
search of the enemy. It was spirit-stirring and thrilling music, and its
effect, as it swelled through the early morning over the valley, can
never be forgotten.
[Sidenote: LEFT ALONE WITH THE WOUNDED.]
Our watch-fires were still burning languidly, as the sleepers roused
themselves, and prepared to leave the scene of their triumphs. The fogs
of the night crept slowly up the hill sides, and hung in uncertain folds
around their summits, revealing here and there the gathering columns of
our regiments in dark patches on the declivities, or showing the deep
black-looking squares of the French battalions, already in motion
towards the south. Dimly seen in the distance, the fleet was moving
along slowly by the line of the coast, the long lines of smoke trailing
back on their wake. But what was that grey mass on the plain, which
seemed settled down upon it almost without life or motion? Now and
then, indeed, an arm might be seen waved aloft, or a man raised himself
for a moment, looked around, and then fell down again. Alas! that plain
was covered with the wounded Russians. Nearly sixty long hours they
passed in agony upon the ground, and with but little hope of help or
succour more, we were compelled to leave them. Their wounds had been
bound and dressed.
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