The Press. — London, England, 1854-10-14 00:00:00

\ iii... IN. 966 right and part of the centre of the Russian position. The co-operation which was intended between Prince Napoleon's division and Sir De L. Evans's division did not take place, for it was found the French would have had to take ground too much to our right to allow a combined action. It so happened that twice or thrice during the action the French were so hardly pressed that they sent urgent messages to us for aid, and our guns were directed with such good effect on a mass of infantry which threatened their left that they were relieved from all embarrassment, and enabled to gain a position from which they rendered us material aid in return, by directing their guns against the Russian reserves above the battery. THE BATTLE BEGINS. At 1.20 we saw the steamers in shore (French) commence throwing shells up to a height in front, and the enemy replied by a heavy tire, but the dis tance was too great for any effectual result. The action became general at 1.45 on the part of the French and Turks, who carried the heights on the right, which were but weakly protected. At 2.30 we advanced down the slope towards the valley of the Alma, above which rose the lines and redoubts of the enemy. As we advanced they set fire to a village at the base of the descent to the valley at our side, and, covered by the smoke, opened a tremendous fire of 9 and 12 pounder guns from their earthwork bat teries. It was a fair exercise of military skill—was well executed—took place at the right time—and succeeded in occasioning a good deal of annoyance. Our troops halted when they neared this village, their left extending beyond it by the verge of the stream ; our right behind the burning cottages, and within range of the batteries. It is said the Rus sians had taken the range of all the principal points in their front, and placed twigs and sticks to mark them. In this they were assisted by the post sign boards on the road. Our artillery replied with shot, shell, and rockets, while the men advanced through a storm of bullets, and rushed across the stream — the light division on the right, the second division next, the first division in the centre, and the third supporting them. PASSAGE OF THE ALMA. The Rifles, under Major Norcott, waded through the River Alma in a masterly manner, followed by the Connaught Rangers and the other gallant regiments forming the light division. The river once crossed, the men dashed into some vineyards which flanked the high road ; but these, having been out down, afforded no shelter. The fire hero was fearful, for now the British were within grape range. The men here gave one of those surprising examples of coolness and contempt of danger which forms one of our national characteristics. In the midst of the most tremendous fire which an army has ever en countered, with comrades falling around them, the men commenced seeking for and plucking the half ripe grapes which were hanging temptingly on the hewn vines. ThA vineyards were passed, and the light division, forming in line, advanced in measured pace up the hills. THE CHARGE UP THE HILL. While the light division was charging up the hill on one side, the left or 2nd (Sir De L. Evans's) division was charging the enemy close to them, was exposed to a similar fire, and met with similar losses. The 30th, 55th, and 95th left long lines of dead be hind them, and just as they came to the battery a sheet of lead passed through them like a sword. They were utterly broken up. It was necessary to retire them to re-form ; and the Russians, seeing their retreat, leaped out of the embrasures and breastworks, and actually charged them down the hill with the bayonet. But few exchanges of the steel were made, probably not more than half-a dozen bayonet wounds were inflicted, and bitterly did the enemy repent his temerity. The shattered regiments re-formed, and cheered on by their indefatigable brigadier, Pennefather, they drove the enemy up the bill to the shelter of their earthworks, and then sent them flying beyond the hill, pursued byiremorseless volleys of Minis balls, while Brigadier- General Coclringon's noble brigade dealt the same vengeance on their opponents. The advance of the Guards was as grand in its calm and order as any sight ever witnessed on the battle-fild. As they marched up the hill the lines of the black bearskins were barely wavering ; they were nearly as straight as if on parade, and the light division comphined that the men of the Guards were losing time in dressing up as if on parade ground, when they should have been supporting the regiments exposed to such crushing fire. THE BATTLE WON. The duke encouraged his men by voice and example, and proved himself worthy of his proud command and of the royal race from which he comes. " Highlanders," said Sir C. Campbell, ere they came to the charge, " don't pull a trigger till you're within a yard of the Russians !" They charged, and well they obeyed their chieftain's wish : Sir Colin had his horse shot under him, but his men took the battery at a bound. The Russians rushed THE PRESS. out, and left multitudes of dead behind them. The Guards had stormed the right of the battery ere the Highlanders got into the left, and it is said the Scots Fusilier Guards were the first to enter. The second and light division crowned the heights. The French turned the guns on the hill against the flying masses, which the cavalry in vain tried to cover. A few faint struggles from the scattered infantry, a few rounds of cannon and musketry, and