Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-10-28

and reported the French had crossed the Alma but they
had not established themselves sufficiently 10 Justify ma
attack The infantry therefore ordered to lie
down. and the army for short time quite passive
only that artillery poured forth unceasng FIRE of
SHE'LL rockets and round SHOT, which poughed through
the Russians and caused them great loss They did not
wayer, however and replied to artillery manfully
their shot falling among men they lay, and carry
ing off legs and arms at every round
Lord Raglan at last became weary of this inactivty
his spirit up he looked around and saw whom
he knew he might stake the honor and fate Of Great Bril-
tain by his side, and anticipating little, in military
point of vew the crisis Of action he gave orders for
whole line to advance Up these serried Masses
and passing through fearful shower Of round shot
and SHE'LL they dashed into the Alma and foundered"
through its waters, which literally torn into foam
by the deadly hail At the other side of the river
number Of vineyards and to our surprise they
occupied by Russian rfemen. Three Of the staff were
here shot down. but led by Lord Raglan in person. the
rest advanced cheering on the men.
And now came the turning point of the battle in which
Lord Raglan by his sagacity and military Skill probably
secured the victory smaller sacrifice than would have
been otherwise the He dashed over the bridge fol-
lowed by his staff Frsm the road it, under the
Russian guns he the state Of the action The Bril-
fish line which he had ordered to advance was struggling
through the river and the heights Masses firm in
Decd but moved down by the murderous fire of the
teres, and by grape round shot, SHE'LL canister,
shot, and muskey from Of the guns Of the central
battery and from an immense and compact Of Rus
sian infantry.
Then commenced of the most bloody and determin-
by Sir D. Evans in the dashng manner crossed the
stream the right. The 7th Fuseers led by Col YEA
were swept down by fftes. The 55h, 3Oth and 95th,
led by Brigadier Pennefaher who in the thckes of
the fight cheering his men, again and again were
checked indeed, but never drew back in their onward
progress, which marked by fierce roll of Mimic mus
kerry and Brgader Adams with the 41s 47th and 49th
bravey charged up the hill and aided them in the battle
Sir George Brown conspicuous gray horse, rode in
front of his light division, urging them with voice and
gesture Gallant fellows! they were worthy Of such
gallant chief The 9TH, diminished by oneha fell back
to reform their columns lost for the time the 23d with
eight officers dead and four wounded, still rushing
to the 'front.' aided by the 19th SD, 77th and 88th
Down went Sir George in cloud of dust in front Of the
battery He was soon up and shouted 2sd I'm all right
be I'll remember this day." and led them on again
but in the shock produced by the fall of their chief the
gallant regiment suffered terribly while paralyzed for
moment. Meantime the Guards the right Of the
light division, and the brigade Of Highanders were
storming the heights the left Their line was almost as
regular though they were in Hydepark. Suddenly
tornado Of round and grape rushed through from the
rbe battery and of musketry from behind thinned
their front ranks by dozens 1t evident that were
just able to contend against the Russians favored they
were by great position
The battle Of the Alma It is won with loss
Of three thousand killed and wounded on our side The
Russians retreat covered by their cavalry but if we
had had adequate cavalry force could have cap
tured many guns and multtudes Of prisoners.
HEIGHTs OF ALMA, SEPT. 81
The battle of the Alma perfect in all respects except
ouc-tnc cavalry WAS lnOperallve RUSSIAN
airy covered itself with disgrace 1t gave horse
chance of charge and the nature of the ground for
babe our attempting demonstration against very supe
rior force man@uvrng in higher position The Russians
indeed barely covered the retreat and the squadrons
too weak to try dash at them As exemplfca-
ton of the several Of light infantry skrmishers heavy
infantry and of horse and field artillery, the battle was
complete.
There is this very peculiar feature about the action
that we had the very thing to do which we alone could
have done and that the French had to do work for which
they particularly suited. Ours it face stea-
Oily the IRE Of tremendous batteries to advance with
rush, steady and and resisess the swell of the
ocean, against wall of fire and solid of infantry
to struggle at time overwhelmed by crashing vol
leys Of grape and musketry another dsorganzed BY
round shot, winning the ground from death every pace
to form TRANQUILITY and readily when thrown into momen-
tary disorder and at last to nail victory coors by
failing British bayone 1t is said that several
French officers have declared, since they viewed the
ground, that they thought their would have been
able to carry the position did. Gen. Canrobert in
moment of enthusiasm exclaimed to Of generals,
at the close Of the day. AL would ask Of fortune
is that might command corps of English troops for
three short weeks; / could then die happy"
On the other hand the French had scale the sides of
steep ravnes covered with dense masses Of infantry
ported by clouds Of skrmshers they had to Chamber
rocky sleeps defended by Of sharpshooters they
had to gain most difficult position with quickness and
aacrity Delay would have been fatal slowness of
ment would have lost the battle without the French
on the heights right must have been driven
across the Alma they failed in carrying batteries
Their energetic movements their rapid ameike spread
from crag crag their ceaseess fusiade Of the deadly
rife all astonishing and paralyzed the enemy COM
pletely We, perhaps, could never have made such a
rapid advance or have got much ground in the
same time.
It will be observed that the loss fell principally on the
7h 3d. and 33d regiments which formed the brigade
the light DIVISION and the both, 55th, and 95th reg
ments which formed the right brigade Of the I'd division
In fact these regiments were directly exposed to the
mendous fire of the principal earthwork battery and
under range almost the the advance was sounded
The rifles got the stream in such loose order that
they wonderfully preserved in spite of the
dous storm of shot which ratified them. Col Law
renee had his horse killed under him Major Narcotts
charger received no less than FIVE mortal wounds.
When the Tth got out Of the stream Col. Yea found
himself and his at under range Of the battery
before they could FORM and obliged to advance pe
NELL against the guns Poor Monck and Hare soon fell
The colors lost for time for thrice did the enemys
shot strike down the officers who carried them but Capt
Pearson, aidde-camp to Sir g. Brown passed the last
poor fellow who bore Them and he was enabled restore
them to the gallant Colonel They rddled with shot
The 3d. which crossed the stream the first headed by
Col. Blake moved down by round after round Of
shot and case The Major, (Gough) Capt. Fitzgerald
Leuts Wallis and Worthngton Ensigns Stree and Green
wood, fell wounded in few moments; Lieut.. Montagu
was killed the spot Young Worthngton has since
died Of his wounds on board ship
The 3d. which was between the 18th and 3d. pushed
on in ADVANCE and received by fearful FIRE of rifles
and musketry grape and canister Encouraged by the
example Of their Brigader Codringon) and headed by
their gallant old General Sir George Brown, the noble
brigade rushed up the steep, every moment diminishing
their numbers and strewng the ground with dead and
dying 1t right in front Of the battery that the Esd
received their seyerest losses tl.Ht