A Matter of Policy - Part 2

Lieut A M Earle 57th Foot - Letter to his father 10 Sept 55

Note: in navigating this article, readers may find useful a diagramatic sketch showing a typical layout of a Sevastopol Bastion and illustrating the most common siege terms. Also a map depicting the 8th September position of the trenches in front of the bastions.

Senior officers, or for that matter junior ones as well, don't like to admit that they can lose control of their men, and 2nd Redan was no exception. The cover up started with Codrington. Clifford again:"The moment (our parties) had heard the flag was up, and before the General could prevent them, half had jumped up on the parapet and Sir William seeing it was no use checking them, gave the word to advance." In the official reports, on both the British and French sides, the British attack would subsequently be presented as an orderly response to prearranged signals.

Orderly or not, the Russian response was impressive. The French this time had had the advantage of surprise which they had well exploited; the British had no advantage to exploit which would make this day's experience any less hazardous than that of 18th June; OK, the trenches were 200 yards nearer, but the Russians knew they were coming, and they had waited that long before opening fire last time anyway.

And so it proved. The ragged if defiant wave was met by a monsoon of grape, canister and withering volleys of musketry. Where companies had been reformed by the energetic force of their officers, such tight formations were scythed down by the Russian guns. Nonetheless a good number made it to the abattis. Major Ranken again, a major source as he was there, and one of the few officers who survived:" When I came to the abattis, I found five men carrying a ladder nearly exhausted, and trying to get it over the opposing branches...I lent them my aid and urged them on. The edge of the ditch was soon reached...I kept my ladders to the right of the salient angle, having been warned that the flanking fire would probably be severe up the left face. Half a dozen or so were lowered and reversed in a minute, and the men passed up them with eager haste."

The haste however became a lot less eager once the men got onto the parapet. The shock of having survived the run through the rain of death over 300 yards was starting to sink in - maybe it wasn't their day to die, providing they now cooperated with destiny. And they were seeing their commanders shot down; Colonel Handcock, commanding the 97th, mortally wounded in the head - he would die the next day in camp in his wife's arms - Major Welsford's head spectacularly blown off as he climbed through an embrasure. Already Brigadier Shirley and Colonel Unett had fallen before they even reached the abattis.

Go To Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8