The agitator., December 28, 1854, Image 1

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' It on your dqihipg eargo. .... > .
. Ha ooroei,lbO Ldrft of IHvid'f lino! ~,-.
. of* kingly, race.,, •-, ••'
. titeod bis mireioo hero,. . .
’• ' iiui plfiSrVfloo,:
"'•i.i . jJ- jf • ’i* .f" ■■ •
, ,E*ponndcr».of‘ tip law ditioe,,;,. . f .
■JCtetdd.by Betfdelitm’s beam*, .',
Wblkhlp wHH'ndor«ti6rimfeCt
Beheithit* «(tit-Utre glearti.
' ‘ Weil'may lKey ItHeel, while on Ihem'Wli,
’• It* gentle, Voothirig ligW,
' Fo# now aaun illume*theirway
Aodaida their feeble eight. ■ >
•< The trembling ddoVthe*Wntencotne,
—; f" -■ And pricelam gifts they bring j i
■ Toil-worn and weary oncrare they, ~
Who greet the new bora Wng.
Their counlryownelh not a gam.i
Jlor mines in their retreat ■
Contain-a treasure Vast enough
To lay at Jesus' feet.
No tiar* of royalty
To deck his brow la given.
’Bat swaddling bandit of poverty
Atlire’the heir of heaven,
Then welcome io oUr hearUiatoac'a lights
And to our hearts and homes:
All hail! despised Nasareno—
The true Messiah cornea I
for the Agitator,
A Mother’* Love.
A mother's love— O, who can tell
The depth of that exhaustlcss well*
Bare Hii a IbunUin clear and pure,
A mine of wealth, a fund secure,
A germ of life, a gleam of heaven,
A priceless gem to mortals given.—L. A. S.
THE BATTLE FIELD.
THE BATTLE OF IRKERMAinr.
Correepondence of the London Morning Herald.
British Camp, Nov. 7, 1854.
. We have again had a pitched bailie with
the Russians—-a bailie which, for duration
and loss of life, is only lo die equaled by ibe
tremendous conflicts of Napoleon at Auster
lili and Leipsic. In a word, the enemy,
with an overpowering force, attacked the
right of our entrenched camp at day-break
on the’tnornini: of Sunday, the sih of No
verhb u r. Their immense superiority of num
bers enabled them In carry several strong
positions, and penetrate into the cen'er of the
camps of the Light and 2d Divisions ; but
the opportune arrival of re-enforcements en
abled the allies ‘to recover their lust ground,
and eventually repulse the attack, with such
loss to the enemy ns m, perhaps unparalleled
in tho history of modern warfare. •
The fighting lusted about eight hours.
No terms of praise are too high for tho des
perate courage which the enemy showed in
this assault upon our lines. Their conduct
and coolness, under fire, literally seem* ioex
nltcable. I never thought any hut British
troops could have showed suoh perfect daring.
On the morning of the 4th, the enemy ap
proached Bilaklava in two bodies, about 35,-
000 or 40,000 strong; of course, ns they
nearly always are, day and night,.the defen
ders of the batteries had to get underarms,
and fired several shells into the enemy’s col
umn*. The latter gave not the least sign of
a wish to attack ; on the contrary, beyond
moving out of the range, and remaining
drawn up in order of battle, they barely ap
peared to notice us. We in the batteries
were astonished at their apathy, and remain
ed admiring the beautiful order in which
they were drawn up in one huge semi-circle,
glittering squadrons of cavalry on either
flank, the infantry in dense columns of bat
talions, and a perfect cloud of anilery in
front of all. We were remarking on the
beautiful •• pomp of war,” and calculating
the probabilities of an attack, when suddenly
a sentry, who was posted on the hill, came
down, and informed us that another large
army was moving up the plain of Balaklava,
lo the part under the chain of hills on which
our right rested. We hurried up the hill
and found that the astounding report was too
true. Pouring along the plain to the north,
where the huge dark masses of Russian in
fantry, with long glittering lines of cavalry
upon the flunks. This spectacle certainly
astonished ns. Not less than 80,000 were
in the plain below us, I instantly started off
to the caoip, crossing, on iny) way, part of
the plain, instead of going, round among the
batteries. By this short cut along oor out
picket*, f was enabltjd lo approach close to
the Russian*—within 1,000 yards. At that
distance I could plainly estimate their num
bers, and note that they moved in open col
umns with the most beautiful regularity.
