981 
THE FIELD. 
and verdure along its banks. At the left or south side of the 
Alma the ground assumes a very different character — smooth 
where the bank is deep, and gently elevated where the shelve 
of the bank occurs, it proceeds for a few yards at a moderate 
height above the stream, pierced here and there by the course 
of the winter’s torrents, so as to form small ravines, com- 
manded, however, by the heights above. It was in these 
upper heights that the strength of the Russian position 
consisted. A remarkable ridge of mountain, varying in 
height from 500 to 700 feet, runs along the course of 
the Alma on the left or south side with the course 
of the stream, and assuming the form of cliffs when close to 
the sea. This ridge is marked all along its course by deep 
gullies, which run towards the river at various angles, and 
serve, no doubt, to carry off the floods produced by the rains 
and the melting of the winter snows on the hills and table- 
lands above. If the reader will place himself on the top of 
Richmoud-hill, dwarf the Thames in imagination to the size 
of a Hampshire rivulet, and imagine the lovely hill itself to 
be deprived of all vegetation, and protracted for about four 
miles along the stream, he may form some notion of the posi- 
tion occupied by the Russians, while the plains on the north 
or left bank of the Thames will bear no inapt similitude to 
the land over which the British and French armies advanced, 
barring only the verdure and freshness. At the top of the 
X'idges, between the gullies, the Russians had erected earth- 
work batteries, mounted with 32 and 24-pounder brass guns, 
supported by numerous field-pieces and howitzers. These 
guns enfiladed the tops of the ravines parallel to them, or 
swept them to the base, while the whole of the sides up 
which an enemy, unable to stand the direct fire of the 
batteries, would be forced to ascend, were filled with 
masses of skirmishers armed with an excellent two- 
groove rifle, throwing a large, solid, conical ball with 
force at 700 and 800 yards, as the French learnt to 
them cost. The principal battery consisted of an earth- 
work of the form of two sides of a triangle, with the 
apex pointed towards the bridge below, and the sides covering 
both sides of the stream, corresponding with the bend in the 
river below it, at the distance of 1,000 yards, while, with a 
fair elevation, the 32-pounders threw, as we saw very often, 
beyond the houses of the village to the distance of 1,400 and 
1,500 yards. This was constructed on the brow of a hill 
about 600 feet above the river, but the hill rose behind it for 
another fifty feet before it dipped away towards the road. 
The ascent of this hill was eufiladed by the fire of three bat- 
teries of earthwork on the right, and by another on the left, 
and these batteries were equally capable of covering the 
village, the stream, and the slopes which led up the hill to 
their position. In the first battery were thirteen 32-pounder 
brass guns of exquisite workmanship, which told only too 
well. In the other batteries were some twenty-five guns in 
all. It was said the Russians had 100 guns on the hills and 
40,000 men (forty battalions of infantry 1,000 strong each, of 
the 16th, 31st, 32nd, and 52nd Regiments.) We were 
opposed principally to the 16th and 32nd Regiments, judging 
by the number of dead in front of us. Menschikoff com- 
manded the army in chief, the left was under Gortschakoff, a 
relative of the diplomatist, and the right under Bodahoff, the 
Military Governor of Sebastopol. It seems strange that an 
Admiral should be appointed to command an army, but 
strange things do happeu in Russia. Large masses of cavalry, 
principally lancers and heavy dragoons, manoeuvred, on 
the hills on the right of the Russians, and at last descended 
the hills, crossed the stream, and threatened our left and 
rear. As we came near the river our left wing was thrown 
back, in order to support our small force of cavalry, and a 
portion of our artillery was pushed forward in the same di- 
rection. Our danger in this respect was detected by the 
quick eye of Sir George Brown, and he gave the order for 
the movement of the artillery almost as soon as he caught 
sight of the enemy’s cavalry, and just as we were coming to 
the village. As I have already said, our plan of operations 
was that the French should establish themselves under the 
fire of the guns on the heights on the extreme of the enemy’s 
left. When we were about three miles from the village, the 
French steamers ran in as close as they could to the bluff of 
the shore at the south side of the Alma, and presently we 
saw them shelling the heights in splendid style, the shells 
bursting over the enemy's squares and batteries, and finally 
driving them from their position on the right, within 3,000 
yards of the sea. 
