20 JIILITARY COMMISSION TO EUROPE. 



idea of their oj^erations. Their hatterics, however, were very well constructed. Their maga- 

 zines, platforms, &c., were usually similar to those adopted at Chatham, although unnecessary 

 deviations were sometimes complained of. 



They employed neither armor nor the full sap; sometimes the half-full, hut generally the 

 flying sap were employed. The excellent English magazines were generally covered with 7" or 

 8" timher, 2 layers of fascines, 2 layers of sand bags, and 5' or 6' of earth. During the siege 

 three were exploded hy 13" shells, hut it was supposed that in two of these cases the shells 

 hurst in the passage, as similar magazines resisted 13" shells falling on the roof; in the third 

 case, the magazine was first struck fairly on the roof hy a 13" shell, which laid it hare to the 

 sand hags ; the corporal of sappers in charge, being intoxicated, neglected to repair the damage, 

 when another 13" shell struck in the same place and exploded the magazine. 



A very good gabion was made, hy the English, of the iron hoops of bales of hay, casks, &c. 

 They were 3' high and 2' in diameter, having 11 stakes of sawed wood. The iron hoops were 

 wattled as the ordinary withes, and were hound by iron straps running the whole length of the 

 gabion. These were much employed in revetting the cheeks of embrasures, thus avoiding the 

 use of raw hides. The first pair of gabions, at the throat, should not be of iron, since it was 

 found that shot would often tear off pieces of the straps, which caused bad wounds. 



Gabions were also made of sj^lit hoops. 



The fascines were bound with iron straps, twisted hy pincers, in addition to the ordinary 

 withes. The dimensions of their materials varied much in size, being made by diflerent parties. 



Sand bags were very much employed in revetting batteries, traverses, &c. 



Latrines were provided at the extremities of parallels and boyaux, and cleansed with lime 

 every day. 



Water tanks and reservoirs were provided in the parallels, and filled every morning and 

 evening by means of pack animals. 



During the siege the English working jDarties and guards of the trenches generally paraded 

 at 6i p. m., and moved off after dark, often suffering severely before reaching the trenches. 

 The guards of the trenches went on duty in their red coats and forage caps, without knapsacks ; 

 working parties in working dress, and armed; muskets on the reverse of the trench. Generally 

 double sentinels were posted, on their bellies, about 50 yards in advance of the trench. 



Materials, guns, ammunition, &c., were carried up at night, "over the open." 



The result of the operations of this long and eventful siege was that on the 8tli of September, 

 1855, the French had, at a great cost of life and labor, pushed their approaches to the distance 

 of 32 paces from the counterscarp of the Malakofi", and not quite so near the other works. The 

 English, meanwhile, had scarcely reached within 225 yards of the ditch of the Kedan. 



On that day the assault was made at noon upon at least six points. 



A few minutes later than the assault upon the Malakoff the English attacked the Eedan. 

 "The Russians being now upon the alert, they did not pass over the open space before them 

 without loss ; but the mass succeeded in crossing the ditch and gaining the salient of the work. 

 Finding themselves entirely unsupported they at once took shelter behind the traverses, whence 

 the example and efforts of their officers did not avail to draw them, in order to occupy the work 

 closing the gorge. Having in vain used every effort, having despatched every officer of his staff 

 to the rear urging that supports should be at once sent up, and seeing that the Russians were 

 now beginning to assemble in force, the commander of the English storming jsarty reluctantly 

 determined to proceed himself to obtain reinforcements. Scarcely had he reached the trenches, 

 and at last obtained authority to move up the required succor, when upon turning to lead them 



