The History of the Rifle Brigade (the Prince Consort's Own) Formerly the 95thCope, William Henry
History
The History of the Rifle Brigade (the Prince Consort's Own) Formerly the 95th
Cope, William Henry
Great Britain. Army. Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
On March 23 the Russians made a great attack on the whole length of
the allied line. It was particularly severe on the right attack;
Captain Forman’s company formed part of the trench guard, and was
actively engaged. This attack was led by a Greek in full dress who
rushed at the magazine, and fired his musket into it, but it was
empty; and he was immediately bayonetted in the trench.
After this the enemy began firing shells into the camp of the 1st
Battalion, but without doing any material injury. During the month of
March three sergeants and 82 men died, of whom 1 sergeant and 10 men
died in camp; the remainder at Scutari or Kulalie.
During this month seven men of the 2nd Battalion were wounded in the
trenches.
On March 19 the 1st and 2nd Battalions were augmented to sixteen
companies, and were to consist of the following numbers:
Lieutenant-Cols. Majors Captains Lieutenants Ensigns Staff
2 2 16 26 14 7
Staff-Sergeants Sergeants Buglers Corporals Privates
9 100 41 100 1,900
On April 9, fire was reopened and kept up till the 12th, and on the
13th volunteers were called for to man the rifle pits in front of
No. 7 battery. Lieutenant the Hon. A. Anson[255] and eighteen men of
the 1st Battalion volunteered for the duty. They occupied the pits
from daylight until dark; but suffered a heavy loss, Sergeant Devitt
and four men being killed. These pits were afterwards connected and
formed the fourth parallel.
On April 22 a bandsman of the 2nd Battalion named Wright, who was
on duty in the trenches, going to fetch water from a well in front
of the advanced trench near the Quarries, was killed; it being
impossible to throw up any cover near the well in consequence of
the rockiness of the soil. This man being a great favourite of his
comrades, a number of them rushed out determined to drive out the
Russian riflemen, by whose fire he had fallen, from the pits which
they occupied. Three men, Bradshaw, Humpston and MacGregor, were the
first to reach them, and drove the Russians out, killing some while
a few escaped. For this gallant deed these three Riflemen received
the Victoria Cross, Bradshaw being also decorated with the French War
Medal.[256]
About this time clothing of a new pattern was served out to both
Battalions; a tunic being substituted for the old coatee for the men,
and taking the place of the jacket and pelisse for the officers,
which they had both worn with slight variations since the formation
of the Regiment.
The 1st Battalion received their new clothing April 1855, partly
coatees and partly the new tunic.
In April two men of the 1st Battalion died of wounds received from
the enemy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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