Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1855-07-26
DETAILS OF THE BATTLE OF
JUNE 18th.

JUNE 18th.
The advance of the Troops and their re-
ception by the Russians.
So little is ever known of the details
of the French operations here, that |
can give you few particulars of their at
tack on the Malakoff; but their plan of
assault appears to have consisted in as
saulting the work on both fanks and
the front simultaneously, and with over
whelming numbers-twenty-five thou
sand are said to have been actually en-
gagged. In Just retribution for the dis
regard of their general to the good to
be expected from short mornings
bombardment, they found the redoubt
swarming with defenders, and guns
bristling from every embrasure. On
them, as on our own men, showers Of
grape and canister were poured out, lit
orally moving down whole battallions
at time; whilst from the whole semi
circular line of parapet the crowding ri
hemen sent volley after volley into their
disordered ranks, that passed through
them like a sheet of molten lead. Three
times they gave way, and as often raj
lied, but were finally driven back after
a struggle of some three hours and
half, leaving the space between the
Mamelon and Malakoff literally covered
with the dead and dying.
With our own men, the space to be
passed over from our most advanced
trenches to the Redan, was somewhere
about seven hundred yards, and from
the first moment of their rushing over
the parapet towards the point of attack,
they were met by the same awful and
annihilating storm of canister and grape.
Many fell within the first dozen of yards,
and thence on to some broken ground
about midway, in which the remainder
sought cover, the field was strewed with
the slain and wounded. An officer
present in the affair, and who was one
of the few who escaped uninjured, de-
scribes the fire to me as being perfectly
awful-much more severe, he assured
me, than that which greeted our men at
Alma, where he also fought and receiv-
ed a wound. Few of them ever reach
ed the a5attis in front of the work-none
believe, ever even saw the deep ditch
which protects its approaches. l have
already mentioned the confusion which
characterized the first commencement
| of our movement; and coupling this
with the murderous preparations made
by the enemy, you will be at no loss to
understand that success was not improb-
able. shall presently mention what
the Russians thought Of our generalship,
as repeated in my hearing by one of
themselves. During the whole affair
Lord Raglan and Sir G. Brown were
ensconced within our 8-gun battery;
but though this afforded good view of
the scene of the struggle and of the dis
order which marked it, for some reasons
unknown to uninitiated spectators, they
appeared unable to give any efficient di-
rections for the correction of our multi
piled blunders.
Correspondence of the London Times.
As the 34th Regiment advanced, the
supports, by some means or another,
got mixed together with them, and some
confusion arose in consequence. On
crossing the trench our men, instead of
coming upon the open in firm body,
were broken into twos and threes. This
arose from the want of temporary
step above the beam, which would have
enabled the troops to cross the parapet
with regularity; instead of which they
had to scramble over it as well as they
could; and, as the top Of the trench is
of unequal height and form, their line
was quite broken. The moment they
came out from the trench the enemy
began to direct on the whole front a de-
liberate and well aimed nsitraille, which
increased the want of order and un-
steadiness caused by the mode of their
advance.
Poor Col. Yea saw the consequences
too clearly. Having in vain tried to
obviate the evil caused by the broken for
nation and confusion of his men, who
we're falling fast around him, he ex-
claimed-"This will never dol Where's
the bugler To call them backl" But,
alasl at that critical moment no bugler
was to be found. The gallant old sol
dier, by voice and gesture, tried to form
and compose his men, but the thunder
of the enemy's guns, close at hand, and
the gloom of early dawn, frustrated his
efforts; and as he rushed along the
troubled mass of troops, which were
herding together under the rush Of
grape, and endeavor;ng to get them in
order for rush at the batteries, which
was better than standing still, orretreat-l