The Powers of Europe and Fall of SebastopolA British officer
History
The Powers of Europe and Fall of Sebastopol
A British officer
Crimean War, 1853-1856; Europe -- History -- 1789-1900
The conflict on the right was equally uncertain and equally bloody.
To the extreme right a contest, the like of which, perhaps, never
took place before, was going on between the Guards and dense columns
of Russian infantry of five times their number. The Guards had
charged them and driven them back, when they perceived that the
Russians had outflanked them. They were out of ammunition, too, and
were uncertain whether there were friends or foes in the rear. They
had no support, no reserve, were fighting with the bayonet against
an enemy who stoutly contested every inch of ground, when the corps
of another Russian column appeared on their right far to their rear.
Then a fearful _mitraille_ was poured into them, and volleys of rifle
and musketry.
The Guards were broken; they had lost twelve officers dead on the
field; they had left one-half of their number dead on the ground; and
they retired along the lower road of the valley; but they were soon
reinforced, and speedily avenged their loss.
The French advance, about ten o’clock, turned the flank of the enemy.
[Illustration: ZOUAVE CHIEF.]
When the body of French infantry appeared on the right of the British
position, it was a joyful sight to the struggling regiments. The 3d
regiment of Zouaves, under the chiefs of battalion, supported in
the most striking manner the ancient reputation of that force. The
French artillery had already begun to play with deadly effect on
the right wing of the Russians, when three battalions of chasseurs
d’Orleans rushed by, the light of battle on their faces. They were
accompanied by a battalion of chasseurs Indigènes--the Arab Sepoys
of Algiers. Their trumpets sounded above the din of battle. Assailed
in front, broken in several places by the impetuosity of the charge,
renewed again and again, attacked by the French infantry on the
right, and by artillery all along the line, the Russians began to
retire, and at twelve o’clock they were driven pell-mell down the
hill towards the valley, where pursuit would have been madness, as
the roads were covered by their artillery. They left mounds of dead
behind them. At twelve o’clock the battle of Inkerman seemed to have
been won; but the day, which had cleared up for an hour previously,
again became obscured. Rain and fog set in; and as the Allies could
not pursue the Russians, who were retiring under the shelter of
their artillery, they had formed in front of the lines, and were
holding the battle-field so stoutly contested, when the enemy, taking
advantage of the Allies’ quietude, again advanced, while their guns
pushed forward and opened a tremendous fire.
General Canrobert, who never quitted Lord Raglan for much of the
early part of the day, at once directed the French to advance and
outflank the enemy. In his efforts he was most nobly seconded by
General Bosquet. General Canrobert was slightly wounded, and his
immediate attendants suffered severely.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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