Page:Item 5 1853.pdf/269

, 47th and 49th Regiments. I forget the leaders of the Light division party. We moved down and occupied the most advanced trenches as near to the Redan as possible. The batteries, meanwhile kept up a most destructive fire on the enemy’s works. A more terrific and crushing fire I never saw during the whole of the siege. The enemy could hardly answer a single gun. Soon after 12 the French buglers sounded the advance, and suddenly there issued from their trenches men in thousands. The distance was so short from them to the Malakoff, that they were in the ditch and swarming up the parapet in one minute, the enemy having scarcely time to fire a shot from their guns. In twenty minutes the French were well established in the Malakoff, and the tri-colour waving over it; but the contest at Ouvrage’s Blancs and Little Redan, was more protracted, and they lost heavily there. About half-past twelve a white flag hoisted on the Mamelon, gave notice to the English to attack the Great Redan. Away went the stormers of the Light Division, closely followed by those of the Second. The enemy, of course, were well prepared for us, and had been firing grape at our trench from the beginning of the French attack. My company was the third from the front; and when it came to my turn I jumped up and over the parapet, and calling to my men to follow me close, and keep together, we rushed across the open ground. The distance from our trench to the Redan ditch – as since ascertained – was over 200 paces. The heavy fire of grape and musketry from the flanking batteries swept this space from both sides in a fearful storm, and our men fell rapidly from it. It was about ten feet deep and twenty or thirty feet across. I reached the ditch unhurt and slid down into it. The men here got mixed.. all regiments together. We crowded up the scaling ladders, which was very difficult to do, as many wounded were trying to come down by them. Once on the top slope, it was possible to stand without the ladders. All this time a fierce hand-to-hand fight was going on within. The parapet was very high inside, which made it extremely difficult for the men to get down, so that no sufficient body could be formed at once for a charge. The Russians had brought up a large force which occupied the interior defences and traverses, and kept up a murderous fire, which shot down our poor fellows as fast as they could get in. Those on the parapet kept up the heaviest possible fire on the Russians, but suffered terribly from the concentrated aim directed upon them in return. General Windham was most conspicuous, giving directions everywhere in the midst of the fire. Of ours, J. Hume, Roxby, Johson(sic), and my-