Their artillery, in particular, excited my
close attention. I never saw such masses of
guns with any troops, and some of them had
ten and twelve-horses. They appeared lo
have artillery enough for 200,000 men,- Al
ll|e first approach of this formidable body,
ouy lines in the rear were manned. The
enemy, however, displayed no hostile inten
tions, but moving along under tho base of the
plateau on which our camp is fixed, poured
into the valley of the Chornaya. Pun cross
ed the river and seemed lo rest near Inker-,
mann Lights ; part remained in the valley of
Chernaya in ihe plain, under the hill on
which Ihe two-gun battery F have mentioned
is posted. From this eminence.all their
movemenls could be 1 noted with perfect accu
racy. It was about I o’clock in the day.—
By. this time most of those wbo j hod.crossed
the Chernaya had poured under the. hill* to
ward Ihe north side of Sevastopol, where
■they were met by a detachment.of about 6,-
000 infantry. Here, after jemairting .for a
couple of hours, they occupied the .hfghis
'neat Inkermann Light, pnd' seemed to ibe in- ;
wpecVing the whole of our line of
Toward 4 o’clock the great body moved
down into the valley, end look Op their quar
ters on the Chernaya, on oor right flank, and
;■■«*». the bps* of the hill on (he which jfco
two-gun bsllery was placed. In this order,-,
vizi- shoot 40,000-a.t.
oo oor right in the valley,they-settled Jdqwpf
A little after 4, on ;be morning of Sunday
Far the Agitator.
r-tiT
atam^.Uag.^
••r-r '■■
rr; t
- t - •'-y vanß 1 •'
the 6th; xrlwnr ; a ' :^bA»y”lbg . ahlrouilfed t J
thing from I vari6a* r ‘gtirrTsbna of tno
redobWa'APBaIAKIOVEt 1 by
the norsd of fiVge nfpfiifbScfi.
iog. This "imte.
. outjnnd rettifttcd-nfhh'flrti int^fligfeftcb'tKpit-ii
: targe army Wak moving against ihe.mj thb*
if ‘wakimpokiible lb' say ffo ’what point the
attack Would' be directed. 1 'Tjie atid
darkness were'do- dense,;thof it Wa'S quite Ini
possible tdtfisiinguish' anvtlflng teh feet he.,
low'the battery. Yet stilf'the noise round
iho hilt continued. I haye already described
the high,’ steep hHI facing ftio ijatfery and
overlooking ft. No one sukpecldd,or be*
MeVed if possible! that the pnemy'ddutd gel
guns up this fit a single nighljftfi the plhce
had "been but little regarded. Yqt 'il' was
front thi? spot'that the Russians opehetr the
fire from about fen guns, full on the two-gun
battery, pbd the light and'2d divisions,'which
(ay about half d mile in the rear. The in
stant the Cannonade began, ‘and" the first
emotions of utter astonishment and Surprise
were passed, the 55th picket kepi close un
der the earthwork of the battery, and the
shot flew over'thcm, doing but little injury.'
The enemy' had, some way or other, man
aged to gel up their guns during
but having to point them in the dark and fog
took but a blind aim, yet nevertheless their
shot and shell flew in all directions for the
space of nearly twenty minutes, while the
cannonade in rear of the line at' Balaklnva
was also redoubled,.so that it seemed impos
sible to say which would prove the true
which ihe feint attack, or whether they'were
both true or both feints. The latter opinion
was adopted by many, who said that -the
enemy would never dare attack its in’ our
entrenchments, but rather distract our alien,
lion while a sortie was made from the town
upon the trenches. As if to. confirm this
surmise, ihe instant Ihe cannonade in the
rear re-commenced, all forts, redoubts, and
batteries round Sevastopol opened with a tre
mendous roar, which seemed to shake the
earth.
The scene at this moment was awful. —
The whole ramp, except to the sen, seemed
encircled by fire, as flush after flash lit uj>
the foggy air in all directions. The uproar
was perfectly deafening, for our batteries be
gan lo reply, and both sides firing' shell in
creased the din two-fold. The shower of
these terrible explosives, which ruined inlo
the camp like hail, bullies description. No
place was safe from them. Tney killed men
and tore the tents lo pieces nn places which
we hod hitherto considered out of range.
