The British Expedition to the CrimeaRussell, William Howard, Sir
History
The British Expedition to the Crimea
Russell, William Howard, Sir
Crimean War, 1853-1856
Our left attack extended up towards the slope of the ravine which
divided the French from the British attacks, and which ran south-east
from the end of the Dockyard Creek up to our headquarters at Khutor.
Dominating both of these entrenchments, for most of their course, was a
heavy battery of eight Lancaster and ten-inch naval guns, placed at a
distance of 2500 yards from the enemy's lines. The extreme of the French
right was about two and a half miles from the extreme of the British
left attack. South of the Cemetery, and inclining up towards Quarantine
Bay and the fresh-water wells, were the French lines, which were
beautifully made and covered. The fire of the Russian batteries thrown
up from the circular position at the end of the western wall towards the
barracks, near the end of the Dockyard Harbour, was incessantly directed
on them, and shells sometimes burst in the lines; but as a general rule
they struck the hill in front, bounded over, and burst in the rear. Our
left attack crept round towards Inkerman, and commanded the place from
the influx of the Tchernaya into the head of the bay or harbour of
Sebastopol, to the hills near the round tower already threatened by our
right attack. The French commanded the place from the sea to the ravine
at the end of the Dockyard Harbour, and when their guns were mounted, it
was hoped that all the forts, intrenchments, buildings, earthworks,
barracks, batteries, and shipping would be destroyed.
The front of both armies united, and the line of offensive operations
covered by them, extended from the sea to the Tchernaya for seven and a
half or eight miles. From our extreme right front to Balaklava our lines
extended for about the same distance, and the position of the army had
been made so strong on the eastern, south-eastern, flank and rear, as to
set all the efforts of the Russians to drive us from it utterly at
defiance. In the first place, the road from Kadikoi to Kamara, and the
western passes of the mountains, had been scarped in three places so
effectually that it would have been difficult for infantry, and
therefore impossible for artillery, to get along it to attack us. A
heavy gun had, however, been placed in position on the heights to
command this road, and to sweep the three scarps effectually. On the
heights over the east side of Balaklava, were pitched the tents of about
1000 marines from the various ships of the fleet, and several 24 pound
and 32 pound howitzers had been dragged up into position on the same
elevation. At Kadikoi, towards the north-west, was situated a sailors'
camp of about 800 men, with heavy guns in support, and with a temporary
park for artillery and ship-guns below them. From Kadikoi towards
Traktir the ground was mountainous, or rather it was exceedingly hilly,
the heights having a tumular appearance, and the ridges being
intersected by wide valleys, through a series of which passed on one
side Prince Woronzoff's road, the road to Inkerman, and thence to
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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