| Description | Further descriptions of the Alma Battle - pinned down by skirmishers on the enemy bank of the river when "Coney who was carrying the Regimental colour, sprang up the bank & planted it for the men to rally round. Then in a moment we all rushed up & the time of retribution for the Russians began" - worst part was lying down under fire waiting to advance under shell & cannon fire - very heavy hand to hand fighting, particularly 7th, 33rd & 23rd Foot - "Poor Hare was so close to the enemy that he ran his sword through two fellows & was than shot through the heart .... Pearse fired his revolver five barrels at four men close to him missed with all & then threw the pistol itself at a fellow's head & called him a d...d coward. He was shot afterwards dreadfully through the neck but is doing well. I was hit by the last bullet almost & was quite lame from it for some time .... I am afraid I shall not get my Company without purchase unfortunately. Wilbraham's tip has not been gazetted so that Fryn will get the death vacancy & he was not there at all, which is a nuisance. He was at Scutari during the whole of the business & has only just come up so he will get what others have fought and bled for." - Flank march a masterpiece of Generalship & took the Russians by surprise - "my ankle was so bad that once or twice I thought I should have dropped but the idea of being speared by a Cossack excited me on .... Two days ago we had a bad business here - we were attacked in rear by about 30 thousand men who tried to take Balaklava. The Turks who were left in charge of the place ran away from a redoubt & the Russians have got use of 6 of our beautiful 241b brass guns that these rascals ought to have stood by to the last. Fancy what a prize for the Russians & what lies they will tell. I believe if it had not been for a Highland regiment who received a charge of cavalry in line when deserted by the Turks, who were on their flanks, things would have gone worse with us. As it is I am sorry we have lost nearly the whole of our Light Cavalry, owing to some mistake in the order; Lord Lucan gave an order to charge at the wrong time & these gallant fellows, almost 800 strong, charged the whole Russian army but were of course cut to pieces 200 only coming out. Can you fancy what a blow for us. Literally the whole of our cavalry and horses not to be replaced for there are none in England. Luckily now we do not much want them. It has been a bad job. I cannot see the end of Sebastopol. The Russians are formidable behind guns tho' they cannot stand cold feet. I cannot tell you how much I long to be out of fighting - one gets a kind of sickening of it tho' I wish to give the Russians one more terrible lesson .... I have just heard that Balaklava is to be given up & burnt - we do not want it now we have landed all our guns & stores." |