commenced attacking it on the 17th of the month, at daylight, and [onshore] they have been at it day and night ever since. About 12 o’clock on the 17th, the fleets were signalled to go in and engage the enemy’s forts. The French went in and took up their position to the south of the harbour, and we to the north. Our ship was nearly the last in action, but we were there nearly an hour after all the others were hauled off. We fired our first shot about 3 o’clock, and continued till half past four, when we drifted on shore close under fort Alexander. Our captain ordered us to cease firing and to get our hawsers out for the steamer to tow the ship off, but we would not leave our guns; for, if we had knocked off firing, we should have been blown up by the Russians. All the time we kept firing we drove them out of their batteries , and when they attempted to fire their guns, we fired shot and shell at them, and they could not stand it. At 6 o’clock the Admirals made signal to return to our anchorage, but we were on shore, and nobody knew it but ourselves and those on board of two steamers. Our captain at last gave orders to close the magazines, but the men grumbled and said they would not be fired at without returning it. However, we set to work and got the ship off, and then they gave us pepper; and I must say it was the most awful time that I ever saw in my life. I could see shell and red hot shot flying right into us. Our ship had several shots in her, and her rigging was cut all to pieces. One shell entered the foremast and burst in it, and one shot went right through the mainmast. One shell burst in the ship’s side, wounding two men, the only ones, I’m happy to say that were wounded, and none killed. In the English fleet altogether there were 45 killed and 275 wounded. We got news, yesterday, that there were 5,000 killed in Sebastopol and 15,000 wounded belonging to the Russians. We could take the place now, only Lord Raglan will bombard it a few days longer, because he wants to take it with as little loss of life as possible. We are now busy repairing our rigging. Your affectionate son, John Whyborn.”
[With the above description to meditate upon, it really seems marvelous that a stranded ship exposed to the discharge of heavy guns from the Russian batteries, should have escaped with only two men wounded. Howsoever wrong it might be to disobey orders, yet, in this case, the men’s salvation seems to have been mainly due to their disobedience to the captain’s command].
William James Edwards, an artilleryman, serving before Sebastopol, wrote to his father, in Hastings, thus:-
- “Camp, near Sebastopol, Oct. 29th, 1854. You must excuse my writing this with pencil, as -
