Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-12-14

six thousand dead and wounded, multtudes OF the
latter having already been. carried of by them.
never before witnessed such spectacle as the
field presented; but upon this / win not dwell.
The Battle Of Inkerman.
Desperate A6aiy-An Encounter Nth The Rus
SLAMS al Tho point Of the bayonet- Obstinate
Fght-1srrible Slaughter Horrible Scenes
The accounts we have hitherto published of the
battle of Inkerman, on the 9th, We now find failed
to convey any impression of its horrible realities.
The correspondent Of the Times, writing from the
field Of battle, on the 9th, says:
And now commenced the bloodest struggle ever
Witnessed since war cursed the earth. Ii has been
doubted by military historians if any enemy could
stand our charge with the bayonet; but here the
bayonet was often the only weapon employed In
conflicts Of the most obstinate and deadly charac-
ter. We have been prone to believe that no foe
could ever withstand the British soldier welding
his favorite weapon, and that, at Mazda alone, did
the enemy ever cross bayonets with him. But, at
the battle Of nkerman, 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 bayonet
the Russian infantry again and again. as they
charged us with incredible fury and determine
ton.
The battle of Inkerman admits of no description.
1t was series of dreadful deeds of daring, of san
culinary hand to hand fights Of desperate assaults
In glens and valleys, in brushwood glades and re-
mote dells, hidden from all human eyes, and from
which the conquereis, Russian or British, issued
only to engage fresh foes till our old supremacy so
rudely assailed, was triumphantly asserted, and
the battalions of the Gar gave way before our
steady courage and the chivalrous fire of France.
NJ hox.r vx~la xvsxx aoI
even small portion of the dongs Of this eventful
day; for the vapors, fog, and drizzling mist, OBJ
secured the ground where the struggle took place to
such an extent as to render it impossible to see
what was going on at the distance Of few yards.
Besides this, the irregular nature of the ground,
the rapid fall Of the bill towards Inkermann, where
the deadlest fight took place, would have prevent
ed one under the most favorable circumstances
seeing more than very insignificant and detailed
piece of the terrible work below. 1t was six o.
clock when all the head-quarter camp was reused
by roll after roll Of musketry on the right, and
by sharp report of field guns. Lord Raglan was
informed that the enemy were advancing in force,
and soon after seven o'clock Ne rode toward the
scene of action followed by his staff, and accom-
panied by Sir John Burgoyne, Brgadier General
Strangways, r. A. and several aides de camp.
As they approached the volume of sound, the
steady, unceasing thunder of gun, and rife, and
The shell Of the Russians, thrown with great pre-
cision, burst thicly among the troops, that the
noise resembled the continuous discharges Of can
non, and the massive fragments inflicted death on
every side. One of the first things the Russians
did, when break in the fog enabled them to see
the camp of the second division, was to open fire
on tho tents with round shot and large shell, and
tent after tent WAS blown down, torn to pieces, or
sent into the air, while the men engaged in camp
duties, and the unhappy horses tethered up in the
lines were killed or mutilated.
Gambler was ut once ordered to get up two
heavy guns (lS-poundcrs) on the rising ground,
and to reply to fire which our light guns were
utterly inadequate to meet. As he was engaged
in this duty, and was exerting himself with Captain
Daguilar to urge them forward, Colonel Gambler
was severely but not dangerously wounded, and
was obliged to retire. His place was taken by
Lieutenant Colonel Dickson, and the conduct Of
that officer in directing the fire Of those two pieces
which. had the most marked effect in deciding the
fate of the day, was such us to elicit the admra-
tion of the army, and rs to deserve the thanks of
every man engaged in that bloody fray But long
ere these guns had been brought up there had
been great slaughter of the enemy and heavy
loss Of our own men. Our generals could not see
where TO CO. They could not tell where the enc
my were-from what side they were coming, and
where going to.
In darkness, gloom, and rain they had to lead
our lines through thick scrubby bushes aud thorny
brakes which broke our ranks and irritated the
men, while every pace was marked by corpse or
man wounded from an enemy whose position was
only indicated by the rattle Of musketry and the
rush of ball and shell
Sir George Cathcart seeing his men disordered
by the fire of large column of Russian infantry
which was outfanking them, while portions Of
the various regiments comprising his division
were maintaining an unequal struggle with an
overwhelming force, rode down into the ravine in
which they were engaged, to rally them. He per-
ceived at the same time that the Russians had ac-
tually gained possession of portion of the hill in
OF flank of his division, but still his stout
heart never failed him for moment He rode at
their head encouraging them, and when cry
arose that the ammunition was failing, he said
cooly, Have you not got your bayonetsw
As he led on bis men it was observed that
another body Of men had gained the top Of the
bill behind them on the right, but IL was mpossi-
bic to tell whether they were friends or foes A
deadly volley was poured in our scattered regi-
ments. Sir George cheered them and led them
back up the hill, but fight Of bullets passed
where he rode, and he fell from his horse close to
the Russian columns. The men had TO fight their
way through host Of enemies, and lest fearfully.
They were surrounded and bayonetted on both
sides, and won their desperate way up the hin,
with diminished ranks, and the loss Of near 500
men. Sir George Cathcarts body was afterwards
recovered with a bullet wound in the head, and
three bayonet wounds in the Body.
In this struggle where the Russians fought with
the greatest ferocity, and bayoneted the wounded
they fell, Col. swyny, of the esd, most gal.
liant officer. Lieut. bowling, goth, Major Wynne,
6sth, and other officers whose names win be found
in the Gazette, met their DEATH and Brigadier Col
die Of the 57th regiment, received the wounds, Of
which he has since died The conflict ON the right
was equally uncertain, and equally bloody In the
light division, the ssth got 80 Gar into the front
that they were surrounded and put into utter con-
fusion, when four companies Of the nth, under
Major Stratton, charged the Russians, broke them,
and relieved their comrades.
The fight had not long commenced, ere ii was
evident that the Russians had received orders TO
fire at all mounted officers. Sir @. Brown was
struck by shot which went through his arm and
struck his side. saw with regret his pale and
sterny composed ACE, his body was borne by
me on litter early in the day, his white hair
Pickering in the breeze, for ] knew that we had
lost the services ofa good soldier that day. Furth
err 10 the right contest, the like Of which, per-
baps, never took place before, war going on be-
49, ~ - D..