Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-16
The Hattie OF Inkermnn.
(Cornhill MagazlneJ
mi Ea.f,

(Cornhin Magazine)
It was now half-past s. The hght hao
RACED for nearly three hours ana uulluS
that period 1t force Of British Ihl"h'lS /,
numbering a little over 1900, had reslSl'u
tho assaults of 1000 Russians, aided Dy
the fire of nearly loo guns, 1t was mar
verous feat. But the battle was nor yet
over. The Russian general had sun l"o',
untouched troops. sustained by the fire OF
100 guns which he could throw into lne
fight. and he had only To show himself IN
possession of the English crest 10 pIihs
Prince GortchahOffs 20Co0 men into the
fight The resisting power of the British,
too, was steadily shrinking. Many OF
them were utterly exhausted; they hau
been on duty for the previous tWenty-iour
hours. The number Of killed and wound
ed. too. was dreadful II is true. thal on
an average four Russians mad idlieh Ior
every Englishman who was killed, re-
suit due largely TO the superior pene-
trating power Of the MIME rlne' Win
which the British were armed.
Bv half-past S-the close of what Evelyn
Wood calls the Fourth Attack; or. King
lakes Second PERIOD" nearly one halt OF
Pennefather's uncOnquerable infantry
only 400 I'M all, counting all the rem
forcements that had come up-Weie
struck down: ammunition had begun 10
fail. the men who were still nghtlhB We're
exhausted with fatigue and want OF Iood'
and the awful strain Of the 'unequul coii-
bar v,as affecting the imagination of many
of me British officers. They fought with
cool and sustained fury. but with none OF
that careless delight in fighting when so
oftcn marks the British soldier. The men
who were carried back wounded were
often ike men broken-hearted by mere
grief. the grief of brave men VINO lett lhdt
bravery was valn ,-.,
At this moment, IL must be remembered
Dannenberg was securing the hdIIo"
british front with the fire of many guns,
and was preparing To launch upon il 1900
infantry. 5000 of whom were fresh troops
He was opposed, I'm all. by 300 British N
fautrv. and 600 French troops VINO ma
lust come up and thirty-elsht guns Inc
air. too. ~ this time grew clearer ana
the fire of the Russian guns more deadly.
The Russian attacks, moreover, were sent
home with greater daring ana confidence
than az any other period Of the hght.
AS # happened. French BATTALION the
Seventh Lcger had just moved into the
gap along which the Russians We're COM
Ing. The Russian advance, as the red
cans OF the French cleaned through the
gray mist. paused. and the French moved
forward a few PAGES. Then curious
tremor ran along their front, and muir
muir rose in the ranks. The men, appa-
rently. were protesting against an adj
vance in lnc-One quite opposed TO French
traditions British stan officer galOped
to the front of the line, and, with loud
shouts, urged the mass forward. Slowly
the onward movement was resumed, but
the British officer, struck by bullet. fell. |
and the French once more paused; the
formation began TO crumble, the line
I 4 ri .rI MI ~
staff were watching the scene, and II Is
said that at this moment alone. during
the whole fight. Lord Raglans face lost
for an instant its cheerful calm. lie had
sent an aide-de-clmp TO Penncfather 10
ask how the fight was going on in the
part of the line he commanded. That OFF,
Ger. in all tho rapture OF a desperate
fight sent back the cheerful message that |
everything was going on We'll the enemy
infantry showed symptoms OF retiring,
and If a few more troops could be- sent 10
him he would follow the enemy up and i
lick them 90 the d., The blast of that
courageous message stirred the blood OF
the somewhat Respondent staff Ike the
note Of a bugle Canrobert In particular
breaking out into eNclamauOns: "Ah.
qucl brave garcon, qucl brave homme;
quel bon general"
At this moment some 200 men Of the
Seycnty-scventh. led hy Colonel Eserton
came up by fours. ana at the double The
men brushed roughly against the flank of
the retiring French battalion. One OF
EgertOn's captains demonstrated with
French officer, whom he found retreat
ng. and aided his remonstrance by taking
the French officer by the collar. "Mais,
monsieur" said the unhappy Frenchman
pointing 20 the formidable Russian 'front.'
there are the Russians. The French
still continued 20 fan back. bu, Egerton's
men. falling swiftly into line opened
steady fire on the Russian fort.
The decisive check 10 the Russian coll
umn however was given by small body
OF the Fifty-fifth, 100 strong. who took
the column on It's flank, poured a close
IRE into IL az distance so close that
The flame u the muskcts seemed 10 scorch
the gray mass, and then tore its way
into its entrails AT The point OF the bayO-
net The Seventh IAger. too, had been
rallied. thrown into the formation Of coli
umn familiar TO IT, and came forward
with great resolution, and the Russian att
tack on the western crest fell hack shat
tered.
But meanwhile the great trunk column
Of the Russian attack. 2ol0 strong. with
q dense fringe CT sldrmishers running he
iore II, was moving up from the Quarry
llaNinc. and 10 oppose II were some 80
men, the wrecks OF several regiment
the Fiity-tfih. Flfty-seyenth. aud Seven
ty-aevenih-and less than i,cO French
men-the seventh I.eger The French
troops We're young. and OF uncertain quail
~ In one mood they dcplOyed across
the front OF the advancing Russians vita
a swift GOODNESS altogether admirable,
ana maintained "a fire 50 close and sure
that the slaughter IN the Russian ranks
was dreadful But I'm the interval between
the voileys. when busy re'oaGlng. The
young French soldiers were apparently
seized by the thought tina; the Russian
line. already so close, might deliver