the enemy fled to the south-east, leaving three generals, three guns, 700 prisoners, and 4,000 wounded behind them. The battle of the Alma was won. WANT OF CAVALRY. At five o'clock the Russians were flying in every direction, ploughed up by the splendid fire of our guns, leaving on the field an immense number of dead, three guns, drums, and ammunition. The want of cavalry prevented cur getting more prisoners or capturing a greater number of guns. The Russian cavalry covered itself with disgrace. It never gave our horse a chance of a charge, and the nature of the ground forbade our attempting a demonstration against a very superior force manceuvring in a higher position. The Russians, indeed, barely covered the retreat, and our squadrons were too weak to try a dash at them. THE SHOUT OF VICTORY. When Lord Raglan and his staff and the Duke of Cambridge rode round to the top of the bill the troops cheered them with a thrilling effect—a shout of victory—which never can be forgotten. The enemy, who were flying in the distance, might almost have heard its echoes as it rolled among the hills. Our men had indeed done their work well, for the action, which commenced at 1.25 on our part, was over about 4 p.m. In fact, the actual close continuous fighting did not last two hours ! THE FIELD AFTER THE BATTLE. It was a terrible and sickening sight to go over the battle-field. Till deprived of my horse by a chance shot I rode about to ascertain, as far as possible, the loss of our friends, and in doing so I was often brought to a standstill by the difficulty of getting through the piles of wounded Russians, mingled too often with our own poor soldiers. The hills of Green wich-park in fair time are not more densely covered with human beings than were the heights of the Alma with dead and dying. On these bloody mounds fell 2,196 English officers and men, and upwards of 3,000 Russians, while their western extremity was covered with the bodies of 1,400 gallant Frenchmen and of more than 3,000 of their foes. NEXT DAY. The army halted the whole of this day. They were busy collecting the wounded, bringing in pri soners, and burying the deed. The wounded who were able to bear the journey were sent down on arabas to the shore, about three miles distant, and sent on board ships. Nothing could exceed the zeal and kindness of the sailors, officers and men, in attending to them and taking them on board. All the naval surgeons were in attendance, and did everything that skill and kindness could suggest to relieve the sufferings of the poor fellows after their painful journey. A temporary hospital was estab lished in the village of Burliuk. Corps of soldiers from each regiment were told off to bury the dead. The Russians were buried out side the mounds, the English and French inside. There was great spoil on the field—coats, dresses, swords, guns, rifles, &c. &c., and in some instances large sums of money. Everbody brought off some memento, either a sword, casque, or musket. It ap• pears that a certain class of visitors made a profitable day's work by visiting the field of battle: almost every one " found " something. One was heard to boast that he had picked up nine revolvers and fifty sovereigns ; and a Maltese is reported to have realised upwards of 1501. in gold. Coats, boots, &c., were all taken off by pillagers, and in many cases the gold lace ripped off the uniforms of the dead. THE RUSSIAN SOLDIERS. The Russian regiments engaged against us, judging from the numbers on the caps and buttons of the dead and wounded, were the 11th, 12th, 16th, 17th,18th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, and some of the Imperial Guard. The soldiers were mostly stout, strong men. They were all dressed in long drab coats with brass buttons, bearing the number of the regiment. These coats fitted loosely, were gathered in at the back by a small strap and button, descend to the ankles, and seemed stout, comfortable garments, though the cloth was coarse in texture; the trousers, of coarse blue stuff, were thrust inside a pair of wellington boots, open at the top. to admit of their being comfortably tucked down ; the boots were stout, well made, and serviceable. Their knap sacks astonished our soldiers. On opening them each was found to contain the dress uniform coatee of the man, blue or green, with white facings, and slashes like our own, a pair of clean drawers, a clean shirt, a pair of clean socks, a pair of stout mits, a case containing a pair of scissors, an excellent penknife with one large blade, of Russian manu facture, a ball of twine, a roll of leather, wax, thread, needles and pins, a hairbrush and comb, a small looking glass, razor, strop, and soap, shoe brushes, and blacking. The general remark of our men was that the Russians were very " clean soldiers ; " and certainly the men on the SATURDAY, field had white fair skins to justify the expression. Each man had a loaf of dark brown bread, of a sour taste and disagreeable odour, in his knapsack, and a linen roll, con• taining a quantity of brown coarse stuff broken up into lumps and large grains, which is crushed biscuit or hard granulated bread prepared with oil. This, we were told by the prisoners, was the sole food of the men. They eat the bread with onions and oil; the powder is "reserve" ration ; and if they march they may be for days without food, and remain hungry till they can get fresh loaves and more " bread stuff." It is perfectly astounding to think they can keep together on such diet; and yet they are strong, muscular men enough. The