Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-12-14
Battle of Inkerman.
LORD RAGLAN's OFFICIAL ACCOUNT.

| My Lord Duke have the honor to report to
| your grace that the army under my command, pow.
| erfully aided by the corps of observation Of the
Frnch army, under the command of that distin-
guished officer, General Bosquet, efectualy re-
pulsed and defeated most vigorous and deter
mined attack of the enemy on our position over
looking the ruins of Inkernann on the morning Of
the 9th instant.
In my letter to your grace of the Sd, informed
you that the enemy had considerably increased
their force in the valley of the Tchernaya The
following day this augmentation was still further
apparent and large masses of troops had evidently
arrived from the northward, and on two several
occasions persons Of distinguished rank were OBJ
served to have joined the Russian camp.
| l have subsequently learned that the 4th corps
darmee, conveyed in carriages of the country, and
! in the ightest possible order, had been brought
from Moldavia, and were to be Immediately follow.
| ed by the Sd corps.
1t was, therefore, to be expected that an exten.
| sive movement would not be long deferred.
Accordingly, shortly before daylight, the 9th,
| strong columns of the enemy came upon the adj
vanced pickets covering the right of the position
These pickets behaved with admirable galantry
defending the ground foot by foot against the over
whelming numbers Of the enemy, until the second
division under Major General Pennefather with it,
| field guns, which had Immediately been got under
| arms was placed in position.
The light division, under Lieutenant General Sir
George Brown, also brought to the front with.
out loss of time, the first brigade, under Major Gen
eral Codrington, occupying the long slopes to the
| left toward Sebastopol, and protecting our right
battery, and guarding against attack on that side
| and the second brigade, under Brigadier General
Butler, forming on the left Of the second division
with the SSth regiment, under Lieutenant Colonel
Jeffreys, thrown in advance
The brigade of guards, under his Royal High
ness the Duke of Cambridge and Major Genera
Bentinck, proceeded likewise TO the 'front.' and took
up most important ground to the extreme right
on the extreme alignment of the second division,
but separated from it by deep and precipitous
ravine and posting its guns with those Of the sec
ond division.
The 4th division, under Lieutenant General Sir
George Cathcart having been brought from their
encampment advanced to the front and right of the
attack; the first brigade, under Brigader- General
Golde, proceeded to the left Of the Inkerman road
| the cd brigade, under Bigadier-Genera Torrens.
to the right of it. and on the ridge overhanging the
valley Of the Tchernaya
| The Sd division, under Leutenant-gen Sir
Richard England, occupied in part the ground va
/ Gated by the 4th division, and supported the light
| Division by two regiments under Bngader-genera
Sir John Campbell, while Bngadier-gcneral Eyr,
| held the command of the troops in the trenches.
| The morning was extremely dark, with driz
cling rain rendering il almost impossible to discover
ANYTHING beyond the fash and smoke of artiller,
and heavy musketry fire.
/ Il. however, soon became evident that the enc
my, under cover Of vast cloud of skirmishers
/ supported by dense columns Of infantry, had ad
vanced numerous batteries Of large calibre to the
high ground TO the left and front Of the I'd division
while powerful columns Of infantry attacked with
| great vigor the brigade Of guards.
Additional batteries of heavy artillery were also
placed by the enemy on the slopes to our left tn,
| guns IN the field amounting in the whole to "
| pieces, independently, however, of the ship gum
and those in the works Of Sebastopol
| Protected by a tremendous fire of shot, shell ant
grape the Russian columns advanced in great force
requiring every effort Of gaDantry on the part o.
| our troops to resist them.
At this time two battalions Of French infantry
which had on the first notice been sent by Genera
| Bosquet joined our right and very materially con
tributcd TO the successful resistance to the attack
| cheering with our men, and charging the enem,
| down the hill with great loss.
| About the same time a determined assault wa
made on our extreme left, and for a moment thu
enemy possessed themselves Of four Of our guns
| three Of which were retaken by the SSth, Will,
| the fourth was speedily recapturcd by the 77ti
| regiment, under Lietenant-coloncl Egerton.
| In the opposite direction the brigade Of Guards
under his Royal Highncss the Duke Of Cambridge
was engaged in severe conflict
| The enemy, under the cover ofthick brushwood
advanced in two heavy bodies, and assaulted viii
| great determination a small redoubt which hat
been constructed for two guns but was not armed
The combat was most arduous, and the brigade, At
tor displaying the utmost steadincss and gallantry
was obliged to retire before very superior mum
bers, until supported by wing Of the goth regi
| ment of the 4th division, when they again adj
vsnced and retook the redoubt
This ground was afterwards occupied in gallan
style by French troops, and the guards speedily
| reformed in rear of the right flank of the I'd di
| vision.
| In the meanwhile Lieutenant General the Hon
Sir George Cathcart with few companies Of the
| 6sth regiment, considering that he might make a
strong impression by descending into the valley
and taking the enemy in flank, moved rapidly for
ward, but finding the heights above him In full
occupation Of the Russians, he suddenly discovered
that he was entanglcd with superior force, and
while attempting TO withdraw his men, he received
smortal wound, shortly previous to which Brigs
der General Torrcns, when leading the 6sth, wal
likewise severely wounded.
Subsequently TO this, the battle continued with
undated vigor and with no positive result tbs
enemy bringing upon our line not only the fire o.