The French practice commenced about half-past 12 o’clock, 
and lasted for about an hour and a half. We could see the 
shells falling over the batteries of the enemy, and bursting 
right into them ; and then the black masses inside the works 
broke into little specks, which flew about in all directions ; 
and when the smoke cleared away there were some to be 
seen strewed over the ground. The Russians answered the 
ships from the heights, but without effect. A powder 
tumbril was blown up by a French shell ; another shell fell 
by accident into an ambuscade which the Russians had pre- 
pared for the advancing French, and at last they withdrew 
off from the sea-side, and confined their efforts to the defence 
of the gullies and heights beyond the fire of the heavy guns 
of the steamers. At 1 o’clock we saw the French columns 
struggling up the hills, covered by a cloud of skirmishers, 
whose fire seemed most deadly. Once, at sight of a threat- 
ening mass of Russian infantry, in a commanding position 
above them, who fired rapid volleys among them, the French 
paused, but it was only to collect their skirmishers, for as 
soon as they had formed, they ran up the hill at the pas de 
charge, and at once broke the Russians, who fled in disorder, 
with loss up the hill. We could see men dropping on both 
sides, and the wounded rolling down the steep. At 1.50 
our line of skirmishers got within range of the battery on 
the hill, and immediately the Russians opened fire at 
1,200 yards with effect, the shot ploughing through the 
open lines of the Riflemen, and falling into the ad- 
vancing columns behind. Shortly before this, dense 
volumes of smoke rose from the river, and drifted along 
to the eastward, rather interfering with the view of the 
enemy on the left of our position. The Russians had set the 
village on fire. It was a fair exercise of military skill — was 
well executed — took place at the right time, and succeeded 
in occasioning a good deal of annoyance. Our troops halted 
when they neared this village, their left extending beyond 
it by the verge of the stream ; our right behind the burning 
cottages, and within range of the batteries. It is said the 
Russians had taken the range of all the principal points in 
their front, and placed twigs and sticks to mark them. In 
this they were assisted by the post signboards on the road. 
The Russians opened s. furious fire on the whole of our line, 
but the French had not yet made progress enough to justify 
us in advancing. The round shot whizzed in every direction, 
dashing up the dirt and sand into the faces of the staff of 
Lord Raglan, who ware also shelled severely, and .attracted 
much of the enemy’s fire. Still Lord Raglan waited patiently 
for the development of the French attack. At length an 
aide-de-camp came to him and reported the French had 
crossed the Alma, but they had not established themselves 
sufficiently to justify us in an attack. The infantry were 
therefore ordered to lie down, and the army for a short time 
was quite passive, only that our artillery poured forth an 
unceasing fire of shell, rockets, aud round shot, which 
ploughed through the Russians, and caused them great loss. 