surgeons remarked that their tenucity of life was very remarkable. Many of them lived with wounds calculated to destroy two or three ordinary men. The soldiers are all shaven cleanly on the chin and cheek ; only the moustache is left; and the hair is cropped as close to the head as possible. The officers (those of superior rank excepted) are barely distinguishable from the men, so far as uniform is concerned, but the generale wore sashes and gold epaulettes. The subalterns wore merely a lace shoulderstrap, instead of the cloth one of the privates. The officers displayed great gallantry, and the men fought with a dogged courage characteristic of the Russian infantry, but they were utterly deficient in elan and dash. Many of the Russians had small crosses and chains fastened round their necks. Several were found with Khorans in their knapsacks—most probably recruits from the Kasen Tartars. Many of the officers had portraits of wives or mistresses, of mothers or sisters, inside their coats. The privates wore the little money they possessed in purses fastened below their left knees, and the men, in their eager search after the money, often caused the wounded painful apprehensions that they were about to destroy them. They seemed to have a general idea that they would be murdered : possibly they had been told no quarter would be given, and several deplorable events took place in consequence. As our men were passing by, two or three of them were shot or stabbed by men lying on the ground, and the cry was raised that " the wounded Bus. sians" were firing on our men. There is a story, indeed, that one officer was severely injured by a man to whom he was in the very act of administering succour as he lay in agony on the field. Be this as it may, there was at one time a near chance of a massacre taking place, but the men were soon controlled, and confined themselves to the pillage which always takes place on a battle-field. - - INCIDENTS OF THE FIGHT. At the commencement of the action many ladies were on the heights. Prince Menschikoff had given them to under stand that on the part of the Russians it would be a mere review—that the allies would not be able to meet his heavy artillery, and would retreat. In the battle the colours of the Scotch Fusilier Guards had twenty-six bullets through them. The staff of one colour was broken ; but Mr Lindsay held fast, cool as a cucumber, and escaped without a wound. The following is an instance of daring on the part of an English non-commissioned officer and a Russian soldier. The Englishman had just moved forward, under a heavy fire, to plant a camp colour as a guide to point out to his division the position they were to occupy. A Russian stepped out from the ranks, rushed at the Englishman, killed him, and carried off the colour. But another Englishman was watching the movement: he dashed in pursuit of the Russian, avoiding the musket shot which the latter aimed at him, overtook his man, dropped him with a double shot from a revolver, seized the colour, and returned to the ranks as fast as he could run amidst a terrific fire. He had no sooner resumed his place in the line than he fell dead. He had been pierced by seven balls, but he had saved the colour of his regiment. The Vulcan brought two Russian prisoners ; one is wounded brigadier-general, who will not disclose his name. He mentioned a curious circumstance. It was observed is singular that, though the loss of English officers had been very great, yet no general officers had received a hurt, although they are conspicuous by a white plume, and the Russians confessedly singled out the officers while the British were advancing across the river and the valley, in a clear day and free from smoke. The Russian replied that the generals were not aimed at, because they were thought to belong to the commissariat. In the continental armies the higher officers are surrounded on all occasions by a brilliant staff, but our own generals ride attended only by one or two aides-de-camp. They were therefore in this case indebted for their safety to the unobtrusiveness of their habits. Several Poles deserted from the Russian army a fter the battle of Alma, who declared that three thousand of their countrymen were in Sebastopol, only waiting an oppor tunity to effect their escape. A Polish regiment, when standing opposite to the French troops at Alma, fell, as if shot dead on the field, where they lay until the Russians retreated, when they rose safe and sound, owing to the in genious stratagem they had adopted. The two superior Russian officers captured are Generals Tchetchanoff and Gonikoff. They were dressed as simple privates, and were so treated until their rank was made known by their fellow-prisoners. All the Russian soldiers wore long boots, which our blue jackets prize, arid each man took a pair. The mode of measuring was somewhat novel. The sailors sat down, and placed the soles of their shoes in opposition with those of the dead, when, if the length corresponded, the Musco vite was speedily unbooted. In Prince Nlenschikoff's carriage, when captured after the battle, a sum of 50,000 francs was found in specie. Papers found in the portfolio show that he was perfectly well informed as to all that took place at Varna. He wrote to his master "that he had allowed us to disembark quietly, in order to drive us back into the sea, and that in any case the formidable position on the Alma would at I least detain us three weeks." He added that, "if we forced him at once on the Alma, nothing would remain cscept to