The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1854-12-27
The Battle Of Inkermann-Terrible
Slaughter-Horrible Scenes.

0iaugnter-d0IIlD scenes.
The accounts we have hitherto published
of the battle Of lnkermann. on the 9th, we
now find, failed to convey any impression
of its horrible realities. The correspon-
|dent of the London Times, writing from
the field of battle, on the 9Th, says:
And now commenced the bloodiest
struggle ever witnessed since war cursed
the earth. 1t has been doubted.by mill
tary historians if any enemy could stand
our charge with the bayonet; but here the
lbayonet was often the only weapon en-
ployed in conflicts OF the most obstinate
and deadly character. We. have been
prone to believe that no foe could ever
withstand the British soldier welding his
favorite weapon, and that at Nadia alone
did the enemy ever cross bayonets with
him; but. al the battle Of Inkermann. not
only did we charge in vain-not only were
desperate encounters between masses OF
men maintained with the bayonet alone
but we were obliged TO resist bayonet to
lbayonet the Russian infantry again and
again, as they charged us with incredible
fury and determina alton.
II The battle Of lnkermann admits Of no
description. II was series of dreadful
deeds of daring, of sanguinary hand to
hand fights, of desperate assaults-in
glens and valleys, in brushwood, glades,
and remote dels. hidden from all human
eyes, and from which the conquerors,
Russian or British, issued only to engage
fresh foes, till our old supremacy, so rude
|ly assailed, was triumphantly asserted,
t and the battalions of the Gar gave way
/ before our steady courage and the chival-
rous FIRE Of France No one, however
placed, could have witnessed even a small
t portion Of the doings OF this eventiul day;
for the vapors, fog, and drizzling mist, OBJ
scured the ground where the struggle took
| place to such an extent as to render il i'm
possible to see what was going on at the
3 distance OF few yards.
Besides this, the irregular nature Of the
/ ground, the rapid fall of the Hill towart
5 [nkermann. where the deadliest fight tool
place, would have prevented one, under
the most favorable circumstances. seeing
more than very Insignificant and detail
r ed piece of the terrible work below. Il
was six clock when all the headquartel
$ camp was reused by roll after roll of mus
!, kerry on the right, and by sharp report o
field guns. Lord Raglan was informed
that the enemy was advancing in force
e and soon after seven o'clock he rode TO
# ward the scene OF oction, followed by hi
: staff, and accompanied by Sir John Bur
goyne, Brigadier General Strangways
Q r. A., and several aids. .de-camp.
e As they approached the volume Q
sound, the steady. unceasing thunder q
e gun, and rife, and musket, told that tn,
r engagement was at its height. The shel
s OF the Russians, thrown with great pre-
: cision, burst so thckly among the troop
that the noise resembled the continuous
i discharge of cannon. and the massiv,
fragments inflicted death on every side
e One of the first things the Russians did
g when break in the fog enabled them I,
r see the camp Of the second division, wa
10 open fire on The tents with round sho
. and large shell, and tent after tent wa
Il blown down, torn to pieces, or sent int,
the air. while the men engaged in CAM
duties, and the unhappy horses tethere,
J, up in the lines, were killed or mutilsted.
O In darkness, gloom. and rain they hat
: to lead our lines through thick scrubb,
J. bushes and thorny brakes, which brok
our ranks and irritated the men, Will
J. every place was marked by corpse o
!. man wounded from an enemy whose posi-
/: ton was only indicated by the rattle o
musketry and the rush OF ball and shell.
ri Sir George Cathcart, seeing HE mel
n disordered by the fire OF a large column
of Russian infantry which was outfank
]. ing them, while portions Of the various
regiments comprising his division wer
i, maintaining an unequal struggle with 81
overwhelming force, rode down into tn
i ravine in which they were engaged, Il
). rally them. He perceived at the sam
r time that the Russians had actually game,
possession Of portion of the hill in rea
Of one flank Of his division, but still hi
h stout heart never failed him for momen,
i, He rode at their head encouraging them
). and when cry arose that the ammuni
ton was failing he said coolly, ..Hav
you not got your bayonets?''
i AS he led on his men it was observe,
: that another body of men had gsined tn,
top of the hill behind them on the right
i but il was impossible to tell whether they
i were friends or foes. deadly volley wa
!. poured in our scattered regiments. ST
r George cheered them and led them bacl
9 up the hill, but fight of bullets passet
. where he rode, and he fell from his hors,
close to the Russian columns. The mel
b had to fight their way through host o
v enemies. and lost fearfully. They wer,
j surrounded and bayoneued on both sides
and won their desperate way up the hill
with diminished ranks, and the loss 0
near FIVE hundred men. Sir George Cath
carts body was afterwards recovered witt
/ a bullet wound in the head, and tire.
bayonet wounds in the body.
The fight had not long commenced. ere
, lit was evident that the Russians had re
ceived orders to fire at all mounted off
GERS. Sir G., Brown was struck by sho
. which went through his arm and struck
his side. saw with regret his pale and
sternly composed face, as his body was
; borne by me on a litter early in the day
his white hair Pickering in the breeze, for
knew that we had lost the service of {
good soldier that day. Further to the
! right contest. the like Of which. perhaps,
ri never took placa before was going on be.