They did not waver, however, and replied to our artillery man- 
fully, their shot falling among our men as they lay, and carry- 
ing off legs and arms at every round. Lord Raglan at last 
became weary of this inactivity. His spirit was up — he looked 
around, and saw men ou whom be knew he might stake the 
honour and fate of Great Britain by his side, and, anticipating 
a little in a military point of view the crisis of action, he 
gave orders for our whole line to advance. Up rose these 
serried masses, and passing through a fearful shower of 
round, case shot, and shell, they dashed into the Alma, and 
“ floundered" through its waters, which were literally torn 
into foam by the deadly hail. At the other side of the river 
were a number of vineyards, and, to our surprise, they were 
occupid by Russian riflemen. Three of the staff were here 
shot down, but, led by Lord Raglan in person, the rest 
advanced cheering ou the men. Aud now came the turning 
point of the battle, in which Lord Raglan, by his sagacity 
aud military skill, probably secured the victory at a smaller 
sacrifice than would have been otherwise the case. He 
dashed over the bridge, followed by his staff. From the 
road over it, under the Russian guns, he saw the state of the 
action. The British line, which he had ordered to advance, 
was struggling through the river and up the heights in masses, 
firm indeed, but mowed down by the murderous tire of the 
batteries, aud by grape, round shot, shell, canister, case shot, 
aud musketry, from some of the gnus of the central battery, 
and from an immense and compact mass of Russian 
infantry. Then commenced one of the most bloody 
and determined struggles in the annals of war. The 2nd 
Division, led by Sir D. Evans in the most dashing 
manner, crossed the stream on the right. The 7th Fusileers, 
led by Colonel Yea, were swept down by fifties. The 55th, 
30th, and 95th, led by Brigadier Peunefnther, who was in 
the thickest of the fight, cheering on his men, again and 
again were checked indeed, but never drew back in their 
onward progress, which was marked by a fierce roll of Minid 
musketry; and Brigadier Adams, with the 41st, 47th, and 
49th, bravely charged up the hill, and aided them in the 
battle. Sir George Brown, conspicuous on a grey horse, 
rode in front of his Light Division, urging them with voice 
aud gesture. Gallant fellows ! they were worthy of such a 
gallant chief. The 7tli, diminished by one-half, fell back to 
re-form their columns lost for the time ; the 23rd, with eight 
officers dead aud four wounded, were still rushing to the 
front, aided by the 19tli, 33rd 77th, and 88th. Down went 
Sir George in a cloud of dust in front of the battery. He 
was soon up, aud shouted, “23rd, I'm all right ; be sure I’ll 
Remember this day,” and led them on again, but in the shock 
produced by the fall of their leader, the gallant regiment suf- 
fered terribly while paralysed for a moment. Meantime, the 
Guards, on the right of the Light Division, and the Brigade of 
Highlanders were storming the heights ou the left. Their 
line was almost as regular as though they were in Hyde-park. 
The battle of the Alma was won. It is won with a loss of 
nearly 3,000 killed aud wounded on. our side. This list will 
appear in a few days. The Russians’ retreat was covered by 
their cavalry, but if we had had an adequate force we could 
have captured many guns and multitudes of prisoners. 
When Lord Raglan and his staff aud the Duke of Cambridge 
rode round to the top of the hill, the troops cheered them 
with a thrilling effect — a shout of victory — which never can 
be forgotten. The enemy, who were flying in the distance, 
might almost have heard its echoes as it rolled among the 
hills. Our men had indeed done then* work well, for the 
action, which commenced at 1.25 on our part, was over about 
4 p.m. In fact, the actual close continuous fighting did not 
last two hours ! 
The Russian regiments engaged against us, judging from 
the numb era on the caps aud buttons of the dead aud 
wounded, were the 11th, 12th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 31st, 32nd, 
33rd, and some of the Imperial Guard. The Russian regi- 
ment consists of four battalions, and each battalion may be 
said to be 650 strong. The soldiers were mostly stout, strong 
men. Several of the regiments, 32nd and 16tli, for example, 
wore a black leather helmet, handsomely mounted with brass, 
and having a brass cone on the top, with a hole for the re- 
ception of a tuft, feather, or plume ; others wore simply a 
white linen fox-aging cap. They were all dressed in long drab 
coats with brass buttons, bearing the number of the regiment. 
These coats fitted loosely, were gathered in at the back by a 
Bmall strap and button, descend to the ancles, and seemed 
stout comfortable garments, though the cloth was coarse in 
texture; the trousers, of coarse blue stuff, were thrust inside 
a pair of Wellington boots, open at the top, to admit of 
their being comfox-tably tucked down ; the boots were stout, 
well made, and serviceable. Their knapsacks astonished our 
soldiers. On opening them, each was found to contain the 
dress uniform coatee of the man, blue or green, with white 
facings, and slashes like our own, a pan- of clean 
drawers, a clean shirt, a pair of clean socks, a pair of 
stout mits, a case containing a good pair of scissors marked 
“Sarun," an excellent penknife with one large blade, of 
Russian manufacture, a ball of twine, a roll of leather, wax, 
thread, needles and pin9, a hairbrush and comb, a small 
looking-glass, razor, strop, and soap, shoe-brushes, and black- 
ing. The general remark of our men was that the Russians 
were very “ clean soldiers,” aud certainly the men on the 
field had white fair skins to justify the expression. Each 
man had a loaf of dark brown bread, of a sour taste and dis- 
agreeable odour, in his knapsack, and a linen roll, containing 
a quantity of brown coarse stuff broken up into lumps and 
large grains, which is crushed biscuit or hard granulated 
bread prepared with oil. This, we were told by the pri- 
sonera, was the sole food of the men. They eat the bread 
with onions and oil ; the powder is “ reserve ration ; and if 
they march they may be for days without food, and remain 
hungi-y till they can get fresh loaves and more “bread-stuff 
It is perfectly astounding to tlxink they can keep together on 
such diet— and yet they are strong, muscular men enough. 