Every minute or so you were compelled to
throw yourself upon your face as the terrible
missi’e came roaring through tho air, and
pitching within a few yards, sent its frag
ments humming over the spot where you
crouched close to the earth. Fu-V about .ten
minutes the stunning noise, confusion, and
incessant bursting of shell made the whole
place seem perfectly unearthly. The horror
of the scene was increased by the obscurity
of the morning. It was not 6 o’clock, the
darkness and fog were still thick, and through
the heavy air the broad red flashes of the
guns and their tremendous reports seemed
ten times louder than ever. For ail that
could be seen or told to the contrary, the
Russian butteries seemfed within fifty yards of
you on all sides. Of course the troops re
mained under arms, but did not attempt to
move; every one knew that before the real
attack commenced Ihe artillery would cease
and the sharp crackling fire of musketry be
gin. Until that was heard, there was no
knowing on which of the the
enemy intended lo advance. The report of
the muskets was therefore anxiously listened
for, and it was soon heard.
The instant the men of the 551 h were ena
bled to hear what was moving in their own
immediate neighborhood, the noise of an im
mense body of men advancing was heard
close upon the batteries. The picket in
stantly prepared lo defend the place, and
then in the hour of need the great deficien
cies of the battery were discovered. In the
first place it bud no guns, and in the second
place no sleps were made lo enable the in
fantry to fire over its high parapet.
The instant the Russians caught sight of
the battery through the fog, (hough they
seemed utterly spent by their exertions in
climbing the hill, they rushed forward with"
a dash we hard we hardly gave them credit
for. Nothing daunted In the immense dis
parity of numbers, the 65th waited till they
closed within ten feel, and then gave one Ire
mendous volley, which stretched 200 of the
enemy in tho dust ; ohd then each man,
loading and firing ns fast ns ho could, kept
up nn incessant discharge of musketry upon,
each Russian as he approached. The'Rus
sians halted for a moment, and then, with
wonderful courage, rallied up and returned a
close and deadly fire. In less Ihnn five min
utes they again attempted to storm the batte
ry. In an instant ihey and pour
ed over its banks and through its etqbrasnres
in overpowering numbering numbers. There
wns_a moment of desperate’struggle, during
which our gallant sl}ih fought hand to hand
and fool lo foot with their numerous assail
an 1 *- It was but a moment, in and the next
they had repulsed the attack and preserved
the battery.
• JJut it was in vain ourfellows displayed'
all ibis courage—the enemy already euinbin
;befet) them.at the fate .of, 4ft to i, and. fresh
.masses were coming up, every minute. A
.perfect semi-circle pf fire .-from. small arms,
raged r,bun.d ihe bnjiery, andpurmen fell by
! d<utep» i .«f, frnm ttyejwanlfoTS proper place
nn ifire frqpp, they .were expow
(he Embrasures before u lhey could return 4
slant,"while"ihpsst >Bf
Suddenly tlje'Rtwsfcns ftitds sbdlhbf ehSrjpf
>ot . *.{.ita.XrV.ttia&jfy ■t’.u-.w Hn,.f.. v <g :t ferfjaV tan -km lt‘.ti ! " ‘ ‘
pull. ufl ,«H
Tml iW* licit#
JSf* 'Mk
bees. nqm&i®., ThepSjh
true to their post, again mellhemal the point
tit ih^feydder f'-dHWh|J (he; eherny
back'fbKainttmenf, aefcmed as irltoVwqiild
'itillkeep _ the'battery in 'spite of' thti J avvAil
Wf'mgainst them; Tbut, af last/ |tfp, meife
tpasses begipjo pre?
yail,,and i lhQ more ihaD. lwq-
I birds, pf tjie.pickei, lßy de«d arouiid, teiirdd
from ■ -
•If was nownbarly 7 o’clock. Most of the
troopsin -(he Englishcamp wefe'rrioVltfg-u))
to: the scene of 1 say-most oft he
troops, foF (he ftri'was still so hot in
tbejrear ahdilie left; toward Sevastopol, thaj
ilwas thought necessary to keep* strong ret
sctves io meet dpy emergency that might
arise. Though it was daylight, the fog still
hung so thick thatit 'whs impossible to dis«
lance. In fact, unless actually with the
troops in action r it was impossible to see'how
the battle was going. 1 went twice Into nc-'
tion with our regiments, in the hope of see.
ing things more .distinctly, but 1 am willing
to confess that the awful rapidity with which
the men fell, and theshots whistled, disturbed
my composure far morelhan the most dense
fog couldhave done.
- The rattle of the musketry was deafening.'
