The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-04 00:00:00

HOW WOUNDED RUSSIANS DISAPPEAR.

We have over and over again been astonished at
the wonderful way in which the dead and wounded
disappeared after the repulse of a sortie in which
there were probably 200 of the enemy put hors do
combat. Except the dead and wounded left in
our trenches, none were ever to be seen after such
occasions when day broke. A soldier of the 68th
(M‘Geevor), who was taken prisoner in a sortie
some months ago, and who has since returned
to his regiment after a long and interesting
(to others) march in Russia, explains the mys-
tery, such as it was. On the night alluded to
it could not be ascertained what the Russian loss
was, but it was certain that the firing was very
heavy, and the work very warm while it lasted.
As this man was being taken to the rear after a
stout resistance, he saw that there were hundreds
of soldiers without arms between the reserves and
the column of sortie, and that these men wore
exclusively employed in carrying away the dead
and wounded, which would otherwise have been
left in the hands of the British.

barbarity or ill-treatment now ; previously, while the
fighting was going on, many of the wounded were bayo-
neted by the enemy. Some time elapsed, the firing had
ceased all around, evening was advancing, when sud-
denly, without any warning, the ground shook, and
there was a terrific noise from an explosion. It was one
of the magazines in the Redan which the Russians had
fired. Down came a shower of dust and gravel, and as
ill-fortune would have it, there fell also a large stone
and struck poor Massy on the right thigh, the one
which was not previously wounded. It inflicted a
very severe bruise. Soon afterwards he perceived in the
dusk some twelve or fifteen men coming cautiously up
towards the Redan. They were not very far distant
when he first perceived them, but what amazed him
was that they were not fired at. He could not divine
why this was, or what the Russians were about ; and at
last suspected that the men must be Russians them-
selves who were not observed from our trenches. They
went into the Redan, and he lost sight of them, but
after a short time they came back again, and lie dis-
covered them to belong to one of our Highland regi-
ments. The French bad communicated the fact that the
Russians had deserted the Redan, and this party had
gone to reconnoitre. Fortunately they did not remain
longer, for shortly after their return another magazine
of the Redan was blown up. , Had they been within the
work, the probability is that the greater part of them
would have been destroyed. Massy, as he- lay at the
edge of the ditch,' was again covered by the dirt and
loose fragments which were thrown up into the air, but
this time received no hurt. Subsequently he attracted.
the attention of one of the Highlanders, and after a short
time was carried in a loose great-coat to the trenches.
There his wound was examined by an assistant-surgeon,
and he was sent up on a stretcher to camp. He is going
on favourably, but his wound is of a very dangerous
character.

The following is from a diary kept by a surgeon
of the 55th Regiment :-- ----,---,--•- -- --- ----•_ • - -- - -
"Friday, Sept. 7.—On coming bogie from a stroll to
the Limekilns, whither I had gone to have another look
at the often-looked-at city, I found that a clear-out had
been made of the hospital ; the sick had been sent to
Balaklava, and an order had come that officers and men
were to prepare two days' rations, to breakfast at 0, and
parade at 8 ; so I made ready my havresack by replen-
ishing it with lint, bandages, &c. ; had some beef boiled,
bread got, flasks filled, and turned in. Bombardment,
confined chiefly to the left, going on all day.
" Saturday, Sept. B.—C-- awoke meabout daylight;
tremendously cold morning ; had a cup of tea ; went
round hospital, and then marched off with regiment to
parade-ground, where we waited a long time, having
started too soon. At parade, General Codrington gave
a short address, informing us that we were to act as sup-
ports to the storming party—an important duty, which
would, he doubted not, be well performed—that we were
to occupy the fourth parallel, moving gradually into the
fifth, then to enter the Redan, and insure the possession
of it to the stormers. So off we marched downthe middle
ravine. My staff consisted of Carmodie and two bands-
men, as orderlies, carrying my havresack, rum-barrel, &c.
I marched beside Burke, our adjutant, at the head of the
Grenadier company. As we went along I gathered that
the French were to attack the Malakhoff at 12 o'clock,
and that their standard, planted on the tower and the
English flag on the Mamelon,lwere to be our signal of
attack upon the Redan. On we went through the ravine
to the oft-trod trenches, keeping up a smart fire, to which
the Russians replied but seldom. On the left the bom-
bardment wai kept up heavily. We jogged along till
we got to the fourth parallel, then gradually moved cown
the approach of the fifth ; now sitting on the breastwork,
speaking over the coming event of the day, then moving
on a litte. Being with the Grenadier or flank company, I
was next to the light company of the 30th, and went along
talking with its officers—among others Col. Patullo, who
not long after was brought to me mortally wounded, and
Sanders, who was also severely wounded. Gradually we
reached, the end of the approach, where it joins the fifth
parallel, and at that corner most of us of the 55th and 30th
were talking together with Gen. Warren, all keeping a
sharp look-out at the Malakhoff as far as possible amid
the riflit-builets that were flying about from the Redan.
We wee now on the tiptoe of expectation, for our guns
had commenced such a fire as I never before heard—
volleys'of eight and ten at a time, which, being fired
from b hind, passed but a few feet over our heads, tear-
ingft up he earthworks of the Redan in grand style;—the
Frenclii, too, opened a tremendous fire from the Marne-
lon. 4.t 12 o'clock exactly ' There go the French !' was

