write to their respective captains to inquire the cause of their
absence. This was now explained, and as they had been detained by
circumstances altogether beyond their control, they escaped without a
reprimand, and were indeed warmly congratulated upon the adventures
they had passed through.
In the meantime the cannonade had been going on very heavily in front.
The Russian outworks were showing signs of weakness after the
tremendous pounding they were receiving. The French were pushing their
trenches close up to the Malakoff, and upon both sides the soldiers
were busy with pick and shovel. On the night of the 30th August a
tremendous explosion took place, a Russian shell exploding in a French
ammunition wagon, which blew up, killing and wounding 150 officers and
men.
On the following night the naval brigade astonished the camp by giving
private theatricals. The bill was headed "Theatre Royal, Naval
Brigade. On Friday evening, 31st August, will be performed, 'Deaf as a
Post,' to be followed by 'The Silent Woman,' the whole to conclude
with a laughable farce, entitled 'Slasher and Crasher.' Seats to be
taken at seven o'clock. Performance to commence precisely at eight.
God save the Queen. Rule Britannia." The scenes were furnished from
H.M.S. "London." The actors were all sailors of the brigade, the
ladies' parts being taken by young boatswains' mates. Two thousand
spectators closely packed were present, and the performance was
immensely enjoyed in spite of the fact that the shell from the Russian
long-range guns occasionally burst in the neighborhood of the theatre.
The French had now pushed forward their trenches so far that from
their front sap they could absolutely touch the abattis of the
Malakoff. On the 3d the Russians made a sortie, and some heavy
fighting took place in the trenches. The time was now at hand when the
last bombardment was to commence. The French began it early on the
morning of the 5th. They had now got no less than 627 guns in
position, while the English had 202. The news that it was to commence
was kept a profound secret, and few of the English officers knew what
was about to take place. Our own trenches were comparatively empty,
while those of the French were crowded with men who kept carefully out
of sight of the enemy.
Suddenly three jets of earth and dust sprung into the air. The French
had exploded three mines, and at the signal a stream of fire three
miles in length ran from battery to battery, as the whole of their
guns opened fire. The effect of this stupendous volley was terrible.
The iron shower ploughed up the batteries and entrenchments of the
Russians, and crashed among the houses far behind. In a moment the
hillside was wreathed with smoke. With the greatest energy the French
worked their guns, and the roar was continuous and terrible.
For a time the Russians seemed paralyzed by this tremendous fire;
lying quietly in their sheltered subterranean caves, they had no
thought of what was preparing for them, and the storm which burst upon
them took them wholly by surprise. Soon, however, they recovered from
their astonishment, and steadily opened fire in return. The English
guns now joined their voices to the concert, and for two hours the
storm of fire continued unabating on both sides.
After two hours and a half the din ceased, the French artillery-men
waiting to allow their guns to cool. At ten o'clock the French again
exploded some mines, and for two hours renewed their cannonade as
hotly as ever. The Russians could be seen pouring troops across the
bridge over the harbor from their camps on the north side, to resist
the expected attack. From twelve to five the firing was slack. At that
hour the French again began their cannonade as vigorously as before.
When darkness came on, and accurate firing at the enemy's batteries
was no longer possible, the mortars and heavy guns opened fire on the
place. The sky was streaked with lines of fire as the heavy shells
described their curves, bursting with heavy explosions over the town.
Presently a cheer rose from the spectators who thronged the crest of
the bill, for flames were seen bursting out from one of the Russian
frigates. Higher and higher they rose, although by their light the
Russians could be perceived working vigorously to extinguish them. At
last they were seen to be leaving the ship. Soon the flames caught the
mast and rigging, and the pillar of fire lit up the whole town and
surrounding country. Not a moment did our fire slacken, but no
answering flash now shot out from the Russian lines of defence. All
night the fire continued, to prevent the enemy from repairing damages.
The next morning the English played the principal part in the attack,
our batteries commencing at daylight, and continuing their fire all
day. The Russians could be seen to be extremely busy. Hitherto they
had believed that the allies would never be able to take the town; but
the tremendous fire which the allies had now opened, and the close
approach of the French to the Malakoff, had clearly shaken their
confidence at last.
Large quantities of stores were transported during the day to the
north side, and on the heights there great numbers of men were seen to
be laboring at fortifications. The Russian army in the field was
observed to be moving towards Inkerman, and it was believed that it
was about to repeat the experiment of the Tchernaya and to make a
desperate effort to relieve the town by defeating the allied armies in
the field.
All that night the bombardment continued without intermission, the
troops in the trenches keeping up a heavy musketry fire upon the
enemy's works, to prevent them from repairing damages in the dark.
The next day was a repetition of those which had gone before it. The
Russians replied but seldom, and occasionally when the smoke blew
aside, it could be seen that terrible damage was being inflicted on
the Russian batteries. At dusk the cannonade ceased, the shell
bombardment took place, and at eleven a tremendous explosion occurred
in the town.
The Russians from time to time lit up the works with fire-balls and
carcasses, evidently fearing a sudden night attack. During the day a
great council of war was held; and as orders were sent to the surgeons
to send all the patients in the hospital down to Balaklava, and to
prepare for the reception of wounded, it was known that the attack
would take place next day.
Although the Russian fire in reply to the bombardment had been
comparatively slight, from the 3d to the 6th we had three officers and
forty-three men killed; three officers and 189 men wounded.
During these days Jack had been on duty in the batteries, and the
sailors had taken their full part in the work.
There was some disappointment that night in the naval camp when it was
known by the issue of the divisional orders that the sailors were not
to be engaged in the assault. Jack, however, aroused the indignation
of his tent-mates by saying frankly that he was glad that they were
not going to share in the attack.