The incessant volleys and effects of the fi e
firing dispersed' the fog, but replaced it with
the thick white smoke of gunpowder, which
hid everything equally weff. -' At this the
enemy, who-were lasing tee men to our one,
showed no signs of giving way. On the
contrary, they advanced toward the wall, fi
ring volleys with as much coolness and reg
uiarily ns ifj on parade. I am bound to say
no troops could have behaved more splendid
ly than the Russians. They appeared utter
ly insensible to (he fear of anything but a
charge. When threatened with that, ns I
have sold before, they dispersed in all direc
tions.
Aboul ilii» time our batteries of artillery
bame hotly into (he fight against ibe enemies’
battery on the bill, which was doing ns n
considerable amount of mischief. Under the
splendid management of Generally Strung
ways, they soon so far turned the fortune of
the day as to leave their infantry, attacking
ours beyond the wall, entirely without sup
port. Advantage was instantly taken of the
change to advance the 20thand 47th regi.
merits to the right, for the purpose of retaking
the two-gun Buttery. These two regiments
splendidly upheld the fame of the English
troops. In spile of a tremendous cross-lire,
they advanced at the bayonet, and aS' they
neared the battery, poured in one tremendous
volley and charged. In less than n minute
the Russians were driven out, with fearful
loss. Yet, hd(rdly wero they clear of the
battery, when the Russians rallied again, and
returning the roUnd-shot, poured in volley
after volley into the columns|of the gallant
20th and 47th, and at the same time tho Rus
sian arlillerv reopened on the battery in such
a manner as neither friend nor foe could hold
it. Under these circumstances the 20th and
47th were compelled to fall back, and the
enemy again occupied the Two-gun Battery
for a moment. This turn of possession was
however, but brief; our fellows again dash
ed up at it, and again they liberally massa
cred all in the place. The battery itself, and
all its approaches, were now covered with
English and Russian corpses and wounded.
The latter were few in the extreme, as when
ever the enemy occupied the contested post,
they bayoneted all our fellows who gave the
least sign of life. This is no battle-field ru
mor, but a fact, for the truth of which I can
myself vouch ; (or,-later in the day, when
the battle seemed going against us, I saw the
Russians killing the wounded who remained
on their pan of the ground.
Ahd now a tremendous struggle ensued
for this position. The number of the enemy
in and around the buttery wns a least 6,000,
yet the Cnldstreams charged and broke their
way through all opposition, and got to the
work. The instant they had done 8”, tie
enemy seemed! to redouble their efib'ts to
lake and keep the place. Fresh regiments
came up the hill, and threw, themselves itt'o
the battery from all points; but the Cold
streams held their ground, fighting with per
fect kespornlion, Tho battery was now
completely encircled in front, flank, nnd rear;
and, ns the Coldstreams say, every man in
the place gave himself up for lost, nnd deter
mined to sell bis tile dearly. Three times
did the Russians throw themselves upon the
battery, tind by the sheer weight of their
masses surmount and cross the walls, yet
each time they wen? driven back again.—
.The melee was frightful. So close were the
antagonists, that after once firing there was
no time to load. The men then- stood up
and charged with the bayonet, or bent each
other down with the huts of their muskets.
.Each time the Russians were repulsed they
left heaps of dead behind, and it' was over the
corpses'of their comrades that they advanced
each lime lo a fresh attack. ;■
After the lest repulse the RuSsiani' (nr
some "lime did not te'newMhe contest. Ob
serving that the height oft he walla prevented
our men trom over, they'collected in masses
close under them,' and beuan throwing the
muskets and bayonets qt iheir dead cnmiades
speajr-iwise into (ho battery, wlt,h huge stones.
; ifor this species of, attack-, bur men tyere
the irwg(j,ftagnwi>t£bf ropk, upon their as
sailants, nearly ifen. minutes Jh(S stone
throwihg', pohnnued without-ihtcrroissiop on
‘ wjrf-jjiw
mada. e desperste dash by
;the %t wet* haypitetedm the
gn»
.
