Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1855-03-22

Regiments and divisions, French and Eng
fsh, we're here mixed and fought hand to
hand with the common enemy, who never
agained succeeded in advancing nor in OBJ
tanning, in any part of the field, even par
tial success.
About noon the fire of the Russian guns
slackened, as was surnlised, from want of am
munition. After time they reopened, though
not with their former fercepess. Their In
tended surprise, supported by the attack of
theH fnff force, had utterly failed; their loss
had been enormous and the Allies had been
| reinforced. The battle was prolonged only
by the efforts of their artillery 10 cover the re-
treat OK the foiled and broken battalions
During the battle Sir De Lacy Evans. who
had been sick on board ship st Balaklava, rode
upto the field with his aid-de-camp, Boyle,
and calling me by name, bagan TO question me
about the battle. He looked extremely i'll,
but was as cool and intrepid as he always is
in action. While | was speaking to him, a
shell, crashing through some obstacle close
by, rose from the ground, passed foot or two
above our heads, and dropping amid group
few wards behind us, exploded there, wound
ing some of them--but Sir de Lacy did not
turn his head.
Officers and men fought the battle fasting
About two o'clock a group of us being near
General Pennefather's tent, he told his ser
want to bring-out wine and biscuits, which
were never more welcome A shell bursting
over the hill sent its freight of bullets through
and through the group without even touching
anybody.
About three O'clock the French and English
generals with their staffs passed along the
crest of the disputed HILL The enemy's guns,
replying to ours, still sent good many shot
IL Al. Il
showed it free from the presence of the enemy,
whose infantry had Withdrawn behind the OPP
posite hill At half-past three, their guns
also withdrew, and the whole force of the en-
en1y retired across the Tchernaya, pursued by
the fire of French battery supported by two
battalions which, being pushed forward to
slope of the heights commanding the cause
way across the marsh, converted their retreat
into flight
At the commencement of the battle, Li-
prandi's force had moved forward, threatening
two distinct points of our line-while a sally
was made in force on the French trenches,
which was repulsed, with loss to the enemy
zSf.ape thousand men, the. French pursuing
them within their works.
Until the arrival of the fourth division aud
the French the ground was held by about
5000 of our troops. In all, 5000 English and
II
force was estimated by Lord Raglan at GO, 900.
Few great battles require less military knowl-
edge to render them intelligible than this
The plan of the enemy was, after having sue
ceeded IN placing their guns unopposed in the
required position, to pour on one particular
point of our line which they knew to be in
adequately guarded, fire which should at
once throw the troops assembling for Its de-
fence into disorder, and then TO press on at the
same point with overwhelming masses of in
fantry. Our position once penetrated, the
plains afforded ample space for the employment
ofthe columns, which might then attack in
succession the different corpse of the allied
army scattered on the plateau at intervals too
wide for mutual aud concerted defence.
The Russians succeeded in posting their ar
tiliery, IN sweeping the field selected with a
tremendous fire, and in bringing an enormous
ly superior force to a vigorous and close attack.
According to all calculation they were justi-
fed in considering the day their own. But
the extraordinary yalor exhibited by the de-
! tenders of the position set calculations at de-
fiance At every point alike the assaiants
found scanty numbers but timpenetrable ranks.
| Before them everywhere was but thin and
scattered line opposed to their solid masses and
numerous skirmishers, yet beyond 1t they could
not pass. No doubt to their leaders II must
long have appeared incredible they could fail
/ Again bravely led, they came bravely to the
assault, and with the same result unwilling
/ ly, they at length saw that if the allied troops
could resist successfully when surprised, DO
hope remained of defeating them, now that
they were reinforced as well as on their
! guard
On our part it was a confused and desperate
struggle Colonels of regiments led ON small
parties, and fought ike subalterns, captains
like privates.. Once engaged, every man was
his own general The enemy was in front ad-
vancing, and must be beaten back. The tide
of battle ebbed and flowed, not in wide waves,
but in broken tumultuous pillows. At one
point the enemy might be repulsed, while at
a little distance, they were making their most
determined rush.
To stand on the crest and breathe awhile,
was to our men no rest, but far more trying
than the close combat of infantry where there
were human foss with whom to match, and
4 prove strength, skill. and courage, and to call
forth the impulses which blind the soldiers to
/ death or peril. But over that crest poured
necessarily the resistless cannon-shets in whose
rush there seemed something yindictive, as it
each was bestridden by some angry demon
crashing through the bodies of men and horses
and darting from the ground on a second
course of mischief The musket-ball, though
more deadly, and directed to an individual
mark, bears nothing appalling in its sound
and does not mutilate or disfgure where IT
strikes But. fronting uncovered and inactive
range of guns which hurl incessantly those
iron masses over and around you, while on all
sides are seen their terrible trace, it is difficult
to stave off the thought than, in the next in