Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-12-28

OF the battery, and the shots new oVel
them, doing but little injury. Th'
enemy had, some way or other, man
aged to get up their guns during tht
night, but having to point them in thu
: dark and fog, took but blind aim, ye
nevertheless their shot flew in all direc
tions for the space of nearly twenty
minutes, while the cannonade in real
of the line at Balaklavs was also re
doubled, so that it seemed impossible
to say which would prove the true anC
which the feint attack, or whether thes
were both true or both feints. The lat
ter opinion was adopted by many, who
said that the enemy would never dare
attack us in our entrenchments, but
rather distract our attention while a
sortie was made from the town upon
the trenches. As if to confirm this
surmise, the instant the cannonade in
the rear recommended, all forts, re-
doubts, and batteries round Sevastopol
opened with a tremendous roar, which
seemed to shake the earth.
The scene at this moment was awful.
The whole camp, except to the sea,
seemed encircled by fire. as flash after
flash lit up the foggy air in all direc-
tions. The uproar was perfectly deaf
euing, for our batteries began to reply,
and both sides firing shell increased the
din two-fold. The shower of these ter
rible explosions, which rained into the
camp like hail, battles description. No
place was safe from them. They killed
men and tore the tents to pieces on pla-
ces which we had hitherto considered
as utterly out of range. Every minute
or so you were compelled to throw
yourself upon your face as the terrible
missile came roaring through the air,
and pitching within a few yards, sent
its fragments humming over the spot
where you crouched close to the earth.
For about ten minutes the stunning
noise, confusion, and incessant bursting
of shell made the whole place seem
perfectly unearthly. The horror of the
scene was increased by the obscurity of
the morning. 1t was now six o'clock,
the darkness and fog were still thick and
through the heavy air the broad red
flashes of the guns and their tremen-
dous reports seemed ten times louder
than ever. For all that could be seen
or told to the contrary, the Russian bat
teries seemed within fifty yards of you
on all sides. Of course the troops re-
mained under arms, but did not attempt
to move; every one knew that before
the real attack commenced the artillery
would cease and the sharp cracking fire
of musketry begin. Until that was
heard, there was no knowing on which
of the three points the enemy intended
to advance. The report of the muskets
was therefore anxiously listened for,
and it soon was heard.
The instant the men of the 55th
were enabled to hear what was moving
in their own immediate neighborhood,
the noise of an immense body of men
advancing was heard close upon the
batteries. The picket instantly prepar-
ed to defend the place, and then in the
hour of need the great deficiencies of
the battery were discovered. In the
first place it had no guns, and in the
second place no steps were made to ena-
bic the infantry to fire over its high
parapet.
The instant the Russians caught sight
of the battery through the fog. though
they seemed utterly spent in their ex-
ertions climbing the hill, they rushed
forward with dash we hardly gave
them credit for. Nothing daunted by
the immense numbers, the 55th waited
till they closed within ten feet, and
then gave one tremendous volley, which
stretched 200 of the enemy in the dust;
and then each man, loading and firing
as fast as he could, kept up an incessant
discharge of musketry upon each Rus
sian as he approached. The Russians
halted for a moment, and then, with
wonderful courage, rallied up and re-
turned close and deadly FIRE. N less
than FIVE minutes they again attempted
to storm the battery. In an instant
they rushed on, and poured over its
banks and through its embrasures in
overpowering numbers. There was a
moment of desperate struggle, during
which our gallant 55th fought hand to
hand and foot to foot with their numer-
Gus asseilants. 1t was but moment.
and in the next they had repulsed the
attack and preserved the battery.
But it was in vain our fellows dis
played all this courage-the enemy al
ready outnumbered them at the rate of
40 to !, and fresh masses were coming
up every minute. A perfect semi-circle
of fire from small arms ragged round the
battery, and our men fell by dozens, as,
from the want Of proper place to fire
from, they were compelled to expose
themselves at the embrssures before
they could return a shot. Their num-
bers diminished every instant, while
those of the enemy increased. Sud
denly, the Russians made another
charge, and this time with more effect.
From every point they swarmed into
the battery like bees, in truly irresisti
bic numbers. The 55th, true to their
post, again met them at the point of the
bayonet; and driving the enemy back
for moment, seemed as if they would
still keep the battery in spite of the
awful odds against them; but, at last,
= II