The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1854-11-03
The Battle Field Of Aina.

we take the annexed view of the modern battle
field OF Alma. 1t affords not only sickenng
scene of horrors, but proves the utterly democrat
ling effects Of war and Tie brulal;zng tendencies
OF u soldiers lie in thus age OF christianity
and eIevaling and humanizing in'egences.
ElEIGnrs OF ALMA, Sept. 2l.
TWAS n terrible and sickening sight TO GO over
the battle field. Till deprived Of my horse by
chance shot, rode about 10 ascertain, as far as
possible, the loss of friends, and IN doing so
was often brought to a srand.sul by the difficulty
OF getting through the piles Of wounded Russians,
mingled too often with own poor soldiers. The
hills OF Greenwich park III fair times are not more
densciy covered with human beings than were the
heights OF Alma with dead and dying. On these
bloody mounds fell 2.l96 English officers and
men, and upwards of 5000 Russians, while their
western extremity was covered with The bodies OF
400 gallant Frcnchmen, and O more than 3,O0O
OF their foes.
When Lord Raglan and his soT and The Duke
of Cambridge rode round to the top OF the hill the
troops checred him with thrilling cffect-a shout
Of victory which never can be forgotten. The
enemy, W no were lying i'll the distance, mi hit al
most have heard lis echors as 1t rolled among the
hills Oar men, had indeed done their work well,
Tor the action, which commenced at l.25 on our
part, was over abou, p. NJ. In fact, the actual
close continuous fighting did not last two hours !
The Russian regiments engaged against u.s.
Judging from the numbers the caps and buttons
OF the dead and wounded, HE Irh, l2h
9th, I7ih, 18th, 3Ist, 32d, $50, and some of the
Imperial Guard. The Russian regiment consists
OF four batIaliuns and each battalion may be said
to BE- ESQ strong. The sodrics were mostly stout
strong men. Several of The regiments, 32d and
10th, for example, wore a black leather helmet,
handsomely mounted with brass, and having
brass cone on the top, with hole for the rcceP-
ton oil j uI, feather, or plume; others were SIM
ply white linen loraging cap. They were all
dressed in long drab coats with brass buttons,
bearing The number OF the regiment, These coats
fitted closely, were gathered IN at the back by
small strap and button, descend TO The ankles, and
seemed stout, comfortable garments, though this
cloth was coarse in texture The trousers, OF
blue stuff, were thrus; inside pair o.
Wellington boots, open at the Top, 10 admit of their
being comfortably tucked down; the boots
stout, well made, AID serviceabe. The knapsacks
astOniShed our soldiers.
On opening them, each found TO contain
the dress uniform cOrtee OF the man, blue or
green, with white Iacings, ard slashes like
own, pair OF clean drawers, "a clean shirt, pair
o! clean socks, pair Of stout mIts, case con.
tanning good pair OF scissors marGed sSapin,"
an excellent penkaiie, with one large blade, Of
Russian manufacture, a ball of twne, a roll Of
leather, wax, thread, needles and pins, a hair
stroP. and soap, shoe brushes and backing. The
general remark Of our that the Russians
were very "clean soldiers" and certainly the men
on the field had fair white skins to Justify the ex-
preston. EICh had a loaf OF dark brown
bread Of sour taste, and disaereea5le odur, in
his knapsack, and linen roll containing guam
lIty Of brown coarse stuff, broken up into Jumps
and large grains, which is crushed biscuit or hard
granuated bread, prepared with oil.
This, we were told by tho prisoners, the
sole food OF the men. They eat the bread with
onions ADD oil the powder is "reserve'' ration ;
and il they march they NAV be for days without
food, and remain hungry I'LL they can get fresh
loayes and more ''breadsIuff." Ii is perfectly as
founding to think they can keep together on such
diet-and yet they strong, muscular men
enough. The surgeons remarked that their tena-
city OF lille was very remarkable. Many Of them
lived with wounds calculated to destroy two or
three ordinary men. | saw one OF the 32d rpgi
men, on the field just after the fight. He was
shot right through the head, and the brain pro-
truded IN large masses at the back of the head
and from the front of the skull. | with my
own eyes the wounded man raise his head, wipe
the horrible mass from his brow. and proceed to
struggle down the hills towards the water.
Many Of the Russians shot in three or
four places-iew OF them had only one wound
They seemed to have a general idea that they
wonld be murdered; possibly they had been told
hO quarter "Oulu Oe gwen. auu SeVeTdl Qeplora0Ie
events took place in consequence. As our men
were passing by two three of them were shot
or stabbed by men lying on the ground, and the
cry was raised that ''ihe wounded Russians were
firing on our men. There is a story, indeed, that
one officer was severely injured by man to
whom he was in the very act of administering
succor as he lay 10 agony on the field; be this as
u may, there was at time a near chance of a
massacre taking place, but the men were soon
controlled, and confined themselves 10 the piIIage
which always takes place on battle field.
One villain with red coat on his back regret
TO say, saw 60 up to wounded Russian who
was rolling on the earth in the Of the 7Ih re-
gimenI, and before could say a word he dis.
oh rgrd his rife right through the wrcched crea-
tpre's brains. Col. Yea rode at him to cut him
down, but the fellow excused himself by declaring
the Russian was going to shoot him. This was
the single act of inhumanity saw perpetrated by
this army. flushed with victory and animated by
angry passions, although the wounded enemy had
uR9uestonably endangered their lives by acts Of
frrocroIs holly. Many of The Russians had small
crosses and chains fastened round their necks.-
Several !Tere- iqand with korans in their knnP.