The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1854-12-06

to the timidity of the officer in commando
The existence of this feeling was known to
many of our cavalry. and they were indignant
and exasperated that the faintesi shade Of
suspicion should rest on any Of their corps.
With the justice Of these aspersions they
seemed to think they had nothing to do, and
perhaps the prominent thought in their
minds was that they would give such an ex-
ample of courage TO the world, ifthe chance
offered ITSELF as would shame their detrac-
tors forever.
II will be remembered that eleven but
tallions of Russian infantry had crossed the
Tchernaya, and that they threatened the
rear of our position and communication with
Balak lava. II will be recollected also that
the position we occupied in reference to Ba-
laklava was supposed by most people to be
very strong--even impregnable. Our lines
were formed by natural mountain slopes in
the rear, along which the French had made
very formidable intreDchments. Below these
intrenchments, and yer nearly in right
line across the valley beneath are four CEN
trail hillocks, one rising above the other as
they receded from our lines; the furtherest,
which oins the chain Of mountains opposite
to our ridges being named Conrubert's hill,
from the meeting there of that General with
Lord Raglan after the march to Balaklava.
On the top of each of these hill the Turks
had thrown up earthen redoubts, defended
by $50 men each, and armed by two or three
guns-sorne heavy ship guns--lent by us to
them, with one artillery man in each redoubt
to look after them, These hills cross the
valley of Balaklava at the distance of about
two and a half miles from the town. Sup
| posing the spectator then TO take his stand
on one Of the heighths forming the rear of
our camp before Sebastopol, he would see
the town of Balaklava, with its scanty ship
ping, its narrow strip OF water, and its old
forts on his right hand. Immediately below
| he would behold the valley and the plain Of
coarse meadow land, occupied by our caval-
ry tents, and stretching from the base of the
ridge on which he stood to tho foot Of the
formidable heights at the other side.
He would see the French trenches lined
with Houaves few feet beneath, and dis
tant from him, on the slope of the hill, a
Turkish redoubt lower down, then another
in the valley, then in line with it some an
gular earth works, then, in succession, the
other two redonbts up to Canrobert's hill
At the distance of two or two and hall
miles across the valley there is an abrupt
rocky mountain range of the most. irregular
and picturesque formation, covered with
scunty brushwoOd here and there, or rising
into barren pinnacles or ptateauT of rock
In outline and appearance, this portion o.
the landscape is wonderfully like the Tros
sachs. A patch of blue sea is caught be
tween the overhanging cliffs of Balaklavt
as they close in the harbor on the right. The
camp of the marines pitched on the hill
sides more than 1000 feet above the eve
of the sea, are opposite to you as your bacl
is turned to Sebastopol, and your right sidt
towards Balaklava. On the road leading
up the valley, close to the entrance of thu
: town, and beneath these hills, is the encamp
; ment of the esd Higlanders.
The cavalry lines are nearer to you below
and are some way in advance of the High
: landers, and nearer to the town the Turk
} ish redoubts. The valley is crossed here AM
there by small woves Of land. On your LEI
the hills and rocky mountain ranges grad
ally close in toward the course of the Tcher
maya, till, at three or four miles distance
from Balaklava the valley Is swallowed VI
in mountain gorge and deep ravines, above
which rise tier after tier of desolate Whitisl
rock, garnished now and then by bits o
scanty hetbage, and spreading away towards
the east and south, where they the attain thu
Alpine dimensions of Tchatyr Dagh. 1t il
very easy for an enemy at the Belbek or il
command Of the road of Mackenzie's Farm
/ lnkerman, Simferpol or Bakshiserai, to de
bouch through these gorges at any time up
on this plain from the neck Of the valley, o
to march from Scbastopo by the Tchernaya
and to advance along it towards Balaklava
) till checked by the Turkish redoubts on thu
southern side, or by the iJe from the Frencl
works on the northern side, 4. E., the sid
which, in relation to the valley to BaIakla
} va, forms the rear of our position. 1t wa
evident enough that Menschikoff aud Gorts
chakof had been feeling their way alon!
this route for several dpys past, and yer,
probable that at night the Cossacks ha
crept up close to our pIckets, which are no
5 always as watchful as might be desired, an
had observed the weakness of position ia
90 extended for cur army TO defend, and oc
: cupied by their despised enemy, the Turk
say "despised," because we hear from pris
: oners and from other sources, that, notWith
standing all the drubbings received on til
? Danube from the OsmaDil, the Russian
have the most incf1able contempt for tn
1 champions Of the Crescent.
THE RIVAL CAVALRY CHARGE.
Our eyes were, however, turned in mo
ment on our own cavalry. We saw Briga
der General Scarlet ride along the front Q
his massive squadrons. The Russiau-evi
IDENTIFY corps d. etite-their light blue jackets
embroidered with silver lace were advanc
ing on their left, at on easy gallop toward
the brow Of the hill.
: A forest of ances glistened in their real
: and several squadrons of gray-coated DIRE
| goons moved up quickly to support them a
, they reached the summit The instant the
, came in sight, the trumpets of our cavalr
gave out the warning blast, which told L
D all that in another moment we would see tn
Y shock of battle beneath our very eyes,
d Lord Raglan, all his staff and escort, an
groups of officers, the Zouaves, French gel
S erals and officers, and bodies of French il
t fantry on the height, were spectators of til
: scene as though they were looking on tt
= stage from the boxes of a theatre: Near
S every one dsmounted and sat down, ar
t not word was said. The Russians a
o vanced down the hill at slow canter, whit
: they changed to a trot and at last near
: halted. The first line was at least doub
e the length of ours--it was three times
J. deep. Behind them was similar lin
i equally strong and compact. They eviden
s ly despised their insignificant looking enem
q hnt their time was come The trnmna