The times., 1899-01-09
THE BATTLE OF iNKERMAN.

engagement. tells soldierly and thrilling
story OF the battle OF Inkerman. He says:
1T was now half-past s. The fight had
ragged for nearly three hours, and during
that period force of British infantry.
mbering a little over 1000. had resisted
tre assaults OF 40 900 Russians. aided by
the fire of nearly 100 guns, II was mar
velous feat, But the battle was not yet
over. The Russian general had still 1900
untouched troops, sustained b. the fire OF
leo guns. which he could throw into the
fight. and he had only to show himself in
possession of the English crest to bring
Prince Gortchakoffs 10000 men into the
fight. The resisting power of the British.
too. was steadily shrinking. Many OF the
men were utterly exhausted; they had been
on duty for the previous twenty-four hours.
The number of killed and wounded, too.
was dreadful. II is true that on an aver
age four Russians had fallen for every
Englishman who was killed, result due
largely to the superior penetrating power
of the MIME rife, with which the British
were armed.
BY half-past S-the close of what Eve
lyn Wood calls the Fourth Attack. or King
\ lakes Second Period'-nearly half OF
| Pennefathers unconquerab,e infantry
only 400 in all. counting all the re-en-
| forcements that had come up-were struck
/ down; ammunition had begun to fail; the
men who We're still fghting were exhausted
| with fatigue and want OF food. and the aw
/ ful strain OF the unequal combat was af-
| fecting the Imagination Of many OF the
I British officers. They fought with cool and
/ sustained fury, but with none OF that care
/ less delight in fighting which so often
/ marks the British soldier. The men who
/ were carried back wounded were often like
men broken hearted by mere grief, the
| grief of brave men who felt that bravery
was vain.
! AT this moment. it must be remem-
/ bered, Dannenberg was scourging the mar
row British front with the fire of many
! guns, and was preparing to launch upon it
/ 1900 infantry, 5000 OF whom were fresh
/ troops. He was opposed, in all, by $500
British infantry and 1,600 French troops,
who had just come up. and thirty-eight
/ guns. The air, too. at this time grew
I clearer. and the fire of the Russian guns
/ more deadly. The Russian attacks. more
/ over. We're sent home with greater daring
and confidence than at any other period Of
| the fight.
! AS it happened. a French battalion
/ the Seventh Leger had just moved into
the gap along which the Russians were
coming. The Russian advance, as the red
caps OF the French cleaned through the
gray mist, paused. and the French moved
forward few PAGES. Then a curious
tremor ran along their front and a mur-
mur rose in the ranks. The men. ap-
parently. We're protesting against an ad-
! vance in line-one quite opposed to
French traditions. \ British staff officer
gailoped to the front of the line, and. with
loud shouts, urged the mass forward.
Slowly the onward movement was -e-
. sumed, but the British officer. struck By
bullet, fell. and the French once more
paused; the formation began to crumble.
the line swayed backward. Lord Raglan
and his staff were watching the scene
and il is said that at this moment alone.
during the whole fight, Lord RagIan's
face lost for an instant its cheerful calm.
He had sent an aide-de-camp to Penne-
father 10 ask how the fight was going on
in the part Of the line he commanded.
That officer. in all the rapture of des-
perate fight. sent back the cheerful mes
sage that everything was going on well
the enemy's infantry showed symptoms
of retiring. and if a few more troops
could be sent to him he would follow the
enemy up and lick them to the d.
The blast OF that courageous message
stirred the blood of the somewhat de-
spondent staff like the note of a bugle;
Canrobert in particular breaking out intc
exclamations. ''Ah, quel brave garcon
quel brave homme; quel bon general"
AT this moment some 200 men OF the
Seventy-seventh, led by Egerton, came UP
, by fours, and at the double. The meu
brushed roughly against the flank OF the
retiring French battalion. One OF Eyer
tons captains demonstrated with French
officer whom he found retreating. and aid
ed his remonstrance by taking the French
officer by the collar. Mais, monsieur
said the unhappy Frenchman pointing tC
the formidable Russian front, there are
the Russians The French still continued
to fall back. but Egerton's men, falling
swiftly into line, opened a steady fire on
; the Russian line.
The decisive check to the Russian col
umn, however. was given by small body
of the Fifty-fifth. 100 strong. who took the
column on its flank, poured close fire
into it at a distance close that the flame
of the muskets seemed to scOrch the gray
mass, and then tore its way into its en-
trails at the point OF the bayonet. The
( Seventh LegR too. had been rallied
4 thrown into the formation of column IA
miliar 10 il, and came forward with great
resolution. and the Russian attack on the
, western crest fell back shattered.
But meanwhile the great trunk coll
umn of the Russian attack. 200 strong
with dense fringe OF skirmishers run
ring before il. was moving up from tbs
, Quarry Rayne, and to oppose il Were
some 80 men the wrecks of several regi-
ments-the Fifty-hfth. Fifty-seventh AM
Seventy -SeVenth-and less than Lost
Frcnchmen-the Seventh Leger Tht
French troops We're young, and of uncer-
tain quality. In one mood they deployet
, across the front of the advancing Russians
with swift coolness altogether admir-
able and maintained 4 fire so close ana
sure that the slaughter in the Russian
, ranks was dreadful. But i'll the interval
/ between the volleys, when busy re,oad-
ing the young French soldiers We're ap-
parentiy seized by the thought that The
Russian line. already so close, might de
liver Il bayonet charge. and the mass be.
gan 10 change its structure. to shrnl
back and then TO fall back. Their ofii
g ceIs made gallant attempts to rally them
j / PCnnefather. with his staff. gal'opel dow
to them and in energetic British French
{ punctuated. it is to be feared, by man!
. oaths. eXhoited them To stand. y Frsnci
< officer his sword high in air, a mere youth
ran out several PAGES in the front.
British officer ran to his side. third an,
fourth joined the group. Some voice
called out in French 'Dru.'s TO In,
front and drummers and buglers raI
out and sounded and screamed the pas Il,
/ charge, and still the great battalion
swayed TO and fro, undecided between oI
, heroic rush on the enemy or mere ignObl
! flight.
Here, again. so often throughou; IN
battle the audacious and almost absurt
daring of Il cluster of British infantr
, changed the fortunes Of the day. Colone
Daubeny found himself with thirty mel
sian column. The second Russian battalion
| r.