*" -.1 .A.I. ,I. .3,1)11.1 ),) ;|.,i
•
fastif the'(ergs bn'd'bloWtb'tilfeces
$ !0V?
rn>
were now '.completely out of-t he- bushwhicb
l>iad screened aniksheltfenfd thermon their ad
vatice, and, upon fair ground, ihgy.alodtl no
,Our Vegiijidriis hnl-
HR
meac«d alreroendous, f)le*fire, ...Thc’enemy,:
in disorder, hardly returned f a - shot, but
stood their ground; and Tell' by hundreds and
hundreds. •• Thrice theympved upsolid.lyto
break' pUr )ihe, wpre'rrtev ¥t|tH
1 i TOP.ls*. -Vwry M*?*
they closed in,-when opr (Hllows chargetfcend
mass&oredthem at.the poini ; iof..the bayonet;
The fortune-Of the day still Imngsdouhtful.—
The .enemy were geiting.op nil their strength
for a .final effort, when Conrobert came up
with-., three regiments of Zobnves, five regi*
meats of French infantry, and a strong force
of artillery,-nndcommenced a terrible attack
on thd enemyVrighfflnnk, - •■,
This occurred at abbot 11 o’clock, §nd
from that moment the Russian clmnee was
hopeless. Yet, though under the French
fire they Wefe literally fulling by battalions,
they never Showed the leaat signs of trepi
dation or disorder. On the contrary, they
fnrmed'up in' the mpsl beautiful order, altar,
ed thciV front so os to medtthe attack of the
French,'and, extending their lino to the led,
prepared to resume their attack upon life
English,* At that lime, however, our meii
were well prepared, and, without any <i¥der
'or arrangement flung' themselves headlong
upon the pnemy, charging with the bayonet,”
The Russians boldly charged with the bayo
net also, and for the space,of five minutes the
30th, 4lsi,'49th, 88th., and six or seven Rus
sian regiments were, slabbing,, beating and
firing at each other in the most fearful .man
ner. At last the enemy gave way, and be-,
gan retiring in good order, across toward the
lukerman high's. Until I saw it, I never in
my 1 He could hove believed that any troops
in the world could have retired under speh
a murderous fire in such perfect order. Thy
French and English, with a whole mass of
artillery, followed close upon the retreating
battalions, pouring in volleys of grapeshol,
shell, and musketry. In fuel it was a per
fect carnage.' Yet in spite of this the enemy
kept their order, retreating almost at slow
time, and every .five or ten minutes hailing
and charging desperately up the hill at our
men and the French, In.these charges .the
Russians lost fearfully. VVe received them
with volleys of- musketry, and then dashed
at them -.with the bayonet. In one of these
charges the 50th French regiment of the
Line recaptured the two guns which in the
commencement of the day wo had lost. By
2J o'clock the great mass of the enemy had
completely fallen back, leaving between 7000
and and 8000 dead upon the field behind.
Toward evening I walked over the battle
field; but I can never describe to your read
ers what it wns [ike: Its horrors beggar all
description—l2,ooo dead nnd wounded Eng.
lish, French and Russian lay upon the bights
and the groans nnd screams of agony were
rising up from All parts. Alma was a mere
skirmit-h to it. Wljat made the ScCno worse
was that the Russians fiom the ships in the
harbor and the fortifications to tho north
were throwing n perfect storm of shell nil
over tho field, killing their own nnd our,
wounded.
Nov. 9!—Onl the evening of the bmtle, I 1
went over the field. I think I have said, 1
over and over again, that it was a sight j
which could never be described. A cnnsldo i
ruble number, some 800 to 1,000, Russian
killed and wounded were lying among our
tents, and here also were many, 100 many,
corpses of Zouaves and French infantry of 1
the line. All our wounded huve been remo
ved, and the wounded of the.enemy are be
ing gathered in. ’the kindness and atten
tion of our fellows to their helpless enemies
was beyond all praise. They brought them
water, got knapsacks In pul under their
heads, pud borrowetf blankets in which to
cover them from the raw .night air; here
and there' small groups of them stood absotb
ed in pity round some prostrate foe, to whom
their kindness came too lute, und who, shoi
either through the head or lungs,-gasped out
his existence in painful sobs, or terminated it .
in a horrible convulsion which made your
blood curdle' lo hear. A little above the line
of tents was the brow of the hill overlooking
lukermann Lights. Here -was the spot
where the allied artillery engaged that of 1 he
enemy .alter the retreat, and here the sight
was sickening indeed, .There is nothing so
awful as the spectacle of the bodies of those
who hod been struck down by routed shot and
shell. One poor fellow of the 95:h had been
si ruck-by two 24 pounders in the head and
body. ,A shell afterward burst on him and
toru him to pieces, nnd it was only by the
fragments cif doth, with (he regimental hut.-
tons adhering, that you could tell thal tho
rough bloody mass which lay in the, road-had
ever been u .human being. But it is useless
to dwell on these sickening details j suffice
to say that here, among, 1 ha carcasses of
some 200 killed and wopnded horses, lay the.
