The Express.
London, England, 1855-08-29 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 29, 1855.

lowed; about the same time a few shots were heard
from the hill occupied by the Piedmonteee out-
post, but, as the utmost stillness prevailed after-
wards on every side, no precautions were taken till
just as the first streak of light made itself visible
in

the horizon a sharp fire woe opened from a party
of skirmishers against the MU de post, and a regular
assault made upon the Sardinian picket. General
della Marmora wee already on the ground, and sent
a battalion of berseglieri to reinforce the post,
so that they might defend themselves till
the troops could be got under arms, and
the necessary arrangements made. When the
reinforcements arrived half the picket was already
hors de combat, and the assailants were up on the
parapet of the little redoubt firing down into them.
To prolong the conflict here would only have canoed
a mashies roamers, and the Sardinians consequently
withdrew behind an fpauleinent on the other side of
the river, near the aqueduct, and there defended
themselves till the day broke clearly, and the attack
became pneceL On the side of the French, the
tee* do pod was assaulted in great force, and carried
very aeon after the enemy's first showing himself on
the ground, notwithstanding the heroic resistance of
the 20th Regiment of the line, which in one battalion
alone lost twelve officers. The bridge was now occu-
pied, two batteries of artillery were brought across,
so as to sweep the road loading between the two
heights towards Balaklava, and a strong column
was pushed on to the assault and mounted the decli-
vity. Stronge to say, although General Pelissier had
received full warning the previous night, he refused
to believe in an attack until it actually commenced,
and consequently no dispositions were made, and no-
body was ready. The Russians had already reached
the crest of the hill, while the French were still
asleep; many officers were awakened by the round-
shot passing through their tents; a sergeant had his
head taken off while writing the orders of the
day for the division. At this critical moment
two battalions alone of the 2nd Regiment of
Zociaves held the whole assaulting column in
check, and contested the grouad inch by inch
till they were forced back upon their own
tents. In the meantime the alarm was sounding,
the troops got into order, the artillery into position,
and a vigorous mast drove the Russians down the
declivity, leaving it covered with their dead and
wounded.

All this, be it well remembered, 'occurred in the
grey of the morning, which the smoke of the action
converted into something like positive darkness,
leaving everybody as yet in complete ignorance as to
the force they had to contend with, or the dangers
they had to bear. In the short payee which followed,
however, and during which both sides prepared for a
renewal of the struggle, the sun came out from
behind the hills, the smoke rose, and the valley of
the Tcberuaya lay before us like a picture. The tract
of table-land lying at the foot of the Mackenzie heights
was covered with masses of cavalry, infantry, and artil-
lery. About 30 guns were ranged in • crescent outside
the bridge, and thundered unceasingly against the
French position. On the bill from which the Pied.
seam picket had been driven were crowds of men
amend a battery of field artillery, which fired inces-
gently, though against what I could never clearly
auks out. I must not forget to mention, however,
that they had previously shelled two battalions of
Turks encamped in the hollow near the Woronzoff-
road, and forced them to retire. This retrograde
movement was the only part the latter bore in the
whole affair ; but it is right to add they were under
arms already, in owe the positions had been attacked.
The Piedmontese were drawn up in line behind a
small eminence dose to the ford on the Tchorgoum
road, and their batteries on the heights to the right
were vigorously replying to the Russian fire; the
three divisions of French, Camoux, Erbillon, and
Fanelli= were under arms, front line • little
way back from the brow of the hill, and • great
number of Zonata were lying down in
shelter behind a small ridge. Below, on
the plain, along the hollow on which the
English light horse died so gallantly last win-
ter, every turf beneath their feet a soldier's sepul-
chre, were ranged the English and French cavalry,
squadron after squadron, extending back nearly to
the Turkish redoubts, ready to act in case the enemy
should force the Piedmontese position and attempt to
&bomb upon the open ground behind. The pennons
niche Lancers fluttered gaily in long lines in the
fresh morning breeze, and when the sun roes high in
glory and poured down its rays fall on the plain,
making scarlet look redder.and steel and brass brighter
aid more resplendent, gilding the hill tops, making
the tents glitter, and rolling smoke and mist in great
packs up the valley towards Inkermann, the scene
became one of passing splendour as well as
of passing interest. We looked in breathless
anxiety for the renewal of the conflict.
The combatants had taken breath—their blood was
up, for hundreds on both aides lay already stark and
stiff on the river side around the bridge, and the
artillery evidently was simply playing an interlude
till the curtain rose upon another set in the tragedy.
We were not kept long waiting. From behind the
cloud of smoke which naturally hung •rotted the
Read= batteries came two large *damns of the
enemy, marching in quick time, about 200 yards
apart and exactly parallel, a short distance from the
river, and in a line with the bank. As they wound
and twisted, mounted and descended, following the
inequalities in the ground in long compact masers,
their bayonets glancing in the sunlight, they looked
wetly like two huge serpents creeping rapidly
dm, their soaks glistening, and their prey in sight.
Oa arriving within about eight hundred yards of the
died, one halted, and the other turned off abruptly
towards the river. It was evident they were about to