The surgeons remarked that their tenacity of life was very 
remarkable. Many of them lived with wounds calculated to 
destroy two or three ordinary men. I saw one of the 32nd 
Regiment ou the field just after the fight. He was shot right 
through the head, and the brain protruded in large masses at 
the back of the head and from the front of the skull. I 
saw with my own eyes % the wounded man raise his hand, 
wipe the horrible mass from his brow, aud proceed to 
struggle down the hills towards the water ! Many of the 
Russians were shot in three or four places ; few of them had 
only one wound. They seemed to have a general idea 
that they would be murdered : possibly they had been told 
no quax-ter would be given, and several deplorable events 
took place in consequence. As our men xvei-e passing by, two 
or three of them wore shot or stabbed by men lying on the 
ground, and the cry was raised that " the wounded Russians ” 
were firing on our men. There is a story, indeed, that ouo 
officer was severely injured by a man to whom he was iu the 
very act of administering succour as he lay in agony on the 
field; be this as it may, there was at one time a near chance 
of a general massacre taking place, but the men were soon 
controlled, and confined themselves to the pillage which 
always takes place on a battle-field. Ono villain with a red 
coat on his back, I regrot to say, I saw go up to a wounded 
Russian, who was rolling on the earth iu the rear of the 7th 
Regiment, and before he could say a word he discharged his 
rifle right through the wretched creature's brains. Colonel 
Yea rode at him to cut him down, but the follow excused 
himself by declaring the Russian was going to shoot 
him. This was the only single act of inhumanity I saw per- 
petrated by this army flushed with victory- aud animated 
by angry passions, although tho wounded enemy had 
unquestionably endangered their lives by acts of fe- 
rocious folly. Many of tho Russians had small crosses 
and chains fastened round their necks. Several were 
found with Korans in their knapsacks — most probably re- 
cruits from the Kasan Tartars. Many of the officers had 
portraits of wives or mistresses, of mothers or sisters, insido 
their coats. The privates wore the little money they pos- 
sessed iu purses fastened below their loft knees, and tho 
men, in the eager search after the money, often caused tho 
wounded painful apprehensions that they were about to 
destroy them. Lost night all these poor wretches lay in 
their agony ; nothing could be done to help them. The 
groans, tho yells, the cries of despair azul suffering, were a 
mournful commentary on tho exultation of tho victors and on 
the joy which reigned along the bivouac fires of our men. 
As many of our wounded as could be possibly picked up era 
darkness set iu wore conveyed on stretchers to the hospital 
tents. Many of tho others were provided with blankets and 
covered ns they lay iu their blood. The bandsmeu of 
tho regiments worked iu tho most cheerful and inde- 
fatigable manner, hour after hour, searching out and carrying 
off our wounded. Long after night had closed faint 
lights might be seen moving over the frightful field, mark- 
ing the spots where friendship directed tho stops of soma 
officer in search of a wounded comrade, or where the pillager 
yet stalked about ou his horrid errand. The attitudes of 
some of the dead were awful. Ono man might be seen rest- 
ing on one knee, with the arms extended iu tho form of 
taking aim, the brow compressed, the lips clenched — tho very 
expression of firing at an enemy stamped on the face and 
fixed there by death ; a hall had struck this man iu tho neck. 
Physiologists or anatomists must settle the rest. Another 
was lying on his back with the same expression, and his arms 
raised iu a similar attitude, the Minid musket still grasped in 
his hands undischarged. Another lay iu a perfect arch, his 
head resting on one part of the ground and his foot on the 
other, but the back raised high above it. Many men without 
legs or arms were trying to crawl down to the waterside. 