"It is all very well," he said, "to fight when you have some chance of
hitting back, but to rush across ground swept by a couple of hundred
guns is no joke; and to be potted at by thousands of fellows in
shelter behind trenches. One knows what it was last time. The French
send 12,000 men to attack a battery, we try to carry an equally strong
place with 1000. If I were ordered, of course I should go; but I tell
you fairly, I don't care about being murdered, and I call it nothing
short of murder to send 1000 men to attack such a position as that. We
used to say that an Englishman could lick three Frenchmen, but we
never did it in any battle I ever heard of. Our general seems to think
that an Englishman can lick ten Russians, although he's in the open,
and they're behind shelter, and covered by the fire of any number of
pieces of artillery."
"But we're certain to get in to-morrow, Jack."
"Are we?" Jack questioned; "so every one said last time. It's all very
well for the French, who are already right under the guns of the
Malakoff, and have only twenty yards to run. When they get in and
drive the Russians out, there they are in a big circular fort, just as
they were in the Mamelon, and can hold their own, no matter how many
men the Russians bring up to retake it. We've 300 yards to run to get
into the Redan, and when we get in where are we? Nowhere. Just in an
open work where the Russians can bring their whole strength down upon
us. I don't feel at all sure we're going to take the place to-morrow."
"Why, Archer, you're a regular croaker!" one of the others said. "We
shall have a laugh at you to-morrow evening."
"I hope you will," Jack said; "but I have my doubts. I wish to-morrow
was over, I can tell you. The light division are, as usual, to bear
the brunt of it, and the 33d will do their share. Harry has had good
luck so far, but it will be a hotter thing to-morrow than anything he
has gone into yet, unless indeed the bombardment of the last three
days has taken all heart out of the Russians. Well, let's turn in, for
its bitterly cold to-night, and I for one don't feel disposed for
talking."
CHAPTER XXV.
THE CAPTURE OF SEBASTOPOL
The morning of the 8th of September was bitterly cold, and a keen wind
blowing from the town raised clouds of dust.
The storming parties were to be furnished by the light and second
divisions. The first storming party of the light division was to
consist of 160 men of the 97th regiment, who were to form in rear of a
covering party of 100 men, furnished by the second battalion, Rifle
brigade. They were to carry ladders for descending into the ditch of
the Redan. Behind them were to come 200 men of the 97th and 300 of the
90th. The supports consisted of 750 men of the 19th and 88th
regiments.
Therefore the assault was to be made by about 750 men, with an equal
body in support, the remainder of the light division being in reserve.
The covering party of the second division consisted of 100 men of the
3d Buffs; the storming party, with ladders, of 160 of the 3d Buffs,
supported by 260 of the 3d Buffs, 300 of the 41st, with 200 of the
62d, and 100 of the 41st. The rest of the second division were in
reserve.
The first and Highland divisions were to be formed in the third
parallel.
The orders were that the British attack was not to commence until the
French had gained possession of the Malakoff. This they did with but
slight loss. The storming columns were immensely strong, as 30,000 men
were gathered in their trenches for the attack upon the Malakoff. This
was effected almost instantaneously.
Upon the signal being given, they leaped in crowds from the advanced
trench, climbed over the abattis, descended the ditch and swarmed up
the rugged slope in hundreds.
The Russians, taken wholly by surprise, vainly fired their cannon, but
ere the men could come out from their underground caves, the French
were already leaping down upon them. It was a slaughter rather than a
fight, and in an incredibly short time the Malakoff was completely in
the possession of the French. In less than a minute from the time they
leaped from the trenches their flag floated on the parapet.
The Russians, recovered from their first surprise, soon made
tremendous attempts to regain their lost position, and five minutes
after the French had entered, great masses of Russians moved forward
to dispute its possession. For seven hours, from twelve to dusk, the
Russians strove obstinately to recover the Malakoff, but the masses of
men which the French poured in as soon as it was captured, enabled
them to resist the assaults.
At length, when night came on, the Russian general, seeing that the
tremendous slaughter which his troops were suffering availed nothing,
withdrew them from the attack.
As the French flag appeared on the Malakoff, the English covering
parties leaped from the trenches, and rushed forward. As they did so a
storm of shot and shell swept upon them, and a great number of men and
officers were killed as they crossed the 250 yards between the
trenches and the Redan. This work was a salient, that is to say a work
whose centre is advanced, the two sides meeting there at an angle. In
case of the Redan it was a very obtuse angle, and the attacks should
have been delivered far up the sides, as men entering at the angle
itself would be exposed to the concentrated fire of the enemy behind
the breastworks which ran across the broad base of the triangle. The
projecting angle was, however, of course the point nearest to the
English lines, and, exposed as they were to the sweeping fire of the
enemy while crossing the open, both columns of assault naturally made
for this point.
The Russian resistance was slight, and the stormers burst into the
work. The abattis had been torn to pieces by the cannonade, and the
men did not wait for the ladders, but leapt into the ditch and
scrambled up on the other side.
The Russians within ran back, and opened a fire from their traverses
and works in the rear. As the English troops entered, they halted to
fire upon the enemy, instead of advancing upon them. The consequence
was that the Russians, who were rapidly reinforced, were soon able to
open a tremendous concentrated fire upon the mass of men in the angle,
and these, pressed upon by their comrades who flocked in behind them,
impeded by the numerous internal works, mixed up in confusion, all
regimental order being lost, were unable either to advance or to use
their arms with effect. In vain the officers strove by example and
shouts to induce them to advance. The men had an idea that the place
was mined, and that if they went forward they would be blown into the
air. They remained stationary, holding their ground, but refusing to
go forward.
Every minute the Russians brought up fresh reserves, and a terrific
