The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1854-11-08

rHE BArfLE OF ALMA.


THE BATTLE or ALMA.
Hsshss q Alna. spa. Il
IT, Dad Rzs.ra Salxsrs-Tker D-e~p--l
7z< cu~isvfs If fAssr Ksfp~asks--Tbrir n
ssrfy n L;f-TAsir Dissruf n ihs Allied
ss1ssos = zpprralrs ef fAs Prisoners -
Prs~a k<asrAiheF Assi as Presases Of hias.
II Sas terrible and sickening sight
q % aver the battle field. Until de-
prised Of nv horse by a chaHce shot. l
rude about to ascertain. as Ear as poSsi-
bic. the loss nf our friends. and in doing
90 | was often brought to stand still
BIZ the difficulty Of getting through the
piles af wounded Russians. mingled
too aftea With esr own poor soldiers
The hills Of Greenwich park 10 fair
time are not more densely covered with
human beings than were the heights Of
Alma with the dead and dying. On
these blssdy mounds fell 1896 Eng
lish eIieers aud men. and upwards Of
5000 Rsssians, while their western ex-
tremity vas covered with the bodies Of
400 gallant frenchmen, and Of more
than 5000 Of their foes.
When Lord Raglan and his staff aud
the Duke Of Cambridge rode round to
the top Of the hill, the troops cheered
tsem with a thrilling effects shout
sfsictory which never can be forgotten.
The enemy. who were flying in the
distance, might almost have heard its
echoes as il rolled among the hills.
Our men had. indeed. done their work
we'll. fer the action. which commenced
at las on our part. was over about 4
p. NJ. In fact, the actual close contin-
nous fighting did not last two hours.
The Russian regiments engaged a.
sainst US. judging from the number,
on the cap and buttons Of the dead and
wounded, were the 18th, l2th, 10th
18th. 18th. Sist. SD, SD. aud some
Of the Imperial Guard. The Russian
regiment consists Of four baitaIions
and each battalion may be said to be
$50 strong. The soldiers were most
ly stout. strong men. Several Of the
regiments. SD aud 10th. Tor example
wore a black leather helmet. hand
somely mounted with brass, aud hav
ing brass cone on the top, with hoI,
for the reception Of tuft, feather OF
plume; others wore simply a white
linen foraging cap. They were al
dressed in long drab coats. with bras.
buttons, bearing the number Of the re-
ginent. These coats fitted loosely
were gathered in at the back by small
strap and button, descend to the ANGLES
and seemed stout. comfortable gar
ments. though the cloth was coarse
in texture; the trousers. Of coarse baiss
stuff. were thrust inside q pair .
Wellington boots. open at the top, t.
admit of their being comfortably tucket
down; the boats were stout. we'll made
and sersiceable. Their knapsacks as
tonished our soldiers. On spenin,
them each was found to contain tn
dress uniform coatee Of the man, blu
or green. with white facings. and sash
es likeour own, a pair OF clean drawers
aclean shirt, pair Of clean s6cks,
pair Of stout mits. case containing
good pair Of SCISSORS marked I" Sapin,
IN excellent penknife with one larg
blade, of Russian manufacture, a bal
of Irvine, roll Of leather. wax. threa.
needles and pins, q hair brush an
comb, small looking glass, razor
strop, and soap. shoe brushes an
backing. The general remark Of GU
men was that the Russian were yer
"clean soldiers and certainly tn
men on the field had white fair skin
TO justify the impression. Each ma
had loaf Of dark brown bread, Of
sour taste and disagreeable oder. !
his knapsack, and linen roll, contai
aquantity OF brown coarse stuff, brok
en- up into Jumps and large grains
which is crushed biscuit or hard era
nulated bread prepared with oil.
This, we were told by the prison
ers, was the sole iood of the men. The
eat the bread with onions and oil tn
powder is reserve" ration, and
they march they may be for days with
out fond, and remain hungry till the
can get fresh loaves and more "bread
stuifs." II is perfectly astounding t
think they can keep together on sue
diet-and yet they are strong muscula
men enough. The surgeon remarks
that their tenacity Of lite was very re
markable. Many Of them lived wit
wounds calculated to destroy two q
three ordinary men. saw one of tn
Sad regiment on the field just ATE
the fight, He was shot right throug
the head, and the brain protruded /
large masses at the back Of the hea
and from the front Of the skull, sa,
with my own eyes the wounded ma
raise bis hand, wipe the horrible mas
from his brow, and proceed to struggl
down the hill towards the water.
MANY of the Russians were shot i