Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-12-28

| '"S ''S hNioS WIN wv PioihlJ thet oOlho c'Vo ="
5000 Russians were already close at hand. Tho
instant the Russians caught sight Of our bat
terry, through the fog, though they seemed ut
terly spent by their exertions in climbing the
hill, they rushed forward with q dash we hard
ly gave them credit for. Nothing daunted by
the immense disparity of 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 upan
incessant discharge of musketry upon each
Russian as he approached. The Russians halted
for moment, and then, with wonderful cour-
age, rallied up and returned close and deadly
fire. In less than FIVE minutes they again at
teupted to storm the battery. In an instant
they rushed on and poured over its banks and
through its embrasures in overpowering num-
bers There was moment of desperate strug-
gle, during which our gallant 55th fought hand
to hand and foot to foot with their numerous
assaiants. 1t was but moment, and in the
next they had repused the attack and preserved
the battery. But it was in vain cur fellows
displayed all this courage-the enemy already
outnumbered them at the rate of forty to one,
and fresh masses were coming up every minute
Our men fell by dozens
Their numbers diminished every instant, while
those of the enemy increased Suddenly the
Russians made another charge, and this time
with more effect. From every point they swarm
into the battery like bees, in truly irresistible
numbers, and the 55th, after more than two
thirds of the picket lay dead around, retired
from the battery. The Russians had now got
between 5000 and 10000 men up their heights
ON our right, and their battery on the hill
threw shot and shell among our men with terri
BILE effect. The pickets were preparing to retire
from the wall, when fortunately two regiments
of the ID division the list and 10th, came into
action, and passing the wall opened destruc
tive file fire on the Russians on our right, near
the two.gun battery. The enemy returned it
quite as vigorously; but their small inefficient
weapons stood no chance against our Mimic ri
Aes
The 4lst and 49th then deployed into line
and prepared to charge and the instant they
did SO, the enemy fell back in disorder. The
4lst and 49th charged up the hill to the right,
and in the course of five minutes recaptured
the two-gun battery.
All this time the ID, 4th, and light divisions
were ranged inside the wall on the old post road,
firing over it into the bodies of Russian infantry
with most terrible effect The rattle of mus
kerry was deafcning The incessant volleys
and effects of tho file firing dispersed the fog,
but replaced it with the thick, white smoke of
gunpowder, which hid everything equally well.
At this time the enemy, who were losing ten
to oor one, showed no signs of giving way. On
the contrary, they advanced towards the wall,
firing voleys with as much coolness and regular
ity as if on parade. | am bound to say that no
troops could have behaved more splendidly than
the Russians. They appeared utterly insensiblc
to the fear Of anything but q charge.
About this time our batteries of artillery
came hotly into the fight against the enemy s
battery on the hill which was doing us con-
siderable amount of mischief Under the splen-
did management if General Strangways, they
soon 50 far turned tho fortune of the day as to
leave their infantry, attacking ours beyond the
wall, entirely without support, Advantage was
instantly taken of the change to advance the
Goth and 47tb regiments for the purpose of re-
taking the two gun battery. In spite of tre-
mondous cross fire, they advanced at the point
of the bayonet, and as they noared the battery
poured in one tremendous yolley and then
charged. In less than minute the Russians
were driven out with fearful loss. Yet hard
ly were they clear Of the battery, when the
Russians rallied again, and returning round the
spot poured in volley after voley into the col
umns af the gallant Goth and 47th, and at the
same time the Russian artillery rc-openpd upon
the battery in such q manner that neither foe
nor friend could hold it, Under these circum.
stances, the Goth and 47th were compelled to
fall back, and the enemy again occupied tho
two-gun battery for a moment This turn OF
things was, however, but brief; our fellows
again dashed up at it, and again they literally
1nassacred all in the place. The battery itself
and all its approaches, were now covered with
English and Russian corpses and wounded The
latter were few in the extreme, as whenever the
enemy occupied the contested post, they bayo-
netted all our fellows who gave the least sign
of life.
The Russian skirmishers with their strong
and large supporting bodies of infantry were
again thrown on our right, and under cover of
a tremendous fire of artillery, crawled up the
hill to the two-gun battery. As their men
breasted the hill they were encountered with
showers of grape from our field batteries, which
moved them down by hundreds Yet still they
came on with perfect GOODNESS, and apparently
with perfect courage. To favor their advance
the whole of the enemy's artillery was turned
full upon ours and, from their commanding
position, and advantage in weight of metal, did
much execution. 1t was at this moment, as the
, two-gun battery was again taken by the enemy
that cannon shot struck Major General Strang-
ways, and carried away his thigh, while he was
giving some orders relative to fresh position
which our batteries were to take up. Poor
0 strangways was carried to the rear, when the
mo,olaa limb WAS Immediately amputated but
! the brave old general only survived the opera
f ton few minutes. Hardly had we sustained
this loss when several other leading officers o
1 our artillery were cut down, either killed Of
: MORALLY wounded, while experimenting thu
| work of their guns. The Doth and 47th haC
r in the meantime recaptured and lost the two-gul