bodies of our brave English and French ar
tillerymen, djf more.or. less frightfully muti
lated,. Some .bad their, heads off n)
the neck, as if with an,a*.; olher* their legs
gone from .the hips j .otbeta their arms, and
others; again, tv ho were, -hit in the chest’or
stomach, were literally a» smashed a* if they
had teen, crushed in a machine. ’ Bui i( »4|
not alone the allies who lay hete f on the
contrary, theta were ten- Russia/eorpses for
one of their*,; Jtul the. latter 'were all killed
by musketry- tip.
1 effort* to all Who lay In rwthSirf
' '•vsieif a>;%
t hey, were ibemiute.ion -«a rth., Pas si nil Tup
the .rood la Sevastopol betWeertheaps dC-Rds*
sian dendi you-dntnet lathe spot
Guprda had hpen compelled to retire from.the
.defense'ofthd wall above Inkermann Valley.
Harp bur-<tead / ' were, nearly as numerous- as
Across Ihc path, side by side;
lay* five guardsmen vVho werekilled By. one
fbund' shoi ns they advanced to charge ’ih'e'
They lay on their faces; - 'irr the
sarhe'dltitudb, with their muskets tightly'
grasped In both hand?, and nil had thd'sarfir
grfriji'liamfbl 'ihejrTeaidres,* lik^
nien\^jb^S^^^ c< K. ' n 'Bh.pcVoT
closing j wiih’ ijieif roes. ,' Beyofid r tfit's,, the
flf'ussinn' gunrdsmen arid' lirtc' of lay ’
(hick as leaves, intermixed with and'
wounded, horse?. The latter, whh, frnctur'pd
lijp,bs,.were, pd'w, and,, then afier,
staggering a v few steps, rolling.over among,
the snorting and.pluuging fearfully,
Up. to-the right of the wall was the way to
the Two-giitrSattery. The paihiny through
thick brushwood; but, the path was slippery
with .blood, and the brushwood..was broken
down and encumbered with the dead.
The scene from the battery whs awful
awful beyond description. I stood upon the
parapet at about nine at night, and felt. ray.
heart sink ns.l gazed upon the scene of car*
nnge around. The moon was at its full, and
showed every object ns if by the light of day.
Faring me wss the Valley of Inkermann,
with the Chrrnava like a band of silver flow-
ing gracefully beteen the hills, which, lor vn.
ried and picturesque beauty, might vie.with
any -part of the world. Yet 1 shall never
recall the memory of Inkerman Valley with
any but feelings of loathing and horror ; for
around the spot from which I surveyed "the
scene lay upwards of 5,000 bodies. Many
badly wounded also lay there ; and their low,
dull moans of mortal agony struck with.hor
rible distinctness upon the ear, or, worse still,
I he hoarse, gurgling cry and vehement strug
gles of those'who were convulsed before they
passed away. Around the hill small groups
of men with Hospital stretches were searching
out for those who still survived ; and others,
again, with lantern, busily turning over the
dead, looking for the bodies of officers who
were known to be killed, but who had not been
found. Here also were English women,
whose husbands had not returned, hurrying
about with loud lamentjons, turning the faces
of nur dead to the moonlight, and eagerly
seeking for whot tl,ioy feared to find. These
hitler were far more to be pitied than the in.
animate forms of those who lay slaughtered
around. The ambulances, ns fust ns they
canto tip, received their load of sufferers,nnd
even blankets were employed to convey the
wounded to She rear. Outsidelhe battery the
Russians lay two nnd three CcPp. Inside the
place wns literally full with bodies of Russian
Guardsmen, 55th nndj2oth. .The fine, tall
forms of our poor fellows could be distinguish
ed nl a glance, thmighithc gray great-coats,
stained with blood, rendered them alike exter
nally. They lay ns they fell in heaps, some,
times our men over three or four Russians,
and sometimes a Russian over three or (bur.
of ours. Snmo had passed away with a
smile on their faces, nnd seemed as if asleep ;
others were horribly contorted, add with dis
tended eyes and swolled features, appeared to
have died in agony, but defying to the Inst.
