XXIV BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 



from one end of our attack to the other and not be questioned ; we have not got a smgle 

 sentry in the batteries ; there is no ])lan of action there, no rules. The officers •who 

 command from twelve to twenty-four hours are taken by roster ; they may have arrived from 

 England the preceding day by ship, and be put upon the trenches the following one. It 

 requires several visits to find one's way about in daytime, to judge of the fire, what it means, 

 where it comes from, to learn the lay of the ground, the intricacies of the ravines, &c. 

 There is no plan of defence in the trenches; that is, the field-oflBcer uses his discretion. 

 There is nothing in the army to augur success beyond the courage of the men and regimental 

 oflBcers, — absolutely nothing. This I believe to be superior to tliat of the enemy ; but some 

 day we may be put into a difficult position from which courage will not extricate us. Our 

 people are running down the French because they are not so foolhardy as we ; and certainly 

 \vhen the French attack the Russians the latter always get the best of it. At first the French 

 may drive them back, but in the morning all you can see is a certain number of bodies, 

 and the enemy occupying exactly the same position they held the preceding evening. But 

 then we have never been treated as the French have all through the mnter. They were 

 exposed to continual sorties, being within 100 yards of the enemy, whereas ours have never 

 until lately been within 1200 yards; and our 'attack' was so palpably a feint, that it was 

 never worth while to waste men against us." 



Not very long after the withdrawal of the Guards from the front to Balaclava, a sharp affair 

 occurred between the French and the enemy on our right, the point in dispute having come 

 into notice a short time previously under the name of the Mamelon. It has just been mentioned 

 that after the battle of Inkerman the French took over the ground on our right. They began 

 to work up towards the Malakoff ; but in their way lay the hill in question, which became an 

 object of interest to both French and Russians. The former advanced rather further than was 

 approved of by the Russians, who at once commenced throwing up a work on the hill for the 

 purpose of entrenching themselves there, so as to erect a redoubt to enfilade the French 

 approaches. It was determined to make a night attack on it with the 2ud Battalion of Zouaves, 

 supported by the Marine Infantry. 



In reference to this attack. Lord xVrthur writes tliat he " feels shy at giving his opinions 

 where every thing is carried on on such odd principles." " I know the grotnid, and 1 know 

 the Colonel of the Zouaves who commanded, and who is a first-rate man. He was quartered 

 with us in the front, and is our most ultimate friend, and, for a Frenchman, is a very 

 extraordinary person. The facts are, that the French were pushing on an attack from the 

 redoubt, upon the left flank of the Tower. They pushed it to a certain extent, when, having 

 declared tlisir intention to be serious (for until then the left was the real attack), the enemy 