semi 1 the French position more to tie right, on the

side next the Sardinians. On reaching the water,
some passed on small bridges hastily thrown over, the
met forded, sad on gaining this side the column
broke into loose order, and pushed on towards the
canal or aqueduct, which TIM within an embank-
ment at the very foot of the hill. Before reaching it
they had to traverse about two hundred yards
of smooth green sward ; they were no longer
exposed to the French artillery, because
the guns could not be depressed suflicieutly to reach
them, bat they had their flank turned to that of the
Piedmontess, who had got the range to an Wok and
fired with an accuracy little short of marvellous.
The head of the column had hardly mem up drip-
ping from the orator, whet they found themselves in
the midst of a storm of round shot, grape, and
shell, bent upon mlentlesely, werelaxlngly, mowing
them down by the score, and covering the survivors
with clay and gravel. But I must do these survivors
justice, and say that they key up right gallantly.

marched firmly onward and upward, passed the
anal, though the water was breast high, pushed
isms yards still on the-precipitous side of the hill,
ONO Mrs every wound was mortal, for all whq fell
amid helplessly downwards into the aqueduct, and
was betaatly drowned; but at last halted,turned, and
fled—never stopping till they reached the river, when
they got shelter under the banks and amongst the
ad willows. An officer remained for some time alone
ea the declivity, vainly urging them to follow him.
Reinforcements now came up from the second
"Mona; they re-formed, but again in loose open
seise. or rather no order at all, for they marched
annetly like a flock of sheep. This was done evi-
isstly so that they might present less mass for the
ellillery to play upon, but it was a great mistake, as
will be seen afterwards. This time they displayed
more pluck and resolution ; they fell to be sure by
the dozen, but they never wavered nor faltered,
climbed on slowly and laboriously, and at
last reached the creek of the hill, and cams
eat on the level. When the head of
the column attained this point, the Zouaves, who
were lying down behind the ridge on the Russian
left, jumped up and ran off to join the main body,
posted near the artillery on the centre of the plateau
and at the same moment the whole of the French, the
artillery included, retired about a hundred yards
before the advancing enemy. The firing had ceased
except broken and puny file-firing from the
assailants, who now, unable to form in line, and mixed
up in disorder, doubtless perceived they should have
either mounted in line, or halted and deployed before
coming out on the open ground above. For some
moments I thought the French were about to give
way and retreat, and the Russians become
masters of the height, but I was soon con-
vinced of my mistake. One could see them,
it is true, falling back on all sides, and eosin
up into a small round mass, but in the twinkling of
an eye this mass opened out like a fan, two black
lines shot from it on each side across the plateau, the
centre closed up, divided itself, and the next mo-
ment a sheet of flame broke from the whole line,
followed by a cloud of smoke, and the crash of the
musketry fell on our ears in a long, continuous, un-
Mitering whirr, like the roar of a waterfall, drowned
every second by the mightier thunder of the artillery,
which had made half a wheel to the right, and raked
the crest of the hill with a tempest of grape. Strongly
as one's sympathies might be engaged for the
French, it was impossible to repress for the moment
a sentiment of pity as one looked upon the
crowd of Russians looming out through the
smoke, as it roiled across them, feebly returniag
the fire, unable to advance, afraid to retreat,
ten thousand deaths in front—ten thousand more
behind—help and hope nowhere. They paused for
a few seconds, seemed to hesitate, but were speedily
relieved from all embarrassment se to the course they
should pursue by the advance of the French, whose
cheer rang merrily through the morning air as they
levelled their bayonets and rushed to the charge.
The Ritssians gave one "Hurrah," as if they in-
tended to ow" up to the scratch, but instead of
suiting the salon to the word, they wheeled about