Snmejny ns if prepared for burial, nnd ns
though hands of relatives had arranged their
mangled limbs, w hilp-others, again, were in
almost startling positions, half standing or
kneeling, clinching their weapons, or draw
ing n cartridge. Many lay with both their
hands extended toward the sky, ns if to avert
a blow.inr utter a prayer, while others had a
malignant scowl of mingled fear and hatred ;
ns if, indeed, they died despairing. The
moonlight imparted an asp'-cts of unnatural
paleness to their firms ; nnd, as the, cold,
damp wind swept around the hills, and waved
the boughs above their upturned faces, the
shadows gave a horrible appearance of vital
ity ; and it seemed as if the dead were laugh
ing, and about in rise. This was not the
case on one spot, but nil over the bloody
field.
Tho Russian soldiers, 1 have already re
marked, were infinitely inferior in appear
.once to thohC we met at Alma. In all that
.relates to discipline and cotiraue, our late an
tagonists were fur superior. They Were all
elean, blit ragged in the extreme. None
had knapsacks, but merely a little canvns-bag
of that disgusting, nauseous-looking stuff they
rail Ihfclr bread. No'nihnr provisions were
found on any. The knnpsaeks, I presume,
were lefi la-hind, in order that they might
scale the bights on our left wMi greater, fa
rilitv. Every man wore strong, well-made.
Wellington hoots, of a stout but rough-lnok
ing brown leather. On none, that I have
heard of, were found either money nr bonks.
On many were miimiures of women, and
locks of hnir. They appear to have been
veteran iwpe, as a large number bore the
scars of previous wounds. The dend officers,
pa at Alma, were with difficulty to bouiistiri
ouished from (be men. Their officers be
haved very well.
■ Two hundred and eighty prisoners,- not
wounded, nr only merely grazed, fell into our
hands. jDne among them is now about the
largest and most powerful man in the camp
ofihe dllies. Ho stands, neatly six feel six
inches, 'nn'd js broad it> proportion’. He
surrendered, when pursued, wit hunt' ettempf.
ing reitaancei’, Oiir atlies. appear to haye
heon taken cdmpleteiv by surprise In the ibi*.
tip made fy the enemy upon their,
•Ths Hussians had aot possession of Nos, 1.
«ndj sind ppikedihe « u n» heTofe
tfclwnchlwero, tn„* .cdhdttinn, to opphw
end^?'’-
tory intojthe center of. thetowo, but baling
no' of lha
retired, 1 •‘ T
" J ; '■■'
Bw»gbtiWon?ti 6,1 mdi < IJttleTom
%wprdr«4d*
c4r»io4#blmaihi(i wMk
' »-*-7 • t i ;<?-.-, f ,v, -.-d c- ■-• '
hopedall ihescaflbldittgwonld
6So)»Moxiigbt,:’ answered biasnothervWMtd
dhaiHliba yrftoe' sightij/foril- never like lira
sadingtttf tbosOgttat chimneys—it’* saHsky
' 3 -
•-‘i'}> EVlhen, but-'I'IJ go add aeo him, «nd help
-!em logiee aabcnn-bfor»die-.comfc» down,”
*aid Tom.‘. i ' .■■>;<■ .-,-.0. .■■
,j<.tliAnd then,!’continued hi* mother; «« if all
goes right, we are to-have a frolic to morrow;
and go into4he<;nunify, and <ahe ; our dinners,
arid aptnd all tho day amongst the.woods.”
Hiirwh;!l';«ried Tom, as be' ran off-to
his fat her’f. placeofwdrlt; with a coo of .milk
ih-tneharid 'and some bread in the other.—
His-mother stood at the*-doolr watching him
as 6.*tenf merrily ivhistlingdown the street,
andithenSheUhoughi of the dear father he
was . going to, and the dangerous work he
wnsenpaged in.nndthen her heart found its
suretrefoge, and she prajtcd lo God to. pro*
tect nnd blesstgrireasures. i, »•• ■
Tom’, with n light heart, pursued his wag
to his .father, and, leaving him- his breakfast,
went to hispwa work, which, was at some
distance,. In thoevening, oh his way . home,
he went round to.spa how.his father was get*
ling on,. Jametr Howard, the father,-and a
number of ether workmen,had been building
one of those lofty chimneys, which in our
great manufacturing iowtia,-almost supply the
place -of our other architectural beauty,—
This chimney was- one of the . highest and
most taptring that has ever been erected : and
ns Tonv, shading his eyes -from , the rays of
■ he/slanting-sun; looked up. to the (op in
search of hisfolher, bis heart almost sunk
within him at tho appalling height. Tho
(scaffolding was almost all down ; the men at
the bottom-we re removing the last beams and
poles. Tom’s father stood alone on the top.
