Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1854-12-02
RATTLE OF THE cR1xEA.

in deadly hostility on the shores 81 the
Black Sea, are ofcommon expressio n.while
the length Of time consumed in conqnering
an almost impregnablc station by a force SO
comparatively feeble as that Of the Alice.
is frequently compared to the success OF
the American arms on the Mexican terri
,tosy.
We give below brief, though it may BE-
highly colored. description Of an engage
ment that took place on the goth Sep'em-
Der on the Crimea, taken from the LONDON
Times. In this battle the English alone are
said 10 have lost 1000 men and 600 horses.
and all in the space of three hours. IN
severity few engagements in Mexico sur
passed it. :,
During the battle a fatal error vas maze
by a misconeeption of orders, by winch
brigade CO., strong, Of Eng ish cavalry made
charge on an open plain upon RUSSIAN
battery Of 80 guns. Their destruction was
inevitable and almost complete, 400 OF this
number being left dead or wounded on the
field Capt. Nolan, who made the charge,
was killed by the FIRST shot fired. But TO the
general description
As the Russian cavalry on the lett OF ehsr
line crown the hill, across the valley they
perceive the Highlanders drawn up at the
distance Of some half mile, calmly waitin.
their approach. They halt, and squadron
after squadron flies up from the rear, VII
they have body Of some l.50o.men aioag
the ridge-lancers, dr. agoons and hussaf IS.
Then they move en- echsl on 10 TWO pooies'
with anothsrin reserve. The cavalry, VINO
have been pursuing the Turks on the right
are coming up to the ridge beneath u.s.
which conceals our cavalry from view.
The heavy brigade in advance is drawn up
In two columns. The first column con-
.i,,s Of the Scots Greys, and of their Old
com papiens in glory, the Enniskillens; the
second. ofthe 4,h ROYAL Irish o: the 9TH Dfa-
COON Guards, and of the lst va! Dragons.
The light cavalry brigade is on their iete'
in two divisions also. The silence Is op-
pressive; between the cannon bursts, one
can hear the champing of bits and the c.lnk
of sabres in the valley below. The nus
slams on their left drew breath for mo.
ment, and then, in one grand line, dashed
At the Highlanders. The ground flies be-
meath their horses feet-gathering speed
at every stride, they dash on toward that tim
red streak, topped with line OF steel
The Turks fire volley at 800 yards, a ma
run. As the Russians come within oVo
wards, down goes that line Of steel in front,
and out rings rolling volley OF MIME mus
kerry. The Russians are not checked, but
still sweep onwards with the whole force OF
horse and man, through the smoke, here
and there knocked over by The shot OF bat
leries above. With GREATNESS suspense,
every one waits the bursting of the wave
upon the line of Gaelic rock, but ere
they come within $50 yards another deadly
yoley flashes from the leveled rife. aad car
ries death and terror into the Russi.ns. -
They wheel about, open files right and lett
and fly back faster than they came. bra
70 Highlanders! well done,n shouted the ex-
cited spectators but events thicken. ms
Hiphlanders and their splendid front are
soon forgotten; men scarcely have mo-
ment to think OF this fact, that the 93d
never altered their formation to receive
tina. tide of horsemen. mo" said Sir Co.
lin Campbell, IL did not think il worth while
to form them even four deep.' the ordinary
British line, two deep, was quite sufficient
to repel the attack Of these Museovitc chew
alters. Our eyes were, however, turned in
moment on our own cavalry. We saw
Brisadier General Scarlet ride a.cng in
front Of his massive squadrons. The Rus
sians-eyidently corps ds'itc--their ligh!
blue jackets embroidered with silver lace,
were advancing on tbs lstt. at an easy gal
lsp towards the brow Of the hill. forest
alliances glistaued in their rear. and sever
al squadrons of gray-coated dragons NOV
ed up quickly to support them as they reach
ed the summit The instant thay came in
sight, the trumpets Of our cavalry gave out
the warning blast which told Us all that ~
another moment we should see the shock
of battle beneath our very eyes. Lord Rag
Ian, all the staff and escort, and groups Of
officer, and bodies of French infantry On
the height, were spectators of the scene as
though they were looking on the stage
from the boxes of a theatre Nearly eY-
erv one dismounted and sat down, and not
word was said The Russians advancing
down the hill at slow canter, which they
changed tola trot, and at last. nearly.halted,
Their first line was at least double the
length Of ours-t was three times as deep.
Behind them was similar line, equally
strong and compact. They evidently des
pissed their insignificant looking enemy, but
their time was come. The trumpets rang
out again through the valley, and the Grays
and Enniskilleners went right at the cen
ire of the Russian cavalry The space be-
tween them was only n few hundred yards;
it was scarce enough to let the horses
"gather way" nor had the men quite
sufficient for the full play of their sword
arms.
The Russian line brings forward each
wing as our cavalry advance, and threaten