Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-10-17

is male: III be the first man into the Rrdnn.r
| THE ASSAULT WITH SCALING LADpERs-TTs rAII.
| URE AND DREADFUL LOSS OF MEN.
| II was but few minutes after IL o'clock. wheI
our men left tho fifth parallel The muslSetr,
| commenced AT once, and In less than five min
utes. during which the troops had to pass owe
| about 30 yards from the nearest approach 10 tn
| parapet of the Redan. they had lost larger pro
| portion Of their officers aud were deprived of thu
aid of their leaders, with the exceptions hav'
stated. The rfemen advanced admirably, but
| from their position they could not do mu oh b.
reduce The fire of the guns on the TANKS and be
| low the re-entcrng angles. They crossed the
nbatts without difficulty; il was torn To pieces
aud destroyed by shot and the men stepped
over and through it with The light divis-
ion made straight for tho salient and projecting
angle of the Redan and came to the ditch. which
il here about - feet deep.
The party detailed for the purpose placed tho
ladders; but they were found to be too short.
However, had there been enough of them, that
would not have mattered much; but some had
been left behind in tho hands Of dead or wounded
men, and others had been broken; that. If ono
can credit tho statements made by those who
were present there not more than six or
seven ladders at the salient. The men led by
their officers, leaped into the ditch and crambled
up the other side, whence they got into the par
apet almost without opposition; for the few lsns-
Sims who in front ran back and got behind
saw our men on the top, and opened fiie upon
them.
Lamentablc as it no doubt is. and incredib BILE
almost to those who know how the British soldier
generally behaves before the enemy. the men,
when they got on the parapet. were seized ny
some strange infatuation, and began hring. M
stead of following their officers, who now began
to fall fast, they rushed on in front and tried
10 stimulate their soldiers by their example,
Notwithstanding the popular prejudice to the
contrary most men stand fire much better than
closing with enemy. II is difficult enough
sometimes to get cavalry to charge. If they can
find any decent excuse 10 lay by their swords
and take to pistol and oarbine, with which they
are content to pop away for ever, but when cover
of any kind is near at hand a trench-bred infan-
try man finds the charms Of the cartridge quite
irresistible. The small party of the Goth, much
diminished, went on CALAMITY towards the breast
work, but they were too weak to force IT. anu
they had TO retire and get behind the traverses,
where of different regiments had already con-
gregatod, and were keeping upa brisk fire on the
Russians whose heads were Just visible above the
breastwork. simultaneously with the head of
the stormng party of the Light Division, Col.
Windham had got inside of the Redan ON their
right below the salient on the proper left face of
the Redan but in spite of all his eXertions could
do little than the gallant officers of the ooth
and 97th regiments.
The sormng columns Of the Second Division,
issuing out of tho fifth parallel, rushed up in-
mediately after the Light Division, but when
they up close to the apex Brigadier Wind
ham very judiciously brought them by slight
detour the right flank of the light Division. so
as to come little down on the slope of the prop
or left face of the Rcdan. The first embrasure
to which they came in flames, but moving
on to the next the men leaped in tho ditch, and
with the aid Of ladders and Of each others hands,
scrambled up the other side, climbed the par
apet, or poured in through tho embrasure which
was undefcnded.
Colonel Windham was the first or one of the
very first men on this side, and with him enter
ed Mahoney, great granadicr of the llst Nii-
leany and Corncllis Ut the same regiment. y :
Mahoney entered with cheer he was shot
through the head by n Russian riheman and fell
dead across Colonel Windham, and at the Same
moment killeany and Corntllis were both woun
died.. a, the alarm Of an assault was spread.
the enemy came rushing mp from the barracks in
rear of the Rednn, and increased the force and
intensity of their fire, while our soldiers drop
ped fast and encouraged the Russians by their
iunobity and the weakness OF their fusllla de-.
from which tho enemy well protected. In
vain the officers, by voice and act, by example
mud daring, tried to urge our soldiers on They
had an impressi, that the Rcdan was all mined,
and that if they advanced they would all be
blown up, but many of them acted as became the
men of Alma and lnkermann. and rushing to the
'front.' were swept down by the encmys fire
The Ulcers fell on all sides singled out for the
encmy's fire by their courage The men of the
different regiments became mingled together IN
inextrcnble confusion. The 10Th men did not
care for the orders of the officers of the SSth.
nor did the soldiers of the 23i heed the com
mands of nm officer who did not belong to his re
/ gment. The officers could not find their men
! the men had lost sight of their own officers. -
/ All the brigadiers, save Colonel Wndhnm were
wounded or rendered unfit for the guidance of the
! attack.
The nrrrnw neck of the salient was too close
10 allow ofany kind Of formation, and the more
the men crowded into it the mare they got ont
of order, and The more they suffered from the en-
cmy's fire. This miserable work lasted for am
| hour, The Russians now in dense mass" :
! behind the hreastwurk, and Col. Windham walk
cd back again across the open space to the lei I
| to make one more attempt to retrieve the day
The men on the parapet of the salient, who were
firing at tho Russians, sent their shot about him
and the latter, who we're pouring volley aft Il
volley all points of the head of the work
likewise directed their muskes against him,
but h. passed through this cross fire in SAT, =
ty, and got within the inner purapet on the left.
where the men were becoming thinner and thin
ner Russian officer now stepped over the
hrcastworll and tore down gubion with his own
hands; it was TO make room for field piece
Col Wlndhnm exclaimed to several soldiers who
were firing over the parapet, "Well you are
so fond of firing. why don't you shoot that Rus
sian!' They fired yolley and missed him, and
soon afterwards the field pieces began to play on
the head of the salient with grape. Col. Wind
BAN saw there was no time to be lost. He ha j
, sent three officers for rcinforcements and above
, all tor men of information, and he now resolve I'd
TO go To- General Codrng,on himself. Seeing
Capt. Crcalock of the Doth, near him. busy a