and flung themselves down the hill side in complete
disorder, the Sardinian artillery again playing upon
them es before. Some hundreds threw down their arms
and surrendered to the French, sooner than run the
gauntlet once more across the aqueduct and the river.
The remnant of the column got under cover on
the other side of the stream, and remained
there for some minutes, until two battalions
of Piedmontese came out upon the plain, and throw-
ing out skirmishers advanced upon the river. The
Russians now retired in haste, and not in very good
order, skirmishing as they went, until they reached
the high ground on which their cavalry and the re-
serve et their artillery were stationed. During the
pursuit the Piedmontese made some prisoners. The
moment was propitious for • charge of cavalry,
who might have cut them up completely.
Major Grosse, the second on the Sardinian etat-
major, accordingly brought down their four
squadrons, but the colonel objected to charge in face
of the Russian cavalry force, fully five thousand in
number, unless be were supported by French or
English. A message was accordingly sent to General
Maurice, the French general commanding the cavalry,
requesting him to push forward a body of his men in
the rear of the Piedmontese, but he declined,
alleging that he had positive orders not to punue,
having returned a similar answer to a similar request
on the part of General Erbilloo, who commanded
on the heights. This is extraordinary, but true, and
the only thing one can say about it is to express a
hope that there was some good reason for it not visible
at first sight. Tile greater part of the Russian artil-
lery now retired, followed up to a short distance by
the French Chasseurs de Vincennes: the cavalry then
advanced is an immense line, forming a crescent, from
out of which issued three guns, which fired away
to protect the retreat, till the last column bad wound
its weary way up the road to Mackenzie's Farm,
or disappeared amongst the hills towards Tchionlion.
Nothing now remained but to visit the field
of battle, on which the Zouaves had already
descended like vultures, and were removing every-
thing portable. The men* which presented
itself on the banks of the river, below the
canal, was something fearful beyond description,
much more fearful than the ordinary horrors of a
battle field. The canal itself was choked with dead,
mod of whom had doubtless fallen into it living,
after rolling down the bill side, and found repose in
its muddy waters; broken muskets, bags of bread,
cartridge., on dark red stain on the white chalky
gravel, often alone marked the spot where the men
first fell ; in a moment afterwards tumbled back
to perdition. Many had fallen, after scrambling
up to the brink of the aqueduct, and ere they had
time to cross it, and if not caught in the bushes,
rolled into the plain, breaking their bones in the de-
scent, and lie there as we passed, shrieking in agony,
and imploring us to kill them and thus put an end
to their suffering. Never did eye rest upon humanity
in forms so mutilated, defaced, and disfigured as
thee@ unhappy wretches, who lay writhing there in
their bloody rags, their faces so plastered over with
gore and duet that neither wife nor mother would
ever hive recognised son or husband in those hideous
masses of mortality. Some, but they were a small
minority, sought to dreg themselves to the shade of
the few bashes that skirted the river ; some sought
to hide their heads from the fiery heat of the midday
sun under their tattered garments, and others lay
with faces upturned and ghastly, their limbs still
trembling in the last quiver, and the flies already
burrowing in their wounds. Men shot down
by any sort of missile, and lying where
they fall, gory and mutilated though they may be,
is a eight to which one soon gets habituated, but
wounded men who have been rolled over a rough
soil, and their bones broken in their progress, is one
of those sights that one rarely witnesses, and which
he who has once seen it never wishes to see more.
On towards the bridge the dead lay thicker and
thicker. On the banks elf the river about it, sad
is the river itself, they were " helloed and Pibiir
mostly floe men, in the prime of life—many witiva
vinisporserd air, which bespoke long years at simt-