He looked ell round to sea that everything
was right; waving his h'at in Ibe air,
ths men below answered with a long, loud
-cheer, little Tom shouting at heartily as any
of them. . As their voices, died away, bow.
ever, they heard fa very different sound—a
cry of alarm and horror frclmpbovc ! “ The
rope I The rope 1” The men looked round,
and coiled upon the ground llay tho rope,
which, before thei, scaffolding was removed,
should have been fastened to the chimney,
for Turn’s, father to come down by! The
scaffolding had been taken down without
their remembering to take'the rope up.—•
There-wns a dead silence. They all knew it
was impossible to throw the rope up high
enough to reach the top of the chimney ; ar
if hu could it would hardly have been safe.
They stood in silence and dismay* unable.to
gl«e any help or thing, of any means of
safety. .
And Tom’s f«ther. - He walked round and
round theHtile circle, the dizzy height seem
ing every moment to grow mure fearful, and
the solid earth farther and farther from him.
In ihd sudden panic he lust his presence of
miod, and his senses almost failed him. He
shut his eyes; he felt as if, the next moment
he must be dashed to pieces on the ground
below, i !
The day had passed as industriously and
swiftly as usual with Tom’s mother at home.
She wna always busily employed for her hus
band and children in some way or other ; and
to-day she had been harder at work than us-
ual, getting ready for the holiday to-morrow.
She had Just finished all her preparations, and
qer thoughts wore sileoily Ihnnkipg God for
qor happy home and for nil the blessings of
life, when Tom run in; his face was as while
ns ashes ; nnd he could hardly gel his worrit
out. “ Mother I, Mother 1" He cunna get
down.” ,
“ Who, lad t Thy father 1” asked his
mother.
‘ • They’s’fi.forgoten to leave him the rope,"
answered Tom, still senreely able to speak."
His moiher storied up horror-struck, nnd
stood fut a moment as if paralyzed, then
pressing her hands over her face, as if to
shut out the horrible picture, and breathing
a prayer to God for help, she rushed out of
the house.
When she reached the place where her
husband was at work; a crowd had collected
tound ihe fool of the. chimney, nnd stood
I acre quite helpless, cozing up whh faces
I all of sorrow. 11 He says he’ll throw him
4elf down,’’ exclaimed >ljey, as Mrs. Howard
came up.- “ He is going to throw himsoif
down.’’
“Thee munnn do (hat, lad I” cried (ho
wife, wjih clear, hopeful voice ; “ three muo
ns do that. Wail a bit, Tnk’ofT thy stock
ing, lad, nnd unravel it, nnd let down tbs
■bread with a bit of mortar. Dost bear me,
Jem ?”
The man made a sign of assent, for it
seemed ns if he could not speak ; and inking
off his slocking, unravelled ihe worsted thread,
row afler row. Thu people stood round in
breathless silence and suspense, wondering
what Tom’s mother could be thinking of, nnd
why she sent him in such haste for tho car
penter’s ball of twine.
“Let down one end of the (bread wrh a
bit slnne, and keep fust hold of the other,”
cried jhu to her husband. The little Ihrend
came waving down the tall chimney, blown
hither and thither by the wind, but nt last it
reached, the outstretched hand* Jhot wore
waiting for it. Tom held the ball of string,
while his. mother tied one end of it to the
worsted thread. “ Now pull, it up slowly,”
cried she (o her husband, and she gradually
unwound the string as the worsted gently
drew., it up. 11 slopped—the siring had
reached her husband.
“ Now hold the siring fast, and pull at up*"
cried she/.and the siring grew heavy, and
hard to pull, for Tom and his mother had
'{aetraed the ihich rope to it. They watched
it gradunlly slowly uncoiling from.(he"ground,
; as ihe siring was drawn higher.
There was but one c;oi! left. It had reach
ed ,the (op, " Thank GodX/Thaok Gfod I"
esclttitned the wile, £he
“hand* -Jo.sijgni prayer
Joieed. JThp rope, wae up. Tha
wKieh h Should be fastened, was there all
right! Wtfi Vtodd : f»? fcvefctol ttsahto (0
-3JSS