Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1855-11-01


precedence in the attack. They tossed
and Col. Unett won. He had it in hi
power to say whether he would go frs
or follow Col. Windham. He looked al
the shilling, turned it over, and said
"My choice is made; I'll be the frs
man into the Redan." But fate willed
it otherwise, and he was struck dowr
badly wounded ere yet he reached the
abattis, although he was not leading the
column. Scarcely had the men left the
fifth parallel when the guns on the flank
of the Redan opened on them as they
moved up rapidly to the salient, in which
there were of course no cannon, as the
nature of such work does not permit
of their being placed in that particular
position. in a few seconds Brig. Shir-
ley was temporarily blinded by the dust
and by the earth knocked into his eyes
by shot. He was obliged to retire
and his place was taken by Lieutenant
Colonel Bunbury, of the Esd Regiment
who was next in rank to Col. Unett. al
ready struck down and carried to the
rear. Brigadier Van Straubenzee re-
ceived a confusion on the face, and was
also forced 10 leave the field. Colonel
Handbook fell mortally wounded in the
head by bullet, and never spoke again.
Captain Hammond fell dead. Major
Welsford was killed on the spot. Cap
tain Grove was severely wounded. Ma
nv officers and men were hit and fell;
and of the commanders of parties, only
Acting Brigadier General Windham,
Captain Flyers, Captain Lewes, and Cap
tain Maude got, untouched, into the
Redan, and escaped scatheless from the
volleys of grape and rifle balls which
swept the f1anks of the work towards
the salient. @
1t was a few minutes after twelve
when our men left the fifth parallel. The
musketry commenced at once, and in
five minutes, during which the troops
had to pass over about thirty yards from
the nearest approach to the parapet Of
the Redan, they had lost large pro-
portion of their officers, and were de-
prived of the aid of their leaders, with
the exceptions we have stated. The
riflemen advanced admirably, but, from
their position, they could not do much
to reduce the fire Of the guns on the
flanks and below the re-entering angles.
As they came nearer the enemy's fire
became less fatal. They crossed the
abattis without difficulty; it was torn
to pieces and destroyed by our shot, and
the n IN stepped over and through it
with ease. The light division made
straight for the salient and projecting
angle of the Redan, and came to the
ditch, which is here about fifteen feet
deep. The party detailed for the pur-
pose placed the 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
the hands of the dead or wounded men,
and others had been broken, so that if
one can credit the statements made by
those who were present, there were not
more than six or seven ladders at the sa
lient. The men. led by their officers
leaped into the ditch and scrambled up
the other side, whence they got up the
parapet almost without opposition, for
the few Russians who were in front ran
back and got behind their traverses and
breastworks as soon as they saw our
men on the top, and opened fire upon
them. Lamentable as it no doubt is,
and incredible almost to those who
know how the British soldier generally
behaves towards the enemy, the men,
when they got on the parapet, were
seized BY some strange infatuation, and
began firing. instead of following their
officers, who now began to fall fast as
they rushed on in front and tried to
their soldiers by their example. I,
The small party of the goth, much d.
went on gallantly towards the
breastwork, but they were too weak to
force it, and they had to retire behind
the traverses, where men of different
regiments had already congregated, and
were keeping up brisk fire on the Rus
slams, whose heads were Just visible
above the breastwork. simultaneously
with the head of the storming party of
the Light Division, Col. Windham had
got inside the Redan on their right, be-
low the salient on the proper left face of
the Redan; but, in spite OF all his exer-
tions, could do1ittle more than the gal
liant officers of the goth and 9th and
of the supporting regiments.
As the light division rushed out in
the front they were swept by the guns
of the Barrack Battery and by several
pieces on the proper right of the Redan,
loaded heavily with grape. which caus-
ed them considerable loss ere they reach
ed the salient or apex of the work at
which they were to assault. The storm
ing columns of the second division is
suing out of the fifth parallel, rushed
up Immediately after the light division,
but when they came up close to the
apex Brigadier Windham very judi
ciously brought them by slight detour
on the right flank of the light division,
so as to come little down on the slope |
of the proper left face of the Redan.-l
The first embrasure to which they came
was in flames, but, moving on to the
next, the men leaped into the ditch, and
with the aid of ladders and each others
bands scramh1ed nm on the other side