‘On the night of the 20th or 21st, on a request made by me to Lord Raglan, Commander-in-Chief of the English army, pointing out to him that the Russian riflemen had placed themselves under cover in front of the lines, from whence they could enfilade our workmen, one hundred Riflemen, under the command of Lieutenant Tryon, left the English trenches and, turning the flank of the enemy, charged and dispersed them. The Russians, formed in deep columns, attempted three times during the night to retake the place, after pouring in grape and canister on the English detachment. With that energy belonging to our allies, they held firmly their ground, and we can now see them where the enemy once stood. ‘I wish before you all to render the homage due to so gallant an act, which unfortunately cost the life of the brave officer Lieutenant Tryon. We will give him all the regrets so glorious an end deserves. It will be an additional link to the loyal fraternity of arms which unites us to our allies. ‘(Signed) GENERAL CANROBERT.’ For their gallant conduct in this affair Lieutenant Bourchier received the Victoria Cross, the Legion of Honour, the 5th Class of the Medjidie, and the Turkish Medal; Cuninghame the Victoria Cross, the 5th Class of the Medjidie, and the Turkish Medal; and Colour-Sergeant Hicks, who had volunteered for this duty, and was close to Tryon when he fell, obtained the French War Medal. The gallant captors of the pits were relieved a little before daylight on the 21st by a party of the 1st Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Flower, and accompanied by Lieutenant the Hon. G. B. Legge. The Russians kept up a very heavy fire on them all day, by which several men were wounded. So sharp was the fire, that it was impossible to go from one of the pits to the other without great caution. The ground, as we have seen, was rocky and crumbling, and most of the men who were wounded were struck about the face by fragments of rock. The position was so exposed to the enemy’s fire that it was difficult even to get away the wounded; and Flower and Legge could only recover two wounded men, struck in the face and eyes and nearly blinded, by making them crawl on all fours into a pit where these officers had taken shelter. This party held the pits till nightfall, when they were relieved by another detachment of the Battalion. And for some days these pits, captured by Riflemen, were held by Riflemen, though occasionally a few men of other regiments may have been added to eke out the number required, which the diminished strength of the Battalion could hardly furnish.