Rumours before the Battle — Description of the Ground — British Position — The Russian Plan of Battle — How carried out — Proximity of Corps to Battlefield — Soimonoff attacks — Effects of the Fog — Soimonoff's Right in Advance — The British repulse Him — Pauloff's Troops engage — Pauloff also repulsed — Causes of Russian Repulses — Dannenberg's Attacks — Greater Obstinacy of the Attack — Action and Death of Cathcart — The French drive back the Russians — Allies defeat another Resolute Attack— Allied Artillery begins to prevail — What delayed Bosquet — Crisis before the French arrived — Gortschakoffs part — Close of the Battle — The Operations discussed — The Attack suitably met — The Sandbag Battery — Russian Exaggeration — What was at Stake — Consequence of Victory,.......... 131
Contents. v
CHAPTER VIII.
THE HURRICANE AND THE WINTER.
The Hurricane — Its Effects — Privations of the Troops — Want of Transport — Transport done by the Men — The Cavalry Horses starved — Sufferings of the Sick — The Hospitals — Indignation in England — The French take part of our Duties — Relief begins — Why a Road was not made at first— Roads now made — Improvement in the Hospitals — Miss Nightingale arrives — The Influence she acquires — The Ratio of Deaths— Resignation of the Ministry — The Crimean Commission — The Commissary-General blamed — Defends himself — General Airey refutes Charges — Departments have their Proper Limits — The Fault lay in the System, .......... 165
CHAPTER IX.
EXTENSION OF THE SIEGE WORKS AND DEFENCES.
Burgoyne's Proposal for our Relief — The French prefer another Mode— Want of Fuel in the Camps— Fortress increasing in Strength— New System of Riflepits — Underground Warfare — New Russian Works — Failure of the French Attack — Great Sortie against the French and English Trenches — The Burial Truce — Charles Gordon's Experiences — Russians recross the Tchernaya — Niel's View of the Operations — Burgoyne goes Home — The Russians slow to reply— Severity of Fire upon the Fortress— Two Well-fought Batteries— Carnage in Sebastopol— Impatience for Assault,.......... 190
CHAPTER X.
IMPORTANT EVENTS ELSEWHERE.
Death of the Czar — The Vienna Conference— Louis Napoleon's Plan — He intends to go to the Crimea— Lord Clarendon sent to dissuade him— The Emperor visits the Queen — Terms proposed at Vienna — Austria frames a Proposal — The Emperor abandons his Intention — English Advocates of Russian Interests — First Embarkation for Kertch— The Expedition recalled— Conference of Commanders— Canrobert resigns the Command,.215
CHAPTER XL
THE NEW GENERAL.
Errors in the Emperor's Theory— Pelissier's View of the Problem— His Previous Action in May — He declares his Determination — Niel remonstrates in vain — Displeasure of the Emperor— Course taken by Vaillant— New Russian Work— The French attack it — And capture it— Expedition to Kertch — Its Complete Success — The Extended Position— Ancient Remains— Valley of Baidar, •; . .230
vi Contents.
CHAPTER XII.
A SUCCESSION OF CONFLICTS.
The Emperor persists in his Plan — Pelissier opposes it — The Objects of the Attack —Assault of the White Works — Assault of the Mamelon — The Struggle for ' it — Assault of the Quarries — The Emperor still persists— Error of Pelissier — His* Second Error — His Insufficient Reason — Failure at the Malakoff — Failure at the Redan — A Partial Success — Todleben wounded — Pelissier's Persistency in Prosecuting the Siege — Vaillant sides with Pelissier — Death of Lord Raglan— His Funeral — Sufferings of the Defenders— Russian Plans of Battle — Russian Advance for Battle — Battle of the Tchernaya — Retreat of the Russians — Russian Losses in the War, ...... 246
CHAPTER XIII.
THE DESTRUCTION OF SEBASTOPOL.
What Gortschakoff saw in Sebastopol— Yet he resolves to sustain an Assault — French Plan of Assault — The Final Bombardment — The French Attacking Forces —The English— The Assault— Cost of taking the Malakoff— Failure of the French elsewhere — Failure at the Redan — Predominance of the Malakoff — Incidents on Following Days— Constancy of the Garrison — Final Destruction of the Fleet, -273
CHAPTER XIV.
THE CLOSE OF THE WAR.