n a moment we were all upon the breastwork,
lg nothing of the round shot and grape that came
g.,o.nd whizzing among us, throwing up earth and
smashing gabions, and knocking down men. It
was a {splendid sight to see the French rushing up the
steep slide of the Malakhoff—we saw it but a few mo-
ments; as all was soon obscured in smoke; but high above
we could distinguish the French standard waving over
the Malakhoff Tower; and it was pleasanter still to see
the Russians rushing helter-skelter out from the works
down to the Redan. It was sharp work, for at twenty
minutks past 12 our signal was up—a white flag—on the
Mamellon. Colonel Cuddy saw it first, and rushed off to
the hqad of his men ; so we all shook hands and moved
down 'the trench as fast as we could, for our attacking
partylhad passed out of the sap, and we saw them rush-
ing oil the Redan. Many a fine fellow was cut short in
his cafreer across the open by the grapeshot, which came
in fearful volleys. I kept up with my regiment as well
as I could, for the wounded falling around me kept me
back. I bound them up, and then made a run after the
regiment till arrested by others, and so on till I got to
the end of the sap which led to the open. To go further
was useless, already there was such a crowd of wounded.
around, so I took up my position there—no enviable one
—for grape and shot came bounding among us, wound-
ing those beside me. Two Riflemen fell dead almost
on the top of me. I kad plenty to do, and the time
passed without my knowing how it flew—l was so

heard
thinkh
bound'
stones,

,
busy; Cure, our major, was one of the first officers
who busy;
to me, a grapeshot breaking his arm; then
Itchrds, one of our Captains, struck on the ankle
by grape. He wanted to go back, but I would not
let him—nor could he, if I had, for he fainted when I
had Ihim laid on the breastwork. Officers and men
came crowding on, mowed down by the grape from the
flanking fire which rushed over and among us, throwing
up 4st and stones, which dealt us no gentle raps. I
was !struck twice, once on the back, by, I think, a
grapeshot, but I had no time to look, and once on the
foot by a rise ball, both • =afters ;' but that was all.
I wigs too busy to observe anything that was going on ;
so, except the first rush, I saw nothing, I may say, of

the attack. While I was hard at work among the
wouuded the soldiers around cried out, Doctor, you
Riust !get out of the way—they are retreating ;' so I
lookW up and saw otr men rushing helter skelter into
and 'over the open to the trenches in the rear of us. I
did not exactly know what to do, so I drew my sword
(which, by the way, got very bloody that day, but not
with! Russian blood), and went on with my dressing till
I hag finished all about me, and then thought of moving
off.

I could not leave poor Richards, as we all expscted

,ussians to be in among us every minute, so there

wasinothing for it but to put him on my back and carry
him which I did till I got a stretcher by some means or
othdr, and raised some men of the reserve to carry him
home. Then I went down to the trenches again, dres-
singg auy wounded I found en the way. While doing
so, !Sanders called out to me from the trenches, into
which he had staggered, with the knee joint of one leg
smashed, and a bullet through the other. He bore it
all !splendidly. I dressed his wounds, got a scaling
ladder and sent him 'home' too. The Russians did
noCcome out, and when I left the city began to blaze.
"iSept. 9. —Up at daylight, and down with the regi-
medt. I went out with the Adjutant to look for Colonel
Cuddy's body, which was found with the arm upraised,
as if waving his sword to go into the Redan. Had a
look round there. Stationed in 21-gun-battery all day.
" Sept. 10.—Set to work in hospital at eight o'clock ;
got done about five ; had dinner ; went round and saw a
few wounded officers I knew, and back to hospital again.
Mit back is by this time pretty sore with stooping. I
hate just been warned to go with the regiment on a
bathing and washing expedition to the Tchernaya, for
fear of accident. Start as seven o'clock."