Some of the dead lay with a calm, placid smile on their face, 
as though they were in some delicious dream. 
Of the Russians one thing was remarkable. Tho prisoners 
are generally coarse, sullen, and unintelligent-looking men. 
Death had ennobled those who fell, for tho expression of 
their faces was altogether different. Tho wounded might 
have envied those who seemed to have passed away so peace- 
fully. 
The soldiers are all shaven cleanly on tho chin and cheek ; 
only the moustache is left, and the hair is cropped as close to 
the head as possible. The latter is a very convenient mode of 
wearing the hair in these parts of the world. The officers 
(those of superior rank excepted) are barely distinguishable 
from the men, so far as uniform is concerned, but the 
generals wore sashes and gold epaulettes. The subalterns 
wore merely a lace shoulder-strap, instead of the cloth ono 
of the privates. Most of them spoke French, and the en- 
treaties of the wounded to be taken along with us as the 
officers moved up the hill were touching in the extreme. 
The poor fellows had a notion that our men would murder 
them if the eye of the officer was removed from them. An 
old general, who sat smiliug and bowing on a bank with his 
leg broken by a round shot, seemed principally concerned 
for the loss of his gold snuff-box. This, I believe, has since been 
restored to him. The men say they were badly handled, and 
had no general to direct them. Menschikoff lost his head in a 
figurative sense. The officers displayed great gallantry, and 
the men fought with a dogged courage characteristic of the 
Russian infantry, but they wore utterly deficient iu dan and 
dash. The officers and gentlemen who were with his Lord- 
ship on that memorable day were, as far as I can ascertain, 
Lord Burghersh, Colonel Somerset, Lieut. C’urzon, A.D.C., 
Lieutenant Demman, R.N., acting as naval A.D.C., who rode 
close to his lordship throughout the day on a little pony ; 
Colonel Steele, Mr. Romnine, Deputy- Judge-Advocate ; Col. 
Dixon, M. Vico, Chef d’Escadron ; Mr. ICinglake, Captain 
WaagmaD, Lieutenant Macdonald, 93rd. Provost-Marshal ; 
Brigadier-General Strangways, Captain Gage, Captain Adye, 
Brigadier-General Tyldeu (since dead of cholera) and staff 1 , 
Lieutenant Ewart, Sir John Burgoyne and staff, Lieutenant 
Stopford, R.E., A.D.C., Capt. Burke, 88th Regiment, A.D.C., 
and Lieutenant Nasmyth, extra A.D.C., Brigadier-General 
Estcourt, Lieutenant de Morel, Lieut. Teesdale (wounded), 
Mr. Filder, C'ommissary-Geueral ; Mr. Leslie, Life Guards 
(wounded) ; Dr. Prendergast, Dr. Elliott, Veterinary-Surgeon 
Stockley, Colonel Airey, Quartermaster-General ; I)ra. Hall 
and Dumbreck, Captain Kingscote. Lieutenant Calthorpe, 
Captain Nolan, Captain Sankey, Captain Wetherall, Captain 
Woodford, Major Blane, Captain Wear© (wounded). 
FURTHER OFFICIAL DESPATCHES. 
(From the London Gazette, Tuesday, Oct. 10.) 
War Department, October 10, 1854. 
His Grace the Duke of Newcastle has this day received two 
despatches, of which the following are copies, addressed to 
his Grace by General the Lord Raglan, G.C.B. — 
BaUtJdava, September 28, 1>54. 
My Lord Dcke.— I n continuation of my despatch of the 
23rd instant. I beg leave to lay before your Grace the names 
of the officers whose names have been brought to my notice 
by the generals of division and the heads of departments. 
Lieutenant-General Sir George Brown speaks m the 
highest terms of Lieutenant-Colonel Yen, of the Royal 
Fusiliers ■ Lieutenant-Colonel Chester, of the 23rd, who was 
unfortunately killed, and of Captain Bell, who succeeded to 
the command, and brought the regiment out of action, and 
