The Press.
London, England, 1854-11-18 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

of all, and their horseman were chasing the Turks across
the interval which lay between it and No. 2. At that mo-
ment the cavalry, under Lord Lucan, were formed in
glittering masses—the light brigade, under Lord Cardigan,
in advance; the heavy brigade, under Brigedier•General
Scerlett, in reserve. They were drawn up just in front of
their encampment, and were concealed from the view of
the enemy by a slight " wave "in the plain. Considerably
to the rear of their right the 93rd Highlanders were drawn
up in line, in front of the approach to Balaklava. Above
and behind them, on the heights, the marines were visible
through the glass, drawn up uuder arms, and the gunners
could be seen ready iu the earthworks, in which were
placed the heavy ships' gnus. The 93rd had originally
been advanced somewhat more into the plain, but the
instant the Russians got possession of the first redoubt
they opened fire on them from our own guns, which in
flitted some injury, and Sir Colin Campbell " retired " his'
men to a better position.
Meantime the enemy advanced his cavalry rapidly. To
our inexpressible disgust we saw the Turks in redoubt No
2 fly at their approach. They ran in scattered groups across
towards redoubt No. 3, and towards Balaklava, but the
hoise•hoif of the Cossack was too quick for them, and sword
and lance were busily plied among the retreating herd.
The yells of the pursuers and pursued were plainly audible.
As the Lancers and light cavalry of the Russians advanced
they gathered up their skirmishers with great speed and in
excellent order—the shifting trails of men, which played all
over the valley like moonlight on the water, contracted,
gathered up, and the little pelulun in a few moments became
a solid column. Then up came their guns, in rushed their
gunners to the abandoned redoubt, and the guns of No.
redoubt soon played with deadly effect upon the dispirited
defenders of No. 3 redoubt. Two or three shots in
return from the earthworks, and all is silent. The Turks
swarm over the earthworks and run in confusion towards the
town, firing their muskets at the enemy as they run. Again the
solid column of cavalry opens like a fan, and resolves itself
into a "long spray " of skirmishers. it laps the flying
Turks, steel flashes in the air, and down go the poor Moslem
quivering on the plain, split through fez and musket-guard
to the chin and breast-belt. There is no support for them.
It is evident the Russians have been too quick for us. The
Turks have been too quick also, for they have not held their
redoubts long enough to enable us to bring them help. In
vain the naval guns on the heights fire on the Russian
cavalry ; the distance is too great for shot or shell to reach.
In vain the Turkish gunners in the earthern batteries which
are placed along the French entrenchments strive to pro-
tect their flying countrymen ; their shot fall wide and short
of the swarming masses. The Turks betake themselves
towards the Highlanders, where they check their flight and
form into companys on the flanks of their allies. As the
Russian cavalry on the left of theirline crown the hill across
the valley they perceive the Highlanders drawn up at the
distance of some half mile, calmly waiting their approach.
They halt, and squadron after squadron flies up from the
rear, till they have a body of some 1,500 men along the
ridge—Lancers, Dragoons, and Hussars. Then they move
en echelon in two bodies with another in reserve. The
cavalry who have been pursuing the Turks on the right are
coming up to the ridge beneath us, which conceals our
cavalry from view. The heavy brigade in advance is drawn
up in two lines. The first line consists of the. Scots Greys
and of their old companions in glory, the Enniskillens ; the
second of the 4th Royal Irish, of the sth Dragoon Guards,
and of the Ist Royal Dragoons. The light cavalry brigade is
on their left, in two lines also. The silence is oppressive ;
between the cannon bursts one can hear the champing of
bits and the clink of sabres in the valley below. The
Russians on the left drew breath for a moment, and then
in one grand litre dashed at the Highlanders. The ground
flies beneath their horses' feet; gathering speed at every
stride, they dash on towards that thin red streak topped
with a line of steel. The Turks fire a volley at eight
hundred yards, and run. As the Russians come within six
hundred yards, down goes that line of steel in front, and
out rings a rolling volley of Minie musketry. The distance
is too great; the Russians are not checked, but still sweep
onwards with the whole force of horse and man, through
the smoke, here and there knocked over by the shot of
our batteries above. With breathless suspense every one
awaits the bursting of the wave upon the line of Gaelic rock;
but ere they come within 150 yards, another deadly volley
flashes from the levelled rifle, and carries death and terror
into the Russians. They wheel about, open files right and
left, and fly back faster than they came. " Bravo, High-
landers ! well done," shout the excited spectators ; but
events thicken. The Highlanders and their splendid front
are soon forgotten, men scarcely have &moment to think of
this fact that the 113 rd never altered their formation to receive
that tide of horsemen. " No," said Sir Colin Campbell,
" I did not think it worth while to form them even four
deep !" The ordinary British line, two deep, was quite
sufficient to repel the attack of these Muscovite cavaliers.
Our eyes were, however, in a moment turned on our
own cavalry. We saw Brigadier-General Scarlett ride along
in front of his massive squadrons. The Russians—
evidently corps d flite—their light blue jackets embroidered
with silver lace, were advancing on their left, at an easy
gallop, towards the brow of the hill. A forest of lances
glistened in their rear, and several squadrons of grey-coated
dragoons moved up quickly to support them as they reached
the summit. The instant they came in sight the trumpets
of our cavalry gave out the warning blast which told us all
that in another moment we should see the shock of battle
beneath our very eyes. Lord Raglan, all his staff and escort
and groups of officers, the Zouaves, French generals and
officers, and bodies of French infantry on the height, were
spectators of the scene as though they were looking on the
stage from the boxes of a theatre. Nearly every one dis-
mounted and sat down, and not a word was said. The
Russians advanced down the hill at a slow canter, which
they changed to a trot arid at last nearly halted. Their Mat
line was at least double the length of ours—it was three
times as deep. Behind them was a similar line equally