| Description | "By this time you will have received the Despatches about our bad business on 18th June. The returns of killed & wounded make almost as great a show as Alma but without its results. We were first as usual and were consequently very much cut up; & I don't know however we escaped alive. The Russians were quite prepared for us - their parapets lined 4 deep, their Guns (which our Artillery flattered themselves they had silenced) loaded with Grape & to crown all no one knew the signal for starting, so we went off at the wrong one!! We had some hundred yards to advance across an open plain with Guns loaded with Grape & Cannister shot blazing away into us. Colonel Yea was shot close to the Abbattoir. A braver man or a better soldier was not in this army! His loss is irreparable & his place not to be supplied. The wounds inflicted were of the most fearful kind, generally occasioning loss of limb from the size of the shot - which is something like a small orange. As I advanced across the plain I thought every second would be my last. I could hardly see for the dust that the Grape shot made in ploughing up the ground all round us - before - behind - and on each side, shells bursting over my head & fellows rolling over right & left - & yet I seemed to have a charmed life for nothing would hit me. My haversac was covered with blood from men who were shot near me & so was my sword. When we got to the Abattis, which is at least 50 yards from the Redan, the fire was so heavy that no mortals could stand it & there was nothing for it but to retreat as rapidly as possible to our own trenches which were about 100 yards off. In fact we were regularly beaten back & I saw the rascally Russians taking off their caps & jeering as we retired. Besides myself there is now only one officer fit for duty in the 7th Fusiliers who came out with the Regiment in the Orinoco - is not this dreadful? Poor Shiffman of the 34th, Horsman of the Rifles, & many others with whom I worked day & night through the winter are all swept off by one fell stroke! Our Generals are all going away sick. This Redan business has acted like an emetic upon them & has knocked them all down. Lord Raglan has not shewn since, Sir George Brown done for. Estcourt is dead. Pennefather gone sick to England & Codrington is ill on board ship. Cholera bad again particularly among new comers. We expect to go at it again soon but I think they will hardly send us first, our